The Montreal International Poetry Prize 2026

The Montreal International Poetry Prize is awarded to original works of poetry. A cash prize of $20,000 CAD will be awarded to a poet for single poem.

Montreal International Poetry Prize 2026: Full Guidelines 

The Montreal International Poetry Prize is awarded to original works of poetry. A cash prize of $20,000 CAD will be awarded to a poet for a single poem of forty or fewer lines. 

Also Read: The Libraro Prize 2026

Rules and Regulations of the Montreal International Poetry Prize

General Terms & Conditions

• Terms Binding. By entering the competition, each Entrant agrees to be bound by these terms and conditions.
• Privacy. All personal information provided by the Entrant shall be used solely for the administration of the Montreal International Poetry Prize (the “Montreal Prize”). By providing such information, the Entrant consents to its use for such purposes.
• Accuracy of Information. The Entrant guarantees that all personal information provided in his or her personal account and in the entry form is accurate. The Entrant assumes responsibility and liability for any and all consequences arising from human error, fraudulent information, and any information provided to the Montreal Prize that is inaccurate. Any false statement made by an Entrant is grounds for disqualification from the Montreal Prize.
• Limitation of Liability. The Montreal Prize and its directors, officers, and employees shall assume no liability resulting from losses, delays, fraudulent claims or statements, loss or theft of any data, damage to any equipment including software, computer errors, malfunctions related to information technology, or any other errors. The Montreal Prize and its directors, officers and employees shall assume no liability whatsoever for any event, act, or situation beyond their control.
• Award Force. By participating in the Montreal International Poetry Prize and using the submissions platform hosted by Award Force, Entrants agree to be governed by the terms, conditions, and privacy policy of Award Force: https://www.creativeforce.team/tos/
• No Refund. Entries will not be refunded under any circumstances.
• Ineligibility. Entries not conforming to these terms and conditions shall be ineligible. Only entries meeting all the present terms and conditions and the online entry requirements, including payment of relevant entrance fees, shall be considered.
• Decisions Final. By entering, each Entrant agrees to abide by Montreal Prize rules. All decisions made by Montreal Prize directors or authorized agents, including subeditors, editors, and judges, as the case may be, are final. The Montreal Prize does not respond to correspondence concerning final decisions.
• Jurisdiction. This Agreement is governed by and shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Quebec. The parties hereby attorn to the jurisdiction of the courts of the Province of Quebec.
• Confirmation. Telephone confirmation of receipt of any entry is not available. The Montreal Prize will not confirm the content of entries. Acknowledgement of receipt will be sent via email to those who provide a valid email address in the personal information section of their online account with the Montreal Prize.
• Retrieval of Entries. Entrants are responsible for keeping their own drafts. Once entered, the text of a poem cannot be retrieved for the Entrant. The Montreal Prize is not responsible for tracking entries and will not retrieve entries from its database.
• Contact. Unsuccessful Entrants will not be contacted individually. Competition results may be found on the Montreal Prize website by 1 December of the competition year.
• Competition Closure. Should participation levels fail to meet the minimum set by the Montreal International Poetry Prize, the Montreal International Poetry Prize may close the competition and refund all Entrants their Entry Fees. In such a case, all Entrants will be informed by email using the email provided in the Entrant’s account information. The current minimum number of entries is 2,000.

Eligibility Criteria for the Montreal International Poetry Prize 2026

• Age Restriction. All Entrants shall be of the age of majority in their legal jurisdiction of residency at the time of entry submission.
• Topic. Entries may be on any topic.
• International Entries. Entries may be submitted from anywhere in the world. Each entry must be submitted with the author’s legal name. A pen name may be added to a submission.
• Length. Entries may be any length not exceeding forty (40) lines, excluding blank lines, numbered section titles, brief dedications, and epigraphs.
• Language. All entries must be primarily in English. The inclusion of a few non-English words or phrases is acceptable.
• Simultaneous Submission. Simultaneous submissions are permitted. If a poem is scheduled to be published elsewhere on or before 30 September of the competition year, it must be immediately withdrawn from the Montreal Prize. Entrants should withdraw the relevant poem themselves through the online submission platform. Refunds cannot be issued for withdrawn submissions. If a poem, accepted elsewhere, is to be published after 30 September of the competition year, it remains eligible for the Montreal Prize and need not be withdrawn. In that case, successful Entrants will ensure that first publication by the Montreal Prize is duly acknowledged in the subsequent publication. 
• Publication Defined. Publication is defined as the appearance of a text on the Internet or in print, or the broadcasting of it in any format.
• Previous Publication. Entries must be unpublished and original works of the Entrant. Each entry must be the work of a single author, not including a company or organization. Each entry must not infringe upon any right or copyright of any person or entity.
• AI Policy. The Montreal International Poetry Prize is only interested in submissions of human-created poetry. Submissions must be original; any submission that is found to have been created by or with the use or assistance of AI will be disqualified because we do not consider it to be original work.
• Translation. Translations are not eligible for the Montreal Prize, except a translation made by the Entrant of a poem written by the Entrant.
• Publication Following Entry. If an entry is published at any time before the selections for the Montreal Prize anthologies have been announced, it will be rendered ineligible. Entries that are selected for publication in the Montreal Prize anthologies are subject to specific publishing rights outlined elsewhere in these rules.
• Entry. All entries must be entered exclusively using the online submission platform linked to the Montreal Prize website. No other form of entry, by conventional mail or otherwise, shall be considered, and any such entry will not be returned. Entries must not include the Entrant’s name in the text.
• No changes. All entries are final; no changes are allowed after submissions close. Before the submission deadline, Entrants may modify their entries themselves.
• Entry Restrictions. The Montreal Prize directors, officers, employees, representatives or agents, including the subeditors, editors and prize judges, as well as any of their immediate family members or persons with whom they are domiciled, are not eligible to enter the Montreal Prize.

Entry Fee for the Montreal International Poetry Prize 2026

An entry fee is required for each entry. Fees are allocated based on early and final entry deadlines, and first or additional entry status. The applicable fees are as follows:

(i) $25 CAD for a first entry during the early entry period;

(ii) $28 CAD for a first entry during the later entry period;

(iii) $20 CAD for every additional entry.

Deadlines

The early entry deadline is 1 May at 23:59 ET (Montreal Time). The final entry deadline is 15 May at 23:59 ET.

Right to Extend Deadline. The Montreal International Poetry Prize reserves the right to extend deadlines as it sees fit.  

Fee Payment. Entries will not be eligible until payment has been received and confirmed. If payment is withdrawn, the relevant entry will be rendered ineligible. All entries are final, and entry fees are non-transferable and non-refundable.

The official information page.