i have won an essay contest

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How to Win an Essay Contest

Last Updated: February 28, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Daniel Santos . Daniel Santos is a College Admissions & Career Coach and Prepory's co-founder and CEO. Prepory is a leading college admissions consulting firm that has guided over 9,000 students from 35 countries through the US college admissions process. Prepory is a member of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling and a trusted admissions counseling partner to several competitive high schools across Florida. Prior to founding Prepory, Daniel worked at various leading law firms and the United States House of Representatives. Daniel has been featured as a college admissions and career coaching expert across several major publications, including the Wall Street Journal, FORTUNE, and The Harvard Crimson. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 169,597 times.

If you're hoping to write an essay that will win a contest, there are several ways to make your writing stand out. Before you start writing, make sure you read the essay guidelines so that you're following all of the rules. Come up with a topic that fits the contest's theme and craft a detailed, descriptive, and interesting essay. By making your essay original and error-free, you'll be much more likely to win the contest.

Crafting and Editing the Essay

• If you don’t follow one or more of the rules when writing and submitting your essay, your essay may be disqualified, so make sure to read over the rules several times if necessary.
• It’s a good idea to print out the guidelines so that you can refer to them as you’re writing.

• It’s super important to stick with the theme when you’re writing and not get off-topic.
• For example, if the contest asks you to write about a person who has influenced you, make a list of the people that have had a big impact on your life and choose the person who you can write lots of descriptive examples about.

• It’s okay if you have several different drafts of one essay.
• Make an outline of your essay before you start to help you organize your thoughts.

• Ask a friend or family member to read over your essay to see if it’s interesting and makes sense.
• It may help you to put the essay aside for a day or two after you’ve written it so that you can revise it again with a fresh perspective.

• It may help to ask another person to read over the essay to see if they spot any mistakes.

• Check to see when the submission deadline is in the contest’s guidelines and rules.
• It may help you to put the essay deadline on your calendar so that you don’t forget when it is.
• If you're sending the essay by mail, make sure you send it far enough in advance that it will reach the judges in time.

Making Your Essay Stand Out

• An example of an attention-grabbing introduction might be, “I held my breath for 82 seconds before I was yanked out of the water,” or “Sarah walked slowly up to the door, her body drenched in nervous sweat, before firmly knocking.”

• The title should give the reader a glimpse of what your essay is about while leaving them intrigued.
• For example, if you’re writing an essay about a lemon picker, you might title the essay, "Living with Sour Fingers."

• Instead of saying, “The wheelbarrow fell down the hill,” you could say, “The rusty wheels of the wheelbarrow skidded over smooth rocks and sharp blades of grass until it skidded to a stop at the edge of the water.”

• Read over your essay and look for sentences or ideas that would likely not be found in another person's essay.
• If you're having trouble figuring out if you have an original element, have someone else read over your essay and tell you which parts stand out.

• Review the essay guidelines to see if there’s a special way they’d like the essay formatted.

Expert Q&A

• If you don't win, take a look at the winning entries if possible and see what they did that you didn't. Try to learn from this and incorporate it into your next essay. Thanks Helpful 18 Not Helpful 2
• Don't be afraid to ask for help if you have a hard time! As long as your work is original, getting feedback from others is a great way to make your writing stronger. Thanks Helpful 12 Not Helpful 2
• If you have difficulty understanding the topic or the guidelines, try to get in touch with the judges. Thanks Helpful 12 Not Helpful 2

• Failure to follow the format requirements may disqualify your essay. Thanks Helpful 44 Not Helpful 8
• Be aware of the deadline to ensure you get your essay submitted in time. Thanks Helpful 18 Not Helpful 3

You Might Also Like

Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about essay contests, check out our in-depth interview with Daniel Santos .

• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/brainstorming/
• ↑ https://mlpp.pressbooks.pub/writingsuccess/chapter/8-3-drafting/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/revising-drafts/
• ↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/writingprocess/proofreading
• ↑ https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/planning/intros-and-conclusions/
• ↑ https://writing.umn.edu/sws/assets/pdf/quicktips/titles.pdf
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/essay_writing/descriptive_essays.html
• ↑ https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/write-original-essay/
• ↑ https://facultyweb.ivcc.edu/ramboeng2/handout_essayformat.htm

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How to Win Essay Contests: A Step-by-Step Guide

10 Steps to Writing Contest-Winning Essays

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Did you know that you can win prizes with your writing skills? Essay contests are a fun way to turn your creativity and your command of the written word into great prizes. But how do you give your essay the edge that gets it picked from among all of the other entries?

Here's a step-by-step guide to writing essays that impress judges. Follow these steps for your best chances of winning writing contests.

Read the Essay Contest Rules

The first thing that you should do to win essay contests is to read the rules thoroughly. Overlooking one small detail could be the difference between winning the contest and wasting your time.

Pay special attention to:

• The contest's start and end dates.
• How often you're allowed to enter.
• The word or character count .
• The contest's theme.
• The criteria that the judges will use to pick the winners.
• Who the sponsoring company is, and what their branding is like.
• And any other details the sponsor requires.

It might help you to print out the sweepstakes rules and highlight the most important elements, or to take notes and keep them close at hand as you write.

If you summarize the relevant rules in a checklist, you can easily check the requirements off when you've finished your essay to ensure you haven't overlooked anything.

Brainstorm Your Essay Ideas

Many people want to jump right into writing their essay, but it's a better idea to take some time to brainstorm different ideas before you start. Oftentimes, your first impulse isn't your best.

The Calgary Tutoring Centre lists several reasons why brainstorming improves your writing . According to their article, brainstorming lets you:

"Eliminate weaker ideas or make weaker ideas stronger. Select only the best and most relevant topics of discussion for your essay while eliminating off-topic ideas. Or, generate a new topic that you might have left out that fits with others."

For a great brainstorming session, find a distraction-free area and settle in with a pen and paper, or your favorite method to take notes. A warm beverage and a healthy snack might aid your process. Then, think about your topic and jot down quick words and phrases that are relevant to your theme.

This is not the time to polish your ideas or try to write them coherently. Just capture enough of the idea that you know what you meant when you review your notes.

Consider different ways that you can make the contest theme personal, come at it from a different angle, or stand out from the other contest entries. Can you make a serious theme funny? Can you make your ideas surprising and unexpected?

Write down all your ideas, but don't judge them yet. The more ideas you can come up with, the better.

Select the Essay Concept that Best Fits the Contest's Theme and Sponsor

Once you've finished brainstorming, look over all of your ideas to pick the one you want to develop for your essay contest entry.

While you're deciding, think about what might appeal to the essay contest's sponsor. Do you have a way of working the sponsor's products into your essay? Does your concept fit the sponsor's company image?

An essay that might be perfect for a Budweiser contest might fall completely flat when Disney is the sponsor.

This is also a good time to consider whether any of your rejected ideas would make good secondary themes for your essay.

Use a Good Hook to Grab the Reader's Attention

When it's time to start writing your essay, remember that the first sentence is the most important. You want to ensure that your first paragraph is memorable and grabs the reader's attention.

When you start with a powerful, intriguing, moving, or hilarious first sentence, you hook your readers' interest and stick out in their memory when it is time to pick winners.

Writer's Digest has some excellent tips on how to hook readers at the start of an essay in their article, 10 Ways to Hook Your Reader (and Reel Them in for Good) .

For ideas on how to make your essay unforgettable, see Red Mittens, Strong Hooks, and Other Ways to Make Your Essay Spectacular .

Write the First Draft of Your Essay

Now, it's time to get all of your thoughts down on paper (or on your computer). Remember that this is a first draft, so don't worry about perfect grammar or if you are running over your word count. 

Instead, focus on whether your essay is hitting the right emotional notes, how your story comes across, whether you are using the right voice, and if you are communicating everything you intend to.

First drafts are important because they help you overcome your reluctance to write. You are not trying to be good yet, you are trying to simply tell your story. Polishing that story will come later.

They also organize your writing. You can see where your ideas fit and where you need to restructure to give them more emotional impact.

Finally, a first draft helps you keep your ideas flowing without letting details slow you down. You can even skip over parts that you find challenging, leaving notes for your next revision. For example, you could jot down "add statistics" or "get a funny quote from Mom" and come back to those time-consuming points later.

Revise Your Essay for Flow and Organization

Once you've written the first draft of your essay, look over it to ensure that it flows. Is your point well-made and clear? Do your thoughts flow smoothly from one point to another? Do the transitions make sense? Does it sound good when you read it aloud?

This is also the time to cut out extraneous words and ensure you've come in under the word count limit.

Generally, cutting words will improve your writing. In his book, On Writing , Stephen King writes that he once received a rejection that read: "Formula for success: 2nd Draft = 1st Draft – 10%." In other words, the first draft can always use some trimming to make the best parts shine.

If you'd like some tips on how to improve your first draft, check out these tips on how to self-edit .

Keep an Eye Out for "Red Mittens"

In her fantastic book, The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio , Terry Ryan talked about how her mother Evelyn used "red mittens" to help her be more successful with contest entries.

As she put it:

"The purpose of the Red Mitten was almost self-explanatory -- it made an entry stand out from the rest. In a basket of mittens, a red one will be noticed."

Rhyme, alliteration, inner rhyme, puns, and coined words were some of the red mittens that Evelyn Ryan used to make her entries pop. Your essay's red mitten might be a clever play on words, a dash of humor, or a heart-tuggingly poignant story that sticks in the judges' minds.

If your first draft is feeling a little bland, consider whether you can add a red mitten to spice up your story.

Put Your Contest Entry Aside

Now that you have a fairly polished draft of your essay contest entry, put it aside and don't look at it for a little while. If you have time before the contest ends, put your essay away for at least a week and let your mind mull over the idea subconsciously for a little while.

Many times, people think of exactly what their essay needs to make it perfect... right after they have hit the submit button.

Letting your entry simmer in your mind for a while gives you the time to come up with these great ideas before it's too late.

Revise Your Essay Contest Entry Again

Now, it's time to put the final polish on your essay. Have you said everything you wanted to? Have you made your point? Does the essay sound good when you read it out loud? Can you tighten up the prose by making additional cuts in the word count?

In this phase, it helps to enlist the help of friends or family members. Read your essay to them and check their reactions. Did they smile at the right parts? Were they confused by anything? Did they connect with the idea behind the story?

This is also a good time to ensure you haven't made any grammar or spelling mistakes. A grammar checker like Grammarly is very helpful for catching those little mistakes your eyes gloss over. But since even computer programs make mistakes sometimes, so it's helpful to have another person — a good friend or family member — read it through before you submit it.

Read the Essay Contest Rules One Last Time

If you've been following these directions, you've already read through the contest rules carefully. But now that you've written your draft and had some time to think things over, read them through one more time to make sure you haven't overlooked anything.

Go through your checklist of the essay requirements point-by-point with your finished essay in front of you to make sure you've hit them all.

And now, you're done! Submit the essay to your contest, and keep your fingers crossed for the results !

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How I Won My Third Essay Contest

Today’s guest post is by writer Tammy Delatorre ( @tammydelatorre ).

Writing an essay that wins a contest is not an easy task, but it’s not impossible either. I’ve been fortunate enough to win three essay contests, and each time I’ve learned something different about the essay-writing and contest-entry process.

Here are a few things I learned in the process of writing and submitting, “I Am Coming for You,” which ended up winning CutBank ’s Montana Prize in Creative Nonfiction.

Be willing to be haunted.

A lot of times something will begin to trouble me. For this essay, I had a general sense this “something” was about my mother. A thought or image of her would rise up in the middle of work or while I was doing something else. Or, it’d be the middle of the night, and I’d finally sit up in bed, realizing thoughts of her were keeping me from sleep. Wasn’t she beautiful? Where’s she now? Did she ever love me?

This haunting began to give me an inkling of where the essay might head. You see, my mother abandoned me in the middle of the night when I was six, a formative incident in my childhood—one that impacted the rest of my life. So, I knew it was something I wanted to explore further on the page.

If you experience such a haunting, welcome it in its unique incantation. Let it keep you up at night; let it speak to you in its own strange language. For me, before the topic of the essay was clear, it spoke to me through my body, and I tried to serve as a tuning fork for its messages. Old wounds, they still haunt— came to me so I wrote that down. And it was true my body was filled with aches from physical injuries long past, but emotional ones as well. The pain wouldn’t let me sleep. Insomnia had always been an issue for me, since I was a child, since my mother left me , I wrote.

This time the insomnia lasted for a while, so I tried to use these waking hours to face down what was really beneath the surface ponderings about my mother, under the sleeplessness, under the pain in my body. Haven’t I already gone through therapy to deal with this? Was there something else that needed unraveling? Then a realization occurred to me. I didn’t really have a hard time falling asleep. I had a hard time staying asleep, and the hour of night when I usually rose was around the same time when I woke and found my mother gone when I was a little girl. Maybe in a sense, my unconscious was forcing me to revisit that dark hour for new information.

Write the fragments as they come.

I decided that when I couldn’t sleep. I would get up and write down whatever came to me. As a young girl, I had buried a lot of emotions, so it was hard to have them rise up and make sense of them, so I’d just write what was right in front of me, hoping understanding would follow. I wrote about the quality of the night. I wrote about going to the gym that day, about working out, about exercising out old demons. I wrote about the soreness of my muscles. I wondered why I pushed myself so hard physically— to the point of pain, to the point of fatigue . And then I wrote this: it makes me feel close to my mother.

Some fragments grew into threads, which I soon realized were related—the pain in my body, the insomnia, my mother leaving me. I added what I could remember of my life around the time she left. I added things I intuited she had done with her body, done with men with her body, and how I had repeated similar behaviors as a woman myself.

I weaved the threads together as best I could. Then one morning, after another night of not much sleep, I was headed to the gym again. I was tired. I was half listening to the radio when a phrase came to me. I said it aloud: “I am coming for you.” The phrase came to me, as if I wanted to go after someone, and then the next thought came: that’s probably what my mother said when she went after that man, the one she kidnapped and tried to kill, and by going after him, she had not come back for me. And if she had done that, could she have loved me? Right there, I had uncovered the structure for my essay, with this consistent refrain in my life. Is anyone coming? Now, I just had to put it together.

Choose a piece you believe in.

The impetus for getting to the crux of this story was strong—I lost my mother in an unusual way, what I saw as a mental health issue, which led her to commit a crime of passion—kidnapping and attempted murder—which landed her in prison. I was willing to come back to the material again and again to explore every facet of losing her, how it affected me, and why it continued to plague me.  

I wrote what I remembered of her lover, the man she went after:

a man who knew how to hurt, years of experience honed behind his methods. He didn’t stop and consider; he didn’t plot and scheme. It came natural, fingers that grab and dig, fists that hold, then hit.

Although the situation with my mother was somewhat unique, I knew it would matter to readers because we’ve all experienced loved ones letting us down—sometimes in big ways—and readers would relate to the essay’s central questions: do we ever truly get over it? Do we forgive?

For me, when the haunting began, the answer was no. I had not forgiven her. I’m a Taurus and not a very forgiving person to begin with, but I was also holding onto to the hurt. I was recreating the pain of it, so I could be close to her. I wrote into the essay the various ways I was holding on and why.

And of course, as an adult, I promised my life would be nothing like my mother’s, and yet, when I considered it, in many ways I had followed in her footsteps. I hadn’t committed a crime and gone to prison, but I had been with men like she had, men who didn’t love or care about me, simply used me for my body. Perhaps these men were incapable of love, perhaps that’s why I choose them. Perhaps I had internalized my mother’s behaviors and feelings of being so desperate for love she’d do anything for it.

I had started writing fragments of the essay in August 2016, and by January 2017, I had a pretty good draft. I started to submit the piece out to essay and creative nonfiction contests. Within that first group of 10 submissions, I had received two positive responses. I was a finalist in contests sponsored by New Ohio Review and Black Warrior Review. I felt this was a good sign that the material was resonating with readers.

Get feedback along the way.

Now to discuss a bit of logistics. Every 10 or so submissions, I would bring it back to the re-visioning table. While the essay was recognized as “good,” it had not yet won, so I thought I should get some feedback.

I took the essay to a workshop where I knew I’d be able to read the piece out loud. I wanted every word, every sentence to work at its highest level. I wanted the voice of love and anguish to track. I knew by reading it aloud to a room full of skilled writers (albeit complete strangers), I’d have a good sense for how the material affected them and the places where it lulled.

At the end of my reading, people were quiet at first. Slowly, a few people raised their hands and said things like, “It was powerful…full of pain.” But I also received some feedback on how to make it stronger. And this is the tricky part. Some notes you receive may be clear, and it’ll be easy to make those changes. “You went on too long about the broken bones.” I agreed and simply cut the entire thing. Other pieces of feedback may not provide a simple path forward. One woman said, “What you think is interesting is not necessarily interesting to us.”

Now, I knew what parts she was alluding to as interesting—the parts about my mother going after that man. There’s an inherent sense of danger and impending violence. I also intuited what they felt was less interesting—the child being left. It’s sad, yes, but in comparison, not as engaging.

As the writer and the ultimate arbiter of the essay’s terrain, my goal was to convey my experience in losing my mother and how it affected my life. My goal wasn’t necessarily just to give readers what they wanted, although during the reading I saw how listeners sat at the edge of their seats during the scenes with my mother and that man.

I also knew about the concept of withholding. Theoretically, I could use what I knew the reader found interesting, eke it out slowly, withholding what they wanted to know until the end. And in the meantime, I could get across all the information I wanted to convey, which was the pain and grief of losing my mother in this way.

What I did with the feedback was put it on its head. I made the reader wait to find out what happened to my mother and her lover, while I forced them to sit through what happened to me.

Be willing to cut it up.

By the time I had read my essay out loud at the workshop, I had already been working on this piece for a little over a year, so I immediately “heard” what was wrong with it. That very night I came home and made most of the changes, staying up until 4 a.m.

In this all-night revision session, I used a technique that’s worked for me before. I printed a copy of the essay. Alongside that, I had a pair of scissors and tape. And usually in my storage cabinet—for this very purpose—I kept thick photo paper taped end-to-end in a long sheet. I used the scissors to cut sections, and according to my desired revision, I taped the pieces back together in a way that withheld and disclosed as needed. Any cut-up pieces left on the floor were collected and thrown in the trash.

If you think that’s a time-consuming process, it is. For me, it’s meant to be. My life was in pieces when my mother left me; here I was years later putting the pieces back together.

Be willing to pay for feedback.

After the late-night revision session, the essay still wasn’t quite there. How did I know? The essay was making it to the finalist stage consistently with top-tier literary journals. So, I finally sent the piece to a person who I paid to read it. I knew in paying someone I would receive a fair response to what was on the page—and not necessarily what that reader wanted the story to be (which is what I get a lot of times). The reader said she could see why the essay was making it to the finalist rounds, but she thought the ending fell flat.

Ugh. That was hard feedback to receive. By then, I had been working on the essay for a year and seven months. How could I find a different ending? Hadn’t I explored every possible angle? Hadn’t I added and subtracted to the point that I had nothing left to try?

But then, I remembered something: a dream I had about my mother. It was a dream filled with emotional pain, and I didn’t want to “go there”—which was a good sign I should. Because it came from my subconscious it boiled down to the truth of how I felt. I quickly scribbled out the short scene, and in this particular instance, it was a lot easier to get down than all the energy I had wasted trying to avoid it. And I had finally found my ending because when I submitted it again, it achieved a few more finalists’ recognitions, and then it finally won at CutBank ’s Montana Prize for Creative Nonfiction, a literary journal I had long admired and wanted to appear in.

Get encouragement along the way.

I submitted the essay to 36 contests, I was a finalist in seven contests, and won an honorable mention at another. When it finally won, I withdrew it from three contests. Over time, I see the entry fees as money I invest in becoming a better writer. I also learned what publications resonated with my work. The journals that ranked me as a finalist ended up on a short list of literary magazines I knew might appreciate and accept future pieces.

To be able to endure such a long creation and submission process, you need encouragement along the way, from readers whom you trust and value. By “trust,” I mean they won’t inadvertently let a hurtful comment slip, like “So, how many rejections have you received now?” (Imagine the snide tone.) Really? That’s what you want me to focus on rather than all the good feedback I’ve gotten? Those types of people are careless, and their comments will hurt you at times when you may already be feeling low. When you identify those inadvertent hurters, do your best to eliminate them from your creative circle.

By “valued,” I mean your readers should have a high degree of experience in writing, as well as providing feedback that will strengthen your work. Choose a person who feels like a natural coach, who will know what to say and how to push you to make your writing better. They’ll tell you to keep at it, to submit again, to write something different, to look at it upside down, to print it in a different font. No matter what, they’ll encourage you to keep going.

Be persistent.

I developed more than 50 versions of this essay. Believe me, I counted. Some versions had very few edits, but still that’s a lot of drafts. I will usually send an essay out to about 3-5 venues at a time, depending on when deadlines fall. But spacing out submissions gave me time away from the piece. By the time the next set of deadlines rolled around, I conveniently had some distance to look at the piece with fresh eyes to revise and make it stronger.

I also believe that there is magic in sets of 10. If there’s good feedback in the first set of 10 submissions, then you can be assured it’s got potential to be recognized in a contest. It’s just a matter of how persistent you want to be. Along the way, some contests in which I had made it as a finalist asked to publish my piece. This can be a hard decision. For me, I always turned those opportunities down. I didn’t want an essay about my mother—whose story seemed to reside in the very fibers of my muscles—to be sent out into the world for anything less than a top honor. In a way, it was my way to pay tribute to her.

There are other bonuses you don’t want to miss out on. As the winner of a contest, you usually receive a nice prize, maybe $500 to $1000, and the finalist, nada. The winner usually receives a thoughtful quote from the contest judge; the finalist, not so much.

Here is what the essay contest judge, Sarah Gerard, had this to say about my work:

“I Am Coming for You” is a bloody, vivid, gut-wrenching account of inherited violence, abandonment, and reckoning. It’s the kind of story that demands to be told in spite of, or maybe because of, the courage it takes to write it. Rage and sadness pulse through it like a heartbeat through an umbilical cord.

By now, with three essay-contest wins under my belt, I may have developed a sixth sense about the pieces I pursue for contest submission. It takes a little trial and error, and it can be a long journey that doesn’t ensure success. With this piece, I was willing to stay the course because I got to spend time with my mother again, late nights with everything I could remember about her, every memory of her I realized I had never let go of, every scene, a loving devotion. There’s still a bit of mystery around why she did the things she did. Maybe I’ll never fully understand, but in the end, I also found a trace of forgiveness. And to top it off, I received an email from an agent interested in seeing more of my work, and that’s a nice, unexpected bonus indeed.

To read my award-winning essay, obtain a copy of CutBank Issue 89 .

Tammy Delatorre is a writer living in Los Angeles. Her essays have won numerous awards: “Out of the Swollen Sea” was selected by author Cheryl Strayed as the winner of the Payton Prize; “Diving Lessons” was awarded the Slippery Elm Prose Prize and recognized as a Notable Essay in the 2016 Best American Essays ; “I Am Coming for You” was selected as the winner of CutBank ’s Montana Prize for Creative Nonfiction. Her writing has also appeared in Los Angeles Times , Good Housekeeping , Salon , The Rumpus , and Many Mountains Moving . Find out more at her website.

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Thanks so much for writing this, Tammy. I’m in a similar process with an essay about my mother, and I also do the thing with scissors and tape, which I find incredibly helpful–a rearranging that feels more physical and concrete than moving text around on computer pages. I’ll be recommending this essay (about your process) to my students and clients. And I will order a copy of CutBank so I can read “I Am Coming for You.”

Hi Melanie, thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog post on my writing process. I’d be so happy if you shared it with your students and clients. I tried to write it with the type of information I thought might be helpful for people attempting to try their hand at contests. And it would be wonderful if you took a look at the CutBank issue. They’re a great venue to submit to.

Melanie just shared it with me and I shared it with the students in a class I’m teaching about discovering, establishing, and developing stakes in the personal essay. Tammy, it is brilliant, and so thoughtful and vulnerable in a way that is extraordinarily helpful to writers. Thank you for writing it, and congrats on your well-deserved win!

Hi Simone, Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing it with your personal essay students. It’s good that you’re teaching them about discovering, establishing and developing stakes. That sounds like an amazing topic to be learning! I think it’s an issue that I continually have to be learning with each piece of writing.

Thank you for this terrific primer on how to do the work of writing a piece that is worthy of its inspiration and content. I greatly appreciate your writing. And I’m grateful to Jane Friedman for sharing it via her blog and email newsletter.

Hi Amanda, thank you so much for giving this a read. I hope you find it helpful in your writing and submission endeavors. I’m definitely grateful to Jane as well!

Thanks for sharing all these details, Tammy. It seems some of the best essays deal with difficult topics and I wondered is you got “permission” to write yours from those who might be impacted, or got any reaction after publication. I didn’t know that literary contests provide feedback to those who don’t win. Getting a professional viewpoint would be invaluable in itself.

Hi Cathy, yes, it is true — difficult topics make good essays. I did not get permission to write mine, but the people in this piece are masked of identity. It would be hard to track my mother down. We don’t have the same last name. The other main character, her abuser, is called the “bearded man” in the essay so he’s not identified in any way. I did not get feedback from the contests but from a read-aloud workshop (that let me read 17 pages) and from a writer I paid. The only way the contests provided me with feedback was by saying — you’re a finalist, can we publish your piece? And through this, I knew they found it to be a quality piece. I’ve gotten the sense that once it gets down to the finalist stage, it’s really such a subjective call by the judge.

The amount of time you take in getting your idea into words then into an essay doesn’t stop when you assume the essay is “done.” I find it valuable that you went back over it again and again until it told the story you wanted it to tell and the one the readers and judges wanted to read the most. I can use all of your information in my process. Thank you.

Hi Sandra, thank you so much for taking the time to read my guest post today. Yeah, I’m not sure if an essay is ever really “done” for me. It continues to be a living, breathing piece. I’m changing parts of it now to be in my memoir. I’m glad you’ll use some of these strategies in your process. Blessings over your future submissions!

Thanks for this excellent piece about process!

Thanks for giving it a read, Barbara!

Tammy, this is such a great article about the process of writing, rewriting, and doing it again and again. It’s an honest and practical look at the hard work of writing personal essays and being thoughtful and strategic about where you want the piece to be published. To me, the way you went about this tells us how important your writing is to you, that you value your work, and for this essay in particular, how you want to honor your mother by being so careful about where the story will appear. Thank you for showing us your path and reminding us there’s more to writing that just putting the words on the page (though that’s where it starts). You’re an excellent guide.

Judy, thank you so much for your kind words.

I can picture a mini-book showing the evolution of that piece, from first draft to another until the final draft (though probably not all 50), quoting the comments that helped or didn’t help (or hurt), and including your own interesting comments, about what didn’t work and what did. Most inexperienced writers don’t have any idea what work goes into revising a piece as substantially as you revised this one, and they could learn from it. Plus which, I certainly wanted to read the piece when I finished your article and if I were a publisher I would want to see all of your work.

Hi Pat, thank you so much for your kind words.

Great article with solid advice. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you for giving it a read, Tracy!

Congratulations, Tammy! I look forward to reading more of your work. My father died when I was very young and that death has played a huge part in my life. I haven’t written about it since I was in college and may take a stab at it now. The pain is always there, in the background of my life. Thank you for your honesty and sharing about how much work it takes to be exceptional. Cheers.

Hi Karen, Thank you for your kind words. I hope you decide to write more about your father. In some cases, time and some distance can be great aids when approaching and writing about a difficult topics. Blessings over your writing!

[…] If you write personal essays, check out Tammy Delatorre’s article on how she won her third essay contest. […]

Thank you for sharing my essay in your blog.

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Best Essay Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 54 contests that match your search.

Great American Think-Off

New York Mills Regional Cultural Center

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

The Great American Think-Off is an exhibition of civil disagreement between powerful ideas that connect to your life at the gut level. The Cultural Center, located in the rural farm and manufacturing town of New York Mills, sponsors this annual philosophy contest.

📅 Deadline: April 01, 2024 (Expired)

National Essay Contest

U.S. Institute of Peace

Genres: Essay

This year, AFSA celebrates the 100th anniversary of the United States Foreign Service. Over the last century, our diplomats and development professionals have been involved in groundbreaking events in history – decisions on war and peace, supporting human rights and freedom, creating joint prosperity, reacting to natural disasters and pandemics and much more. As AFSA looks back on this century-long history, we invite you to join us in also looking ahead to the future. This year students are asked to explore how diplomats can continue to evolve their craft to meet the needs of an ever-changing world that brings fresh challenges and opportunities to the global community and America’s place in it.

Additional prizes:

Runner-up: $1,250

Artificial Intelligence Competition

New Beginnings

Genres: Essay, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Short Story

There is no topic relating to technology that brings more discussion than artificial intelligence. Some people think it does wonders. Others see it as trouble. Let us know your opinion about AI in this competition. Include experiences you have had with AI. 300-word limit. Winners will be selected January 1, 2024. Open to anyone, anywhere.

Publication

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: December 15, 2023 (Expired)

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Personal Essay Competition 2024

Write the World

Genres: Essay and Memoir

We want to hear about an experience in your life, rife with characters and description and conflict and scene… but we also want to hear how you make sense of this experience, how it sits with you, and why it has surfaced as writing. Open a window into your life and invite your readers to enter.

Best entry: $100

Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50

📅 Deadline: June 24, 2024

Berggruen Prize Essay Competition

Berggruen Institute

The Berggruen Prize Essay Competition, in the amount of $25,000 USD for the English and Chinese language category respectively, is given annually to stimulate new thinking and innovative concepts while embracing cross-cultural perspectives across fields, disciplines, and geographies. Inspired by the pivotal role essays have played in shaping thought and inquiry, we are inviting essays that follow in the tradition of renowned thinkers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Michel de Montaigne, and Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Publication in Noema Magazine

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024

Goldilocks Zone

Sunspot Literary Journal

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

Sunspot Lit is looking for the perfect combination of craft and appeal in stories, CNF, novel or novella excerpts, artwork, graphic novels, poems, scripts/screenplays. Literary and genre accepted. Enter through Submittable or Duotrope.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

Climate Change Writing Competition

Genres: Essay, Memoir, and Non-fiction

This month, dear writers, ahead of COP27, help us raise the voices of young people in this urgent fight. In a piece of personal narrative, tell the world’s leaders gathering in how climate change impacts you. How has this crisis changed your environment, your community, your sense of the future? Storytelling, after all, plays a critical role in helping us grasp the emergency through which we are all living, igniting empathy in readers and listeners—itself a precursor to action.

Runner-up: $50

📅 Deadline: October 18, 2022 (Expired)

Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

Ayn Rand Institute

Atlas Shrugged is a mystery story, not about the murder of a man’s body, but about the murder—and rebirth—of man’s spirit. We seek exceptional essays of up to 1600 words that analyze its themes and ideas. High school to graduate students worldwide are invited to participate.

📅 Deadline: June 14, 2024

Environmental Writing 2024

The writer and activist Bill McKibben describes Environmental Writing as "the collision between people and the rest of the world." This month, peer closely at that intersection: How do humans interact with their environment? Given your inheritance of this earth, the world needs your voices now more than ever.

📅 Deadline: April 22, 2024 (Expired)

Anthology Travel Writing Competition 2024

Anthology Magazine

Genres: Essay, Non-fiction, and Travel

The Anthology Travel Writing Competition is open to original and previously unpublished travel articles in the English language by writers of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. We are looking for an engaging article that will capture the reader’s attention, conveying a strong sense of the destination and the local culture. Max 1000 words.

💰 Entry fee: $16

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2024

Share Your Story

FanStory.com Inc.

Write about an event in your life. Everyone has a memoir. Not an autobiography. Too much concern about fact and convention. A memoir gives us the ability to write about our life with the option to create and fabricate and to make sense of a life, or part of that life.

📅 Deadline: August 13, 2024

Military Anthology: Partnerships, the Untold Story

Armed Services Arts Partnership

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Partners are an integral aspect of military life, at home and afar, during deployment and after homecoming. Partnerships drive military action and extend beyond being a battle buddy, wingman, or crew member. Some are planned while others arise entirely unexpectedly. Spouses, family, old or new friends, community, faith leaders, and medical specialists all support the military community. Despite their importance, the stories of these partnerships often go untold. This anthology aims to correct that: We will highlight the nuances, surprises, joy, sorrow, heroism, tears, healing power, and ache of partnerships. We invite you to submit the story about partnerships from your journey, so we can help tell it.

$500 Editors' Choice award

$250 for each genre category (prose, poetry, visual art)

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

Young Sports Journalist 2024

The Young Sports Journalist Competition, 2024, seeks well-argued articles from aspiring journalists aged 14-21. Winning entries will be published online and printed in the Summer Issue of Pitch. Critiqued by our panel of accomplished judges, winners will also receive a £50 cash prize and offered work experience here at PITCH HQ. The competition runs from 7 February 2024 to 5 April 2024. And winners will be announced in May.

Publication in magazine and online

📅 Deadline: April 05, 2024 (Expired)

The Fountain Essay Contest

Fountain Magazine

“Home” holds a special place in our lives. Our earliest memories form inside its walls; we utter our first words and take our first steps there. Does everyone feel the same about home? Is it where you were born or where you earn your bread? Is home a physical place? In a world that moves faster than ever and is confined to small screens, how do perceptions about "home" change? Where is home for people who are forced to leave their homes? Where is your home?

Solas Awards

Best Travel Writing

Extraordinary stories about travel and the human spirit have been the cornerstones of our books since 1993. With the Solas Awards we honor writers whose work inspires others to explore. We’re looking for the best stories about travel and the world. Funny, illuminating, adventurous, uplifting, scary, inspiring, poignant stories that reflect the unique alchemy that occurs when you enter unfamiliar territory and begin to see the world differently as a result. We hope these awards will be a catalyst for those who love to leave home and tell others about it.

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: September 21, 2024

Creative Nonfiction Prize

Indiana Review

Genres: Essay, Fiction, and Non-fiction

Send us one creative nonfiction piece, up to 5000 words, for a chance at $1000 + publication. This year's contest will be judged by Lars Horn.

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)

Hispanic Culture Review Contest 2022-2023

Hispanic Culture Review

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Flash Fiction

As the Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano once said, "the best that the world has is in the many worlds that the world contains." Therefore, this year we invite you to reflect on the following questions: How do you or your community celebrate these connections? How do you value those experiences with those people who leave a mark on your life? 1 work will be awarded in each category: 1) photography & visual arts, 2) poetry, and 3) narrative/essay/academic investigation.

$100 for photography, poetry, and essay winners

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: February 01, 2023 (Expired)

The Letter Review Prize for Unpublished Books

The Letter Review

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

Free to enter. Seeking 0-5000 word (poetry: 15 pgs) excerpts of unpublished books (Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction), including most self-published and indie-published works. 2-4 Winners (publication of extract is optional). We Shortlist 10-20 writers. Open to writers from anywhere in the world, with no theme or genre restrictions. Judged blind.

Optional Publication of Excerpt, Letter of Recommendation

📅 Deadline: May 01, 2024 (Expired)

Annual Contest Submissions

So To Speak

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, LGBTQ, Non-fiction, and Poetry

So To Speak is seeking submissions for poetry, fiction, and non-fiction with an intersectional feminist lens! It is no secret that the literary canon and literary journals are largely comprised of heteronormative, patriarchal, cisgender, able-bodied white men. So to Speak seeks work by writers, poets, and artists who want to challenge and change the identity of the “canonical” writer.

💰 Entry fee: $4

📅 Deadline: March 15, 2024 (Expired)

Red Hen Press Women's Prose Prize

Red Hen Press

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Short Story, Essay, Memoir, and Novel

Established in 2018, the Women’s Prose Prize is for previously unpublished, original work of prose. Novels, short story collections, memoirs, essay collections, and all other forms of prose writing are eligible for consideration. The awarded manuscript is selected through a biennial competition, held in even-numbered years, that is open to all writers who identify as women.

Publication by Red Hen Press

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2024 (Expired)

Annual Student Essay Contest

Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum

For this year’s Essay Contest, we are asking students to think about why the story of the Oklahoma City bombing is important today.

📅 Deadline: March 04, 2024 (Expired)

African Diaspora Awards 2024

Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Up to $1000 in cash prizes for the African Diaspora Award 2024. African-themed prose and poetry wanted. Top finalists are published in Kinsman Quarterly’s magazine and the anthology, “Black Butterfly: Voices of the African Diaspora.”

Publication in anthology, "Black Butterfly: Voices of the African Diaspora" and print and digital magazine

The Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction

Genres: Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, Crime, Humor, and Science Writing

2-4 Winners are published. We Shortlist 10-20 writers. Seeking Nonfiction 0-5000 words. Judges’ feedback available. Open to writers from anywhere in the world, with no theme or genre restrictions. Judged blind. All entries considered for publication + submission to Pushcart.

Publication by The Letter Review

💰 Entry fee: $2

Solar Flare

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

Sunspot Lit is looking for one work, including a novel or novella excerpt, that provides a flare of creative energy. Literary or genre accepted. Enter through Submittable or Duotrope. Learn more: https://sunspotlit.com/contests

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024

Rigel 2024: $500 for Prose, Poetry, Art, or Graphic Novel

Literary or genre works accepted. Winner receives $500 plus publication, while runners-up and finalists are offered publication. No restrictions on theme or category. Closes: February 29. Entry fee: $12.50. Enter as many times as you like through Submittable or Duotrope

$500 + publication

Runners-up and finalists are offered publication

💰 Entry fee: $12

📅 Deadline: February 29, 2024 (Expired)

Aurora Polaris Creative Nonfiction Award

Trio House Press

We seek un-agented full-length creative nonfiction manuscripts including memoir, essay collections, etc. 50,000 - 80,000 words.

📅 Deadline: May 15, 2024 (Expired)

Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award

Killer Nashville

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Short Story, and Thriller

The Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award is committed to discovering new writers, as well as superlative books by established authors and, upon discovery, sharing those writers and their works with new readers. There are a large number of both fiction and non-fiction categories you can enter.

💰 Entry fee: $79

📅 Deadline: June 15, 2024

A Very Short Story Contest

Gotham Writers Workshop

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, and Non-fiction

Write a great short story in ten words or fewer. Submit it to our contest. Entry is free. Winner of the bet gets a free Gotham class.

Free writing class from Gotham Writers Workshop.

World Historian Student Essay Competition

World History Association

Genres: Children's and Essay

The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international competition open to students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs. Membership in the World History Association is not a requirement for submission. Past winners may not compete in the same category again.

The Lascaux Prize in Creative Nonfiction

Lascuax Review

Creative nonfiction may include memoirs, chronicles, personal essays, humorous perspectives, literary journalism—anything the author has witnessed, experienced, or discovered. Pieces may be previously published or unpublished, and simultaneous submissions are accepted. Winner receives $1,000, a bronze medallion, and publication in The Lascaux Review.

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024

Work-In-Progress (WIP) Contest

Unleash Press

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Young Adult

We aim to assist writers in the completion of an important literary project and vision. The Unleash WIP Award offers writers support in the amount of $500 to supplement costs to aid in the completion of a book-length work of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Writers will also receive editorial feedback, coaching meetings, and an excerpt/interview feature in Unleash Lit.

Coaching, interview, and editorial support

💰 Entry fee: $35

📅 Deadline: July 15, 2024

NOWW 26th International Writing Contest

Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop (NOWW)

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Open to all writers in four categories: poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, and critical writing.

2nd: $100 | 3rd: $50

💰 Entry fee: $7

Stories of Inspiration

Nonfiction stories of inspiration wanted (between 500 to 2,000 words). Submissions should highlight the struggle and resilience of the human spirit, especially related to cultures of BIPOC or marginalized communities. Stories must be original, unpublished works in English. One successful entry will be awarded each month from April 2024 and will be included within Kinsman Quarterly’s online journal and digital magazine. Successful authors receive $200 USD and publication in our digital magazine. No entry fee required.

Publication in Kinsman Quarterly's online magazine

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2024

WOW! Women On Writing Quarterly Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest

WOW! Women On Writing

Genres: Non-fiction and Essay

Seeking creative nonfiction essays on any topic (1000 words or less) and in any style--from personal essay and memoir to lyric essay and hybrid, and more! The mission of this contest is to reward bravery in real-life storytelling and create an understanding of our world through thoughtful, engaging narratives. Electronic submissions via e-mail only; reprints/previously published okay; simultaneous submissions okay; multiple submissions are okay as long as they are submitted in their own individual e-mail. Open internationally.

2nd: $300 | 3rd: $200 | 7 runner-ups: $25 Amazon Gift Cards

Vocal Challenges

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Enter themed storytelling contests to put your creativity to the test and be in with a chance of winning cash prizes and more. To submit, you'll need to sign up for a monthly fee of $9.99, or $4.99/month for 3 months.

$1,000 — $5,000

📅 Deadline: March 07, 2024 (Expired)

Discover the finest writing contests of 2024 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Updated weekly, these contests are vetted by Reedsy to weed out the scammers and time-wasters. If you’re looking to stick to free writing contests, simply use our filters as you browse.

Why you should submit to writing contests

Submitting to poetry competitions and free writing contests in 2024 is absolutely worth your while as an aspiring author: just as your qualifications matter when you apply for a new job, a writing portfolio that boasts published works and award-winning pieces is a great way to give your writing career a boost. And not to mention the bonus of cash prizes!

That being said, we understand that taking part in writing contests can be tough for emerging writers. First, there’s the same affliction all writers face: lack of time or inspiration. Entering writing contests is a time commitment, and many people decide to forego this endeavor in order to work on their larger projects instead — like a full-length book. Second, for many writers, the chance of rejection is enough to steer them clear of writing contests. 

But we’re here to tell you that two of the great benefits of entering writing contests happen to be the same as those two reasons to avoid them.

When it comes to the time commitment: yes, you will need to expend time and effort in order to submit a quality piece of writing to competitions. That being said, having a hard deadline to meet is a great motivator for developing a solid writing routine.

Think of entering contests as a training session to become a writer who will need to meet deadlines in order to have a successful career. If there’s a contest you have your eye on, and the deadline is in one month, sit down and realistically plan how many words you’ll need to write per day in order to meet that due date — and don’t forget to also factor in the time you’ll need to edit your story!

For tips on setting up a realistic writing plan, check out this free, ten-day course: How to Build a Rock-Solid Writing Routine.

In regards to the fear of rejection, the truth is that any writer aspiring to become a published author needs to develop relatively thick skin. If one of your goals is to have a book traditionally published, you will absolutely need to learn how to deal with rejection, as traditional book deals are notoriously hard to score. If you’re an indie author, you will need to adopt the hardy determination required to slowly build up a readership.

The good news is that there’s a fairly simple trick for learning to deal with rejection: use it as a chance to explore how you might be able to improve your writing.

In an ideal world, each rejection from a publisher or contest would come with a detailed letter, offering construction feedback and pointing out specific tips for improvement. And while this is sometimes the case, it’s the exception and not the rule.

Still, you can use the writing contests you don’t win as a chance to provide yourself with this feedback. Take a look at the winning and shortlisted stories and highlight their strong suits: do they have fully realized characters, a knack for showing instead of telling, a well-developed but subtly conveyed theme, a particularly satisfying denouement?

The idea isn’t to replicate what makes those stories tick in your own writing. But most examples of excellent writing share a number of basic craft principles. Try and see if there are ways for you to translate those stories’ strong points into your own unique writing.

Finally, there are the more obvious benefits of entering writing contests: prize and publication. Not to mention the potential to build up your readership, connect with editors, and gain exposure.

Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2024

Every writing contest has its own set of submission rules. Whether those rules are dense or sparing, ensure that you follow them to a T. Disregarding the guidelines will not sway the judges’ opinion in your favor — and might disqualify you from the contest altogether. 

Aside from ensuring you follow the rules, here are a few resources that will help you perfect your submissions.

Free online courses

On Writing:

How to Craft a Killer Short Story

The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction

How to Write a Novel

Understanding Point of View

Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love

Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character

Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine

On Editing:

Story Editing for Authors

How to Self-Edit Like a Pro

Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites

How to Write a Short Story in 7 Steps

Reedsy's guide to novel writing

Literary Devices and Terms — 35+ Definitions With Examples

10 Essential Fiction Writing Tips to Improve Your Craft

How to Write Dialogue: 8 Simple Rules and Exercises

8 Character Development Exercises to Help You Nail Your Character

Bonus resources

200+ Short Story Ideas

600+ Writing Prompts to Inspire You

100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Fiction Authors

Story Title Generator

Pen Name Generator

Character Name Generator

After you submit to a writing competition in 2024

It’s exciting to send a piece of writing off to a contest. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you may be left waiting for a while. Some writing contests will contact all entrants after the judging period — whether or not they’ve won. Other writing competitions will only contact the winners. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind after you submit:

Many writing competitions don’t have time to respond to each entrant with feedback on their story. However, it never hurts to ask! Feel free to politely reach out requesting feedback — but wait until after the selection period is over.

If you’ve submitted the same work to more than one writing competition or literary magazine, remember to withdraw your submission if it ends up winning elsewhere.

After you send a submission, don’t follow it up with a rewritten or revised version. Instead, ensure that your first version is thoroughly proofread and edited. If not, wait until the next edition of the contest or submit the revised version to other writing contests.

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6 Benefits of Essay Writing Competitions

30 Jan, 2024 | Blog Articles , Get the Edge

5. They don’t require any funding or background knowledge

Most essay competitions are free to enter, and a good essay can be written based on your own ideas and public resources. They can be completed at any time and place, and panels will often accept entries from around the world.

Most can be found online if you look around – a quick Google search usually turns up the most reputable ones. If you’re keen to develop in the STEM field, the Oxford Scientist’s Schools Competition might take your fancy (2). Was the Scholastica Law summer school program (3) right up your alley? Trinity College Cambridge has competitions in many areas, including Law (4).

These, and many other, opportunities are open to anyone, even if you don’t have prior experience.

6. Now is the best time to enter!

Essay competitions are usually based around deadlines. While this may seem scary and overwhelming, it’s the number one reason to start now. With tight time frames, you won’t be able to procrastinate.

Similarly, many are only open to certain year groups or age ranges – so it’s best to seize any opportunity when it arises. That shows proactivity, and gives you more knowledge and skills to build on later. You can apply these new skills to another competition, a job, summer course or your degree.

Read more about how to write the perfect essay

Next steps for passionate writers

• Read some top tips on academic writing in English .
• Oxford University have a list of essay and creative writing competitions for students covering a range of subjects
• Keen to try out UK university life? Sign up to one of our Oxford Scholastica summer schools today!

References and Further Reading:

1) https://www.oxfordscholastica.com/oxford-summer-courses/

2) https://oxsci.org/schools/

3) https://www.oxfordscholastica.com/oxford-summer-courses/#law

4) https://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate/essay-prizes/

Looking to boost your university applications?

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Tips on Winning an Essay Contest

If you want to win a contest with your essay, there are several ways to make your paper stand out. We recommend that you prepare for writing and check all the necessary guidelines to make sure that your essay meets all the requirements. Choose a topic that corresponds to the theme of the contest and write a detailed and engaging essay. You have more chances to win the contest if your essay is original and grammatically perfect. Fortunately, writing experts prepared this guide at https://writers-house.com/ so you can write the best essay possible.

Writing and Editing

1. First, read the rules of the contest to understand what your writing should be about and what standards it should meet. Pay your attention to the word count, submission dates, and other specific guidelines. If you don’t follow the rules of the contest, your essay will likely be disqualified so make sure to follow the necessary requirements before submitting it. We also recommend that you check the guidelines from time to time while writing.

2. Brainstorm to choose a topic that fits the theme of the contest. Most often, essay contests have a particular theme that you should take into account when choosing your topic. Brainstorm and write down several ideas that you would like to turn into an essay. After this, select the topic that looks most interesting to you.  Make sure to stick with the theme while writing. For example, if you’ve been asked to write about an influential person in your life, we recommend that you choose the person who has had a significant impact on you so that you can provide some interesting examples.

3. Write the first draft of your essay. Don’t try to make your first draft perfect, just make sure to include all the points that you consider important. You may also write several drafts of your essay, changing the overall structure and including different examples so that you can choose the best draft later. To make this task easier, we recommend that you write an outline first, and then follow it when writing.

4. Once you’ve written your first draft, revise it. Read your essay a few times and try to make it better. For example, you might want to get rid of some unnecessary sentences or to add something important. Make sure that all your examples are directly related to your topic. In addition, we recommend that you make sure that your essay is logically correct and interesting to read. Read your essay to your friends or parents and listen to what they say. Their feedback can help you understand what needs to be improved.

5. Proofread your essay and fix any grammar mistakes. You won’t be able to win the contest if your essay will be full of typos or have problems with punctuation. You can also order professional proofreading at Writers-House.com.

6. Submit your essay before the deadline. The sooner you submit it, the more time the judges will have to read it. Keep in mind that many people will submit their essays on the deadline so submitting it sooner is your chance to stand out. If you’re going to send your essay by mail, make sure that it will reach the judges before the deadline.

Making an Outstanding Essay

1. Grab your readers’ attention with an interesting introduction. The judges have to read dozens of essays so your essay must catch their attention from the very beginning. We recommend that you write an actionable and engaging hook that will make your readers want to figure out what your story is about.

2. The very first thing your readers see is the title of your essay so we suggest that you choose it carefully. Brainstorm and jot down creative ideas so that you can select the best title. Keep in mind that your title must give your readers a general understanding of what your essay is about while also keeping them intrigued.

3. Use descriptive words to bring your story to life. Describe objects, events, places, sounds, etc. in detail so that your readers can imagine the full picture. A great rule is to show, not to tell. Vivid descriptions allow you to demonstrate your creativity and writing skills.

4. Make your essay authentic and original. Include at least one element that the judges won’t find in any other essay. It may be a description of a place, an interesting dialogue, or some complex subject. We recommend that you read your essay several times to understand whether you can improve simple sentences and make them more interesting. You may also ask somebody to read your essay and tell you what parts stand out.

5. Finally, you need to format your essay according to the necessary requirements. Use the right font and margins. Make sure to check out the guidelines to use the right format. When sending your essay as a letter, fold it nicely so that your paper will look neat and professional.

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How to win a scholarship essay contest

You've found the ideal scholarship - amazing! But to get your hands on the funding you need to win the essay contest...

Winning a scholarship essay contest can be tough, but with the right tips it's definitely doable. Here are seven steps that will help you write an essay that stands out from the rest.

Understand the scholarship essay contest rules

If you want to win a scholarship essay contest, the first thing you need to do is understand the rules. Scholarship essay contests are not just about writing well; they're also about following the rules. So, before you start writing, take a few minutes to read over the guidelines and make sure you understand them. Once you've done that, you can start brainstorming ideas for your essay. Just remember to keep the rules in mind as you write; if you don't, you may find your essay disqualified. But if you play by the rules, you could be the next scholarship winner.

Brainstorm topics that would be interesting to write about

When wondering how to brainstorm topics that would be interesting to write about for your scholarship essay, consider the following tips. First, identify what you are passionate about. What are the things that you love to do? Why do you enjoy them? When you write about something that you are passionate about, your excitement will shine through, making your essay more interesting to read. Secondly, think about your unique experiences and perspectives. What sets you apart from other applicants? What life experiences have shaped who you are today? By writing about your unique experiences, you can give the scholarship committee a better sense of who you are as a person. Lastly, don't be afraid to be creative. Brainstorming is all about generating new ideas, so don't be afraid to think outside the box. By considering these tips, you can brainstorm topics that will make your scholarship essay stand out from the rest.

Start drafting your essay early

The best way to write a good essay is to start drafting it early. Do not procrastinate or leave it until the last minute. This will give you enough time to make sure that each sentence is well written and flows smoothly into the next. It will also allow you to revise and edit your essay, making it as strong as possible. Of course, starting early does not mean that you should try to write the perfect essay on the first try. It is perfectly normal to revise and edit your work as you go along. In fact, revision is an essential part of the writing process. So, if you want to write a good essay, start early and be prepared to revise and edit your work along the way.

Revise, revise, revise

After you write your first draft, put the essay away for at least 24 hours. This will give you some much-needed distance from your work, and when you come back to it you'll be able to see it with fresh eyes. Once you've taken a break, read through your essay carefully and make any necessary edits. Pay attention to flow and make sure that your ideas are clearly laid out. By taking the time to review and edit your work, you'll be able to turn in an essay that is sure to impress.

Get feedback from others

After you have spent some time alone with your work, it can be helpful to get feedback from other people. This can be tricky, because you don't want just anyone's opinion-you want constructive criticism from someone who knows what they're talking about. But if you can find a few trusted friends or family members who are willing to read your essay and give you honest feedback, it can be very helpful in improving your work. Of course, ultimately the decision of what to change (or not change) is up to you. But getting outside perspectives can help you see your work in a new light and make the revision process a bit easier.

Polish your essay until it's perfect

The final step in writing any good essay is putting the finishing touches on it. This means taking a last look at grammar, sentence structure, and organization. It also means making sure that your voice is coming through loud and clear. The best way to do this is to read your essay out loud. As you read, listen for any awkward phrases or choppy sentences. If you find any, take the time to revise them so that they flow more smoothly. In addition, pay attention to your tone of voice. Make sure that it's consistent throughout the essay and that it matches the overall tone of the piece. By taking care to polish your essay, you'll be sure to impress your readers and get the best possible grade.

Submit your entry on time

There is nothing worse than the sickening feeling you get in your stomach when you realize you've missed a deadline. Whether it's turning in a project for work or school, or submitting an application for a job or scholarship, missing a deadline can have serious consequences. That's why it's important to always make sure you submit your work on time. In the case of scholarships, even the best essay in the world won't win if it's submitted late. So if you're hoping to earn a scholarship, make sure you pay close attention to the deadline and submit your essay accordingly. With so much riding on the timely submission of your work, it's just not worth taking the risk of missing a deadline.

In order to submit your best work, it is important to start early and revise often. By taking the time to get feedback from others and polish your essay until it's perfect, you can be sure that your scholarship application will stand out from the rest. And don't forget-always make sure to submit your essay on time.

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Steps for Writing Contest-Winning Essays

Contest-winning essays entries go far beyond proper grammar, spellings, and punctuation. It’s about creating something that will leave a deep impact to your audience. However, it can be quite difficult to stand out amidst hundreds of entries. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a professional writer to write a winning entry.

How to Start the Essay

The beginning to any given matter is always grand, anything from opening ceremonies to introductory speeches. An essay shares the same sentiments as the rest. The opening statement of an essay should be worth remembering. You can do this by telling a story or a quote that relates to the given theme. However, you need still need to keep it short essay. Remember to be concise with the way you construct your introduction.

How to Write an Essay for a Contest

A winning essay is no different from a simple college essay , as it still consists of the basic parts of an essay . The difference lies with the way you construct it, with the words you use and the message you’re trying to convey. If you’re planning to write an essay for a contest, you need to find a way to be unique.

The Role of Time Management in Essay Writing

The truth of the matter is, spending too much time on something may cause a change of heart. This is because we allow ourselves to overthink scenarios.

The same thing goes for essay writing . A surge of creative ideas will only come at a certain time. If we take too many breaks in between writing, we lose focus on the message we want to portray. We get distracted from our initial vision, causing sudden shifts in our style of writing. With proper time management, we may complete an essay within a considerable amount of time.

Brainstorming Ideas

Staring at a blank sheet of paper will get you nowhere. It’s important to gather information by conducting different styles of research. This would involve gaining firsthand experience or even reading various journals. You need to let your mind wander before putting it to work.

Awesome Tips for a Winning Essay

Think outside of the box. Don’t be cliche with your topic. Discussing taboos as the subject of your essay outline might be controversial, but it can be risk worth taking. Not a lot of people would dare to go anywhere near these topics and that’s what makes it special. It’s interesting and relatable, yet it’s surprisingly rare. However, it’s important to be sensitive with how you approach a given matter.

See things from a different perspective. Take the road less traveled and give a voice for the minority. Not only is it a unique way of shedding light to a given topic, but it also allows your readers to ponder on unusual thoughts.

Be witty. Adding humor will let your personality shine through. You don’t want to sound too formal, as this can be quite intimidating to some readers. Add a few puns or jokes, being discrete about it will also engage your readers.

Contest Winning Essay Generator

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Write a Contest Winning Essay on the theme of courage.

Create a Contest Winning Essay that explores the importance of environmental conservation.

2022 Winning Essay by Theodora McGee

2022 Winning Essay List of Winners, Finalists, Semifinalists, and Honorable Mentions

José Tomás Canales: An Early Voice for Reform

By Theodora McGee Moorestown High School in Moorestown, New Jersey

While the 2020 death of George Floyd focused the nation’s attention on the inequalities in law enforcement, this is not the first time police brutality and racism have been put on trial. Over 100 years ago, José Tomás Canales, a representative in the Texas State House, took a stand against violent acts by law enforcement. In 1919, Canales accused the Texas Rangers of killing innocent Mexican-Americans in South Texas. In the early 1900s, Texan law enforcement officers and the Texas Rangers responded to Mexican raids into Texas with extreme violence, killing not only raiders, but also Tejanos, landowners who had become American citizens when the  Texas-Mexico border shifted south (Lira Ramirez). It is estimated that the Rangers killed up to 5,000 Hispanics between 1914 and 1919 (Rangers and Outlaws). On January 15, 1919, Canales introduced a bill in the state legislature to address the violence by reforming the Rangers (Victoria Smith). The bill failed, but an investigation of abuses by the Texas Rangers was launched. Through his bill and the role he played in the subsequent investigation, Canales exhibited remarkable personal and political courage.

Canales' main obstacle in his pursuit of reform was lack of support for his people. Despite delivering impassioned speeches to gather support from his colleagues, he encountered almost unanimous resistance in the legislature (Lira Ramirez). As the only Latino in the legislature, Canales' ethnicity contributed to his isolation. During his years in the House, Canales found himself distanced from “leading Caucasian men who called him a ‘greaser from Brownsville.’” “His ethnicity generated an incredible hostility” (Lira Ramirez).

The lack of legislative support for Canales' bill reflected lack of public interest in the issue. The press was apathetic towards violence against Tejanos; “the discovery of Mexicans’ dead bodies had reached the point where it created little or no interest to media outlets” (Victoria Smith). The public, which tolerated violence by law enforcement, felt that Canales was blowing the issue out of proportion. Both politicians and the public perceived Canales’ reform proposals as extreme (Lira Ramirez).

Canales also faced an uphill battle because he was criticizing a well-liked organization. Canales was strongly criticized for attacking “an idealized force” that protected the public (Lira Ramirez). The judicial system had a history of turning a blind eye to the Rangers’ violence (Monica Martinez). The Rangers also enjoyed the support of prominent politicians, some of whom served on their defense team for the investigation.

Faced with opposition from fellow legislators and an unsupportive public, it became clear that pursuing reforms would jeopardize Canales' political future. Commitment to reform threatened his relationship with Canales' most influential political ally, Texas Governor William Hobby. Canales was personally loyal to Hobby and actively supported his election. When the Hobby administration fought against the reform bill, however, Canales did not back down (Sonia Hernandez and John Moran Gonzalez).

By refusing to abandon his reform efforts, Canales also put his life on the line. Advocates of previous efforts to reform the Rangers had been assaulted, including one attorney who had been pistol-whipped by a Ranger (Rebecca Onion). Canales himself was accosted on the street and threatened with violence by a prominent Texas Ranger who warned, “You are hot-footing it here, between here and Austin and complaining to the Governor and the Adjutant General about the Rangers, and I am here to tell you that if you don’t stop that you are going to get hurt” (Proceedings). At one point, Canales expressed his belief that if his efforts were not successful, “he would not live another six months” (Sonia Hernandez and John Moran Gonzalez).

Canales' reform bill failed when the legislature concluded there was a lack of evidence of the Rangers’ misdeeds. During the investigation that followed, the Rangers’ defense team twisted the review of the Rangers’ abuses into a debate over whether the Rangers should be disbanded. The other primary defense strategy was attacking Canales' credibility and integrity. He was painted “as a delusional, hypocritical shill for ‘larger interests’ and as an unpatriotic Mexican, with all the negative connotations the term held at the time.” (Richard Ribb). After twelve days of testimony, the investigation concluded that the Rangers should not be disbanded, though they acknowledged a “‘gross violation of both civil and criminal laws’” (Victoria Smith). The legislature then passed a watered-down reform bill that placed fewer restrictions on the Rangers.

Canales' efforts to reform the Texas Rangers had repercussions for Texas history, for the Rangers, and for Canales himself. The “Proceedings,” the official transcript of the investigation, provided an official documentation of racial violence perpetrated against Mexicans and Tejanos, thus memorializing the voices of the witnesses.

 Although the bill that ultimately passed did not contain a number of the reforms Canales had fought for, the resulting reforms and attention drawn to the issue resulted in a decrease in Ranger violence against Mexicans and Tejanos. There were even instances when the Rangers stopped racially fueled violence by private citizens (Victoria Smith). The investigation also increased public awareness and outrage by the press. After the investigation ended, the prominent Dallas Morning News concluded that “only Canales' courage and sense of responsibility prevented the continuation of ‘shocking and intolerable conditions’” (Sonia Hernandez and John Moran Gonzalez).

While Canales' fight to reform the Texas Rangers helped reduce violence against Mexicans and Tejanos, it spelled the end to his political career. Due to his diminished status in the legislature and the threats against him, Canales decided not to seek re-election to the Texas House (Lira Ramirez). This was not the end for Canales’ public contributions, however, as he continued to fight for equal rights in education, politics, and society (Sonia Hernandez and John Moran Gonzalez).

José Tomás Canales was “willing to meet crushing defeat rather than compromise his principles” (John F. Kennedy). By initiating and then persevering in his efforts to prevent violence against Mexicans and Tejanos, Canales exhibited extraordinary personal and political courage. Despite threats of physical violence and the near certain end of his political career, José Tomás Canales took a stand against the misuse of official power, thus serving as an inspiration to current and future politicians.

Works Cited

Canales, J. T. (Jose Tomas), et al. “Proceedings of the Joint Committee of the Senate and the House in the Investigation of the Texas State Ranger Force, Volume I.” University of Texas Rio Grande Valley University Library Special Collections & Archives , https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/lrgv/10/.

Hernández Sonia, et al. “José Tomás Canales and the Paradox of Power.” Reverberations of Racial Violence: Critical Reflections on the History of the Border , University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas, 2021, pp. 168–187.

“The History of Racial Violence on the Mexico-Texas Border.” Refusing to Forget , 17 Sept.2021, https://refusingtoforget.org/the-history/.

Kennedy, John F. Profiles in Courage . Harper, 1961.

Martinez, Monica Muñoz. “Recuperating Histories of Violence in the Americas: Vernacular History-Making on the US–Mexico Border.” American Quarterly , vol. 66, no. 3, 2014, pp. 661–689., https://doi.org/10.1353/aq.2014.0040.

Onion, Rebecca. “America's Lost History of Border Violence.” Slate Magazine, Slate , 5 May 2016, https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2016/05/texas-finally-begins-to-grapple-with-its-ugly-history-of-border-violence-against-mexican-americans.html.

Ramirez, Lira. “José T. Canales, Conflict and Compromise, Tejano Identity in Politics,” Senior Division Historical Paper, National History Day, Texas State Library and Archives Commission , 2018, https://www.tsl.texas.gov/sites/default/files/public/tslac/arc/thrab/2018liraramirez.pdf.

“Rangers and Outlaws.” Texas State Library and Archives Commission , 10 Apr. 2019, https://www.tsl.texas.gov/treasures/law/index.html.

Ribb, Richard. “A Reader’s Guide to the ‘Proceedings of the Joint Committee of the Senate and the House in the Investigation of the Texas State Ranger Force’ (1919).” Refusing to Forget , Aug. 2020, https://refusingtoforget.org/wpcontent/uploads/2021/04/ENDNOTESReaders-Guide-to-the-Canales-Investigation.doc.pdf

Smith, Victoria. “The Canales Investigation: A Turning Point for the Texas Rangers.” The Measure: An Undergraduate Research Journal, Sam Houston State University , 9 Sept. 2020, https://measure-ojs-shsu.tdl.org/measure/index.php/measure/article/view/59.

Paul Simon Essay Contest winner speaks on mental health

Editor's note: This story mentions a suicide attempt. If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the  988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline  by dialing 9-8-8, or the  Crisis Text Line  by texting HOME to 741741.

  A Princeton student recently won the Paul Simon Essay Contest. This essay highlights Illinois community colleges. The student shares how her college embraced her after she returned following a not-so-great start.

Lauren Frost is a student at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, Illinois. The contest is sponsored by the Illinois Community College Trustees Association and offers a five-hundred-dollar scholarship. The student must describe, “How My Community College Has Changed My Life.” Frost said she loves writing, but essay writing wasn't a part of her repertoire.

“I'm somebody who likes to use a lot of words, and there was the 500-word limit, and I was like, oh my goodness, I don't know how to like put this all into just 500 words.”

She said she is used to creative writing and has done this since she was a child. The other thing Frost loved to do was play the Trumpet. She said she wasn’t a great player and the other kids often made fun of her.

“And so, I decided, well, I'll go into elementary education just because it was something that, you know, I knew people did. I knew it was a job option,” she said. “And so, I was like, well, I'll go into that. Um, and that didn't work out very well. I didn’t really like the classes that I had, and I didn't have a very big passion for it either. So, um, and along with that, my mental health was definitely declining. I was very depressed.”

She ended that semester with a 0.429 GPA. That was in 2021. She decided to take a break. Frost said things came to a head in May of 2022. At the age of 18, she said she tried to take her life and ended up in the hospital. Frost said after that, she went to therapy to get help.

“I ended up finding out that I had, ADHD, depression, and then, schizotypal personality disorder,” she continued, “dependent personality disorder, and borderline personality disorder, which was quite the diagnosis.”

Frost said she originally noticed something wasn’t right with her mental health when she was in seventh grade. Back then she talked to her friends and parents about her concerns.

“And they'd kind of just chalk it up to being, you know, just like going through puberty,” she said.

Frost said in the fall of 2022 she decided to enroll in IVCC again. This time she took her passion for music and mixed it with something she felt helped her maneuver through life – taking care of her mental health. Her intent was to major in social work. But one of her first classes was music appreciation. She said it set the tone for her and helped her with her anxiety. This led her to pursue an education in music therapy.

“There's always the connection that you make with people when you play music with them, of course. I mentioned that before, but even then, listening to music is like an underrated tool to help,” she explained.

Frost said her mom was the one who told her to submit an essay for the contest. Those paragraphs detailed her journey to wellness and how the college helped with that.

“And to this day, nobody ever comments on, you know, how badly my first semester there went,” she said. “And it’s always just kind of been talking about the future and what happens next.”

Frost said mental health is not talked about the way it should be. She encourages open discussions about mental health and says it is important to speak with a therapist.

Frost is scheduled to read her winning essay at the college’s commencement ceremony on May 18 th .

Similar Letters

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• This letter announces a good news in an upbeat tone. It also promotes goodwill in a group while focusing on a particular person. It can inspire others to struggle and get recognition.
• Announce the name of the winner of the contest.
• Highlight the efforts of the winner.
• Tell the readers what prize the winner will get.
• Congratulate the winner in a warm manner.

SAMPLE LETTER

[Letter Date]

[Subject: Normally bold, summarizes the intention of the letter] -Optional-

Dear [Recipients Name],

It is our pleasure to announce that Jill Miller of Kinnaird Elementary School has been chosen as the winner of our essay competition, ?The Meaning of the Constitution for Me." Her essay was selected out of the 30 essays written by students in elementary schools all over the city. Jill is a fourth - grader and the daughter of Frank and Melissa Miller of Springfield. Apart from getting her essay published in the Springfield Gazette Sunday, June 7 issue, Jill will be receiving a saving bond worth $60. Congratulations, Jill! We would also like to congratulate all the students who participated; we received numerous remarkable essays. However, we regret that only one child can be chosen as the winner. Each student who sent entries will be receiving a certificate of participation.

Sincerely, [Senders Name] [Senders Title] -Optional-

[Enclosures: number] - Optional - cc: [Name of copy recipient] - Optional -

Letter announcing the winner of a school's essay competition.

Further things to consider when writing announcement letters to students

Announcement Letters

Announcement letters are letters that notify or give information about a certain occasion, special event, or occurrence that people are required to be aware of. They could be for a concert, a special sale, or even a graduation party. Announcement letters are usually informal and state clearly and concisely what the event/occasion is and what further actions the recipient should take. Announcement letters can be used in many personal and business situations. In personal situations these letters may be used, for instance, to announce a birthday, death, wedding, or graduation. In the business world, such letters may be used to announce a new policy, change in management, financial summaries for investors, grand sale, or actions against a customer due to nonpayment. Announcement letters should be written in a straightforward manner stating all the necessary facts. Clearly state why you feel the occasion is important. If you are delivering bad news, be optimistic for the future. Bold and highlight the points that need focus so that the content is clear to the reader. Add any information which you think your reader might want to know and do not miss out any important detail. End the letter on a positive note.

Letters to Students

Letters to students are letters written to people who are learning in colleges or universities. Such letters could be from teachers/lecturers or the administration. They can be addressed to a specific student, students of a specific module/course, or all students in an institution. Letters to students can be written to address behaviors in students, give information about a certain course or module, or announce an important date in an institution. Depending on the sender and the content, these letters can be formal or informal. When writing letters to students, you need to evaluate the content and the relationship you have with the recipient. For instance, if you are writing to give advice to one of your favorite students, make the letter personal and friendly. However, if you are addressing a group of students on matters concerning an academic program, use a formal and professional tone. Regardless, all your letters must have a clear subject line that explains your purpose. Convey your message directly, highlighting and bolding important information. If you are giving instructions, arrange the instructions in bullets or numbers. Conclude with a call to action and sign the letter with your full name, title, and signature.

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Winners of International Essay Contest for Young People receive awards from Minister of Education

The Goi Peace Foundation, Key Partner of the GAP , is pleased to announce the winners of the 2016 International Essay Contest for Young People. The theme of this year's contest was "Education to Build a Better Future for All". From among 12,937 entries from 153 countries, the following winners were selected:

First Prize

• Children's category: Sizhe (Sophia) Liang (Age 14, China)
• Youth category: Chiharu Konii (Age 17, Japan)

Second Prize

• Children's category: Carrie Hsu (Age 13, USA) and Honoka Kato (Age 14, Japan)
• Youth category: Ece Sevenay (Age 16, Turkey) and Haley Payet (Age 16, Seychelles)

The complete list of winners and their winning essays are available here .  

The First Prize winners presented their essays and received their awards from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan at a ceremony held at Nikkei Hall in Tokyo on 29 November 2016. 

The annual essay contest is organized in an effort to harness the energy, imagination and initiative of the world's youth in promoting a culture of peace and sustainable development. It also aims to inspire society to learn from the young minds and to think about how each of us can make a difference in the world.   

Guidelines for the upcoming 2017 International Essay Contest for Young People will be announced here in the beginning of February 2017.

More on this subject

Event International Conference of the Memory of the World Programme, incorporating the 4th Global Policy Forum 28 October 2024 - 29 October 2024

Other recent news

Four Students Win Seventh Annual KBHF Essay Contest

Four high school students from across Kansas have won $500 each in the seventh annual Kansas Business Hall of Fame essay contest. The contest was open to students in Grades 9 through 12 in Kansas with entries from homeschooled students also accepted.

Original essays were based on research of a Kansas Business Hall of Fame honoree inducted into one of two categories: Historical or Contemporary. Inductees can be found at www.ksbhf.org . Students could read about the inductees and choose one that inspired them. They were encouraged to use their own personal thoughts and views that best pertained to the theme and themselves. Sixty-six entries from 14 Kansas high schools were judged by a panel of business professionals and business faculty.

Below are the four winning authors and the KBHF inductee they wrote about:

• Addilyn Bruns, freshman, homeschooled, Topeka, inductee Arthur Capper
• Aubryn Garriott, senior, Olpe High School, inductee Bill Kurtis
• Lucy Krebsbach, freshman, homeschooled, Meriden, inductee Charles Walker
• Benjamin Soyka, senior, Leavenworth High School, inductee Warren Augustine Bechtel

The prize money totaling $2,000 was graciously donated by the Kansas Chamber of Commerce. Winning authors were mailed or presented their certificates.

Dr. James Leiker, KBHF Board Chair, said, “The Kansas Business Hall of Fame is proud to honor these students and their instructors, who, through these essays, help us better understand the rich tradition of entrepreneurship and innovation that our state has fostered.”

The winning students will be invited to the KBHF Induction Ceremony on Thursday, June 13, in Cremer Hall on the campus of Emporia State University, where they will receive their prizes.

The KBHF Board would like to thank the following judges: Susan Elliott, Beth Ginter, Paul Grimes, Sherriene Jones-Sontag, Connie Lindell, Jeff Muldoon, John Rich, Butch Sim, Ed Bashaw and Jim Shepherd.

About the Kansas Business Hall of Fame: Housed in Emporia State University’s School of Business Cremer Hall, the Kansas Business Hall of Fame recognizes business leaders who have added to the prestige and growth of Kansas. By identifying outstanding examples of business leadership, the Hall of Fame shares these stories of success and innovation through representative displays. The Hall of Fame creates an awareness and appreciation of Kansas' rich heritage of business leadership. The Board is made up of individuals from all over the state of Kansas with representatives from universities, community colleges, and private and public businesses. For more information, please go to www.ksbhf.org .

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Something Good: Rickards High School junior wins $1,000 in video essay contest

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - This one is all about promoting democracy!

The League of Women Voters of Tallahassee hosted a video essay contest for local high schoolers. The winner was Serenity Wiggins, an 11th grader at Rickards High School.

She won $1,000 for her 30-second video encouraging future voters to take part in democracy.

She spoke at a recent League of Women voters banquet to accept her big win.

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Winners announced for 16th annual McGraw-Hill Poster Contest

Pictured: Dierflinger, Burrows, Hodson, and McCraw

By: Dr. Andrew Yox, Honors Director

NTCC’s emeritus professor, Dr. Mary Hearron, asked the question in the minds of more than a few. Was not this year’s NTCC scholarly poster contest, fortified by a generous contribution from Beverly Kelley of Mount Vernon, and the continued support of the McGraw-Hill corporation on 10 May, the best ever?  For Dr. Chuck Hamilton, a former NTCC professor, now at Texas A&M University - Central Texas, and also a judge, the answer was an emphatic, “yes.”  In this sixteenth time, for community judges and NTCC students converging into the foyer of the Whatley Center for the Performing Arts at NTCC, there was an electric feel to the competition.  All twelve of the students who competed and won six gold-and-silver awards at the Red River Symposium in Texarkana the week before, were back, trying their best again. Fully eight NTCC professors, a record, were willing to engage in above-and-beyond mentoring, and in most cases, departmental poster purchasing, to prepare the students for this foray. And the judges were ready and knew exactly what to do.  Aside from the two former NTCC professors mentioned above, and one current NTCC staff member, the eight other community judges averaged 8.3 years of experience with this one contest

In 2018, when the contest was low-scaled to prevent ties, no one received an 11 of 12 or better.  This was true as well in 2020, 2021, and 2022. To receive an eleven, a student and their poster must be considered not just exemplary, but a paragon in two of three categories--scholarly originality, persuasiveness and over-all oral and visual impact.  In 2019, one reached an eleven, the winner, Olivia Griffin.  The pandemic year of 2020, a virtual contest, saw the lowest scores ever.  In 2023 Alyssa Breann Ochoa wowed the judges with a 11.6 average, the highest score ever recorded.  However, for the first time in 2024, all four of the medalists received an average score of eleven or better from the judges.

The first-place winner of the $400 prize,  Luke McCraw , NTCC’s Dr. Charles Florio Scholar, drew from a wealth of experience as a presenter.  Just the week before, he had placed second at Red River with his psychological research on the use of gray-scaling to prevent phone addiction. The film scholar of NTCC’s Caldwell-Winning film, McCraw knew his story on the traveling preachers of early Texas like the days of the week.  The pieces all fell in place.  He had primary-source research gained last summer at the DeGolyer Library archive of SMU.  He had spent last fall semester writing “ideophany” exercises each week on that research that exceeded a standard end-of-the semester essay in history in length. Finally, he was fully conversant with his thesis about the winsome altruistic appeal of Texas’ first Protestant ministers.

The winner of $300 and second prize,  Skylar Hodson , also had state-level credentials.  Her essay on the rise and fall of the Texas film industry had secured a second-place state Caldwell Award in the university division. Hodson like McCraw had also won an award at the Red River Symposium the week before, and had presented her work at College Station at the meeting of the Walter Prescott Webb Society of Texas. To secure her research for this project, Hodson embarked on an un-reimbursed trip to Austin last fall, to study at the Texas Archive of the Moving Image, and other sites.

George Burrows , a pre-med, non-honors student from Mount Pleasant placed third and won $200. Burrows was one of two students in a special course led by NTCC Professor Dr. Chris McAllister, this past semester, that studied fish parasites, and even journeyed to rivers in Arkansas and tracked un-named species of vertebrate fish leeches.  Burrows like Hodson, and McCraw had experience as a conference presenter, having given a talk last April at the Southwestern Association of Parasitologists, meeting in Kingston, Oklahoma.

Finally,  Sarah Dierflinger , a first-semester honors scholar placed fourth and won $100 with her study of what motivates college students to select their courses each semester.  Working with sample sizes of over 100 which she gained after a single honors psychology course with Dr. Karyn Skaar this spring, Dierflinger argued that the plurality of college students are most concerned with fulfilling prerequisites, and fitting their classes into their own, often taut schedules. They are less concerned with specific course recommendations, given by others, or special features that a class may offer.

The particular élan of the contest, and the opportunities presented for student growth arise each year because of the quality of the judges.  This year, Andrea Reyes of Hughes Springs again served as adjudicator and judge. Dr. Elaine Beason of Mount Pleasant, Lisa Ellermann of Region VIII, NTCC College Navigator--Paula Flores, Dr. Chuck Hamilton of Mount Pleasant, Emeritus Professor, Dr. Mary Hearron, NTCC Chairman of the Board of Trustees--Chuck Johns, NTCC Patrons--Jerald and Mary Lou Mowery, Rev. Dr. Wayne Renning of Mount Pleasant, and Bryan Trickey each gave multiple students a chance to demonstrate the viability of their ideas.

In addition to the generous benevolence this year of Beverly Kelley of Mount Vernon, NTCC’s yearly poster contest owes much to the continued financial support of the McGraw-Hill Education Corporation over the years.   Again, this year, the contest is beholden to the special work of Bill Welsh, and Casey Slaght who work in the corporate office in Dubuque, Iowa.  

NTCC professors not mentioned above such as Dr. Andrew Daniel, Dr. Melissa Fulgham, Dr. Drew Murphy, Jennifer Sparks, Stacie Yarbrough, Yox and Assistant Honors Director, Melody Mott also played crucial roles in mentoring, setup, and inspiriting the students to prepare for the poster contests this year. The participating students not mentioned above who also energized the meeting included Vanessajane Bayna of Mount Pleasant, Elian Gonzalez of Mount Pleasant, Perla Guzman of Mount Pleasant, Curtis Johnson of Pittsburg, Alison Majors of Mount Pleasant, Michelle Mejia of Sulphur Springs, Victoria Matiz of Mount Pleasant, Neida Perez of Mount Pleasant, Michael Rodriguez of Marrietta, Maddy Smith of Mount Vernon, Liliana Torreblanca of Harts Bluff, Aubrey Watkins of Naples, and Mary-Faith Wilson of Gilmer.

The contest each year is open to all high school and collegiate students in the region. Among the winners, McCraw resides in Mount Vernon, Hodson in Titus County, Burrows in Mount Pleasant, and Dierflinger in Winnsboro.  

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Orange County Alcohol and Drug Awareness Council Honors Student Contest Winners

Friends Read Free

Nearly 150 students were honored for their talent in an annual poster and essay contest organized by the Orange County Alcohol and Drug Awareness Council on May 10.

The theme for this year’s contest was “Team up together, be drug-free forever,” which had attracted over 1,800 entries from nearly 20 schools in more than 10 school districts across the county.

“Awareness campaigns and events like this are important for so many reasons,” contest coordinator MaryAlice Kovatch said at the award ceremony at Paramount Theatre in Middletown.

“They give us the opportunity to provide information and share youth talent with our communities,” she added. “[We] will continue to do so as long as there are young people like you who want to make a difference.”

This was the 37th annual student talent contest held by the ADAC, or Alcohol and Drug Awareness Council.

Around 100 students in grades 1–12 won awards for their hand-drawn or digital poster designs, which visualized the annual themes by depicting drugs as harmful matters, joined hands for a common goal of a healthy lifestyle, and outdoor activities and sports as ways to help one stay away from drugs.

Scarlett Voight, a Pine Bush District fifth grader who won the top essay prize for the elementary school division, said that clubs and friends keep unhealthy addictions at bay.

“I have a lot of friends. They are always there for me when I need them. Yes, we have our fights, but we always work it out; it is usually just a little conflict, but we always agree to disagree,” she read her essay to the audience at the award ceremony.

“When I am with my friends, I get so caught up with them that I almost completely forget about my problems in the real world—I love it when that happens,” she said.

Harmony Christian School 12th grader Emma Koening, who won the top essay prize for high schoolers, said that addictions were rooted in the fundamental human desire to seek comfort.

“The idea of comfort is something all humanity strives for, yet it can easily end up becoming this unachievable desire that no action or item can satisfy,” she read her essay at the ceremony.

“Life as a whole is meant to be conquered through the hardships that make it up—there is no shortcut to happiness,” she said. “Despite this being the undeniable truth, so many individuals are turning away from character-building experiences for the sake of numbing pain.”

Among all participating schools, Anna S. Kuhl Elementary delivered the greatest number of essay entries—at 127—and its reading teacher, Catherine Stellato, was honored at the ceremony for starting the tradition of incorporating the contest as part of class assignments years ago.

Having been part of the annual contest for the past 34 years, ADAC Executive Director James Conklin said he had seen student winners go on to become art teachers and illustrators.

“Contest winners today will find yourself, in 5 years, 10 years, and 15 years, somewhere else,” he said at the ceremony. “And we know it is going to be super positive, we know it is going to be somewhere important, and we know you are going to be making changes in your community.”

ADAC representatives also thanked contest judges, event sponsors, and several representatives of public officials at the award ceremony.

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American Legion Post 611 Announces American Essay Contest Winners

The local post and unit had 96 essays for the judges to read and screen them down to 3 essays in each class. The first place essays were then sent to the 19th District chairman for further judging.

In Class II (9th & 10th grade) Finn Greenwood won first place. Finn is a sophomore at Stew-Stras and is the son of Eric Greenwood and Elizabeth Greenwood.

In Class III (11th & 12th grade) Caiden DeBolt won first place. Caiden is a junior at Stew-Stras and is the son of Chris and Beth DeBolt.

Their essays were then sent to the 4th Division for further judging. They both have been invited to read their essays at the Champaign Post 559.

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Eurovision 2024 – live: ‘Life is forever changed’ says Bambie Thug after chaotic contest

LIVE – Updated at 00:59

Reactions to the most chaotic Eurovision in history are pouring in after Switzerland act Nemo was crowned as this year’s winner.

The 68th Eurovision Song Contest was held in Malmö, Sweden, with scores arriving from the 25 countries that performed in the final, and in the wake of behind-the-scenes chaos.

Despite winning the contest, Nemo has not held back in their assessment of the organisers after it was revealed audience members were not permitted to bring non-binary flags into the arena.

Meanwhile, Irish delegate Bambie Thug has tearfully accused organisers of “not supporting them” over a row with an Israeli broadcaster. Afterwards, they said their life is “forever changed”.

Throughout the event, Pro-Palestine demonstrations took place outside the arena, with Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg removed by police .

Israel’s delegate Eden Golan performed early in the contest, with the BBC’s Graham Norton remarking on the boos heard by the crowd.

The UK’s entry Olly Alexander received a rather low score for his song “Dizzy”, after Ireland’s Bambie Thug dazzled with “Doomsday Blues”, following speculation that they could pull out of the final after missing the dress rehearsal.

Follow live updates below:

Eurovision 2024 key points

• Switzerland wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2024

Eurovision 2024 review: Contest unfolds under the darkest shadow in its history

Katie Price was the Eurovision winner that got away

• Watch the moment Nemo wins the Eurovision final

‘Peace, love’ and politics: The statements and outbursts on politically-charged Eurovision Song Contest

Find out how different acts addressed one of the most controversial Eurovision contests in recent history.

‘Peace, love’ and politics: List of outbursts from a politically charged Eurovision

Why was Joost Klein disqualified from Eurovision?

Netherlands has shed more light on the “incident” that led to Eurovision’s disqualification of Dutch delegate Joost Klein.

Klein was barred from being able to perform at the event hours before it was scheduled to take place as police investigated a complaint of inappropriate behaviour made by a female member of the production crew.

AVROTROS, who organises Netherlands’ entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, was unimpressed by the “disproportionate” decision.

Netherlands reveals why Joost Klein was disqualified from Eurovision

The 5 most bizarre moments from Eurovision 2024

From an almost-naked performance from Finland, a bizarre clip of a group of underwhelmed Brighton residents and a repetitive ‘Gilmore Girls’ gag, we break down the most bizarre moments.

Eurovision winner breaks trophy

Eurovision Song Contest winner Nemo Mettler appeared to break their trophy following victory in Malmo on Saturday (11 May).

Ironically, the incident occurred seconds after UK commentator Graham Norton warned, “Don’t break the trophy”.

Nemo triumphantly shook the trophy in their left hand for the audience, before placing it on the floor.

As the focus returned to Nemo, the broadcast camera caught a broken stem left behind.

Bambie Thug criticises Eurovision organisers

Bambie Thug has accused Eurovision organisers of “not supporting”them over a row with Israel.

The singer, who secured a sixth place finish in Ireland’s first grand final of the music event since 2018, accused the Israeli broadcaster, Kan, of a rule break and said they have been waiting to hear back from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) about what action would be taken.

Bambie Thug cries as they claim Eurovision bosses ‘not supportive’ in Israel row

Our verdict on this year’s Eurovision Song Contest

Eurovision 2024 unfolded under the darkest shadow in its history, withe the atmopsher backstage said to have been on a knife-edge.

Yet, despite gaping fractures in its façade of international musical unity, the show went on – and you can find music editor Roisin O’Connor’s verdict on the contest below.

Eurovision 2024 unfolded under the darkest shadow in its history -review

Eurovision winner addresses non-binary flag controversy

Switzerland act Nemo was crowned this year’s Eurovision winner after what has been the most controversial contest in its history.

In a press conference after the event, Nemo was asked about organisers making audience members throw away the non-binary flag before entering the arena.

“That is unbelievable. I had to smuggle my flag in because Eurovision said no, but I did it anyway, so I hope some people did that too. But, I mean, come on, this is clearly a double standard. I broke the trophy. The trophy can be fixed – maybe Eurovision needs fixing a little bit too every now and then.”

Eurovision winner Nemo hits out at organisers over ‘unbelievable double standard’

Eurovision viewing figures plummet

Those who planned to boycott this year’s Eurovision clearly made good of their promise, with overnight ratings revealing a substantial drop from 2023’s figures, which was the most-watched Eurovision since viewing records began.

Read more here

Eurovision viewing figures plummet after series of issues

Olly Alexander’s father is surprised by the response to son’s performance

Olly Alexander’s father has expressed surprise over his son receiving zero points in the Eurovision public vote.

David Thornton described his son’s participation as a “fantastic learning experience”, calling it “one more step to wherever he’s going”.

However, he said he thought people would “connect” more with Alexander’s performance of the song “Dizzy”, which he said he “enjoyed”.

“To me, it’s a real surprise the public didn’t sort of connect with that song, though the juries gave it a really good score,” Thornton said.

Alexander finished in 18th place out of 25.

UK’s Olly Alexander receives mixed reaction to Eurovision performance

Olly Alexander received a mixed reaction to his racy Eurovision Song Contest performance.

The British singer, 33, performed his song “Dizzy” alongside a group of backing dancers – his first release under his own name.

The Brit was supported in the UK by narrator Graham Norton, who described the performance as “terrific”, but admitted that he did not know how well it would do because “it is so different to everything else in the contest tonight.”

Switzerland Eurovision winner Nemo smashes trophy during victory celebrations

Bambie Thug levies accusation against Eurovision organisers

Olly alexander takes low score in his stride.

This is the moment the UK’s Eurovision entry Olly Alexander found out the public had awarded him null points.

The 33-year-old represented the UK with his track Dizzy, and while votes from the jury appeared positive on Saturday night (11 May), the singer sadly received no points from the public.

The Years And Years singer and his team seemed to take the news in their stride as they were pictured laughing and cheering after the news was announced.

The UK finished with a low score of 46.

'We need more compassion, empathy,' Nemo says after winning

Swiss singer Nemo expressed pride in accepting the trophy, adding that they wished for the event to stand for “peace and dignity for every person”.

Being the first nonbinary winner of the contest, they said they accepted the trophy for “people that are daring to be themselves and people that need to be heard and need to be understood”.

Nemo added: “Thank you so much...We need more compassion, we need more empathy.”

Nemo is also the first Swiss winner of Eurovision since 1988 when Canadian chanteuse Celine Dion competed under the Swiss flag.

ICYMI: Olly Alexander performs gravity-defying 'Dizzy'

UK’s Olly Alexander took the stage to perform a gravity-defying choreography of “Dizzy”.

The performance featured a group of men in red boxing shorts dancing alongside Alexander, sometimes hanging upside down.

Alexander has faced criticism for choosing to remain in Eurovision as a group called “Queers for Palestine” called for the pop singer to withdraw from the event.

“We firmly believe in the unifying power of music, enabling people to transcend differences and foster meaningful conversations and connections,” Alexander and other participating artists said in an open letter.

Fans expressed disappointment online as a series of sound issues seemed to have affected Alexander’s final performance.

Fans spot Bambie Thug’s secret message supporting Palestine

Eurovision fans think they have spotted a secret message from Bambie Thug during her Eurovision final performance.

The “ouji pop” artist, who performed gothic Doomsday Blue, received 136 points to finish in the sixth place.

In the lead-up to the event, they had also voiced concerns that it was “the wrong decision” not to exclude Israel, as Russia had been two years ago.

They accused organisers of not supporting them over a row with Israel during the event.

“Yeah, so Kan the broadcaster incited violence against me twice, three times. We brought it up to the EBU. They said they follow up,” Bambie said.

“They waited to the last minute, we still haven’t gotten statement back to us, allowed us to be scapegoats, allowed us to be the spokesperson for standing up for ourselves,” they added.

The non-binary artist initially wrote the words “Ceasefire” and “Saoirse Don Phalistin,” the latter of which translates to “freedom for Palestine,” on their face and legs, the Irish Examiner reported.

“Bambie Thug has managed to sneak “ceasefire” in Ogham (old Irish alphabet) on their face past censors. We have no choice but to stan,” one X user said.

“Bambi Thug has ogham symbols (old Irish alphabet) reading “ceasefire” on their face! If you’re going to vote, vote Ireland,” another wrote on X.

But the EBU asked Bambie to change the markings displayed on their face and legs ahead of their performance.

“Unfortunately, I had to change those messages today to ‘crown the witch’ only (which was an) order from the EBU,” Bambie said.

Fans took to social media to point out that Bambie had the word “ceasefire” initially written in the ancient Irish alphabet Ogham on their face.

When asked why they included “hidden” messages in their performance, Bambie said it was important to them as they are “pro-justice” and “pro-peace”.

Observers react to Israel getting 12 points from UK viewers

The UK public gave its 12 points to Israel in this year’s Eurovision, sparking criticism online, especially since the country’s own Olly Alexander received zero votes from the public.

Israel’s inclusion in this year’s event sparked controversy due to the country’s ongoing invasion of Gaza following the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October.

Thousands took to the streets ahead of the contest to protest after Israel’s contestant Eden Golan, qualified for the Grand Final.

Organisers also forced a change to the original title of Ms Golan’s song, “October Rain” which was seen as an apparent reference to the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people and triggered the war in Gaza.

While organisers made a plea for the crowd not to boo any artists, there were audible jeers as Golan performed.

The winner was decided based on votes from television audiences in Europe and around the world in combination with votes from juries of music professionals.

Ms Golan came fifth with 375 points, including 12 votes from the UK public.

“Disgusted in the UK for giving 12 points to Israel. Can’t believe my own country would vote and basically show support for horrific crimes and genocide,” one user wrote on X.

The UK scored zero in the public vote with a section of the audience complaining online that they struggled to hear Alexander.

Despite scoring only 52 points from the other country’s jury votes, Ms Golan topped the UK’s public vote with 12.

Ireland's Bambie Thug accused Israeli broadcaster of rule break

Bambi Thug posted on Instagram that they raised “multiple complaints” to the European Broadcasting Union about “instances” they experienced this week, including one involving an Israeli commentator from broadcaster KAN.

In the lead-up to the event, they had voiced concerns that it was “the wrong decision” not to exclude Israel, as Russia had been two years ago.

The singer missed their dress rehearsal, citing that they needed to bring a situation to the “urgent attention” of the EBU.

“They confirmed to my delegation in front of others that KAN’s commentator had broken the rules of conduct during the Eurovision Semi-Final 1,” the artist said.

“I have been patiently awaiting to hear what action is set to be taken by the EBU following this rule break,” Bambi Thug added.

The Irish artist, who performed the gothic Doomsday Blue, finished at sixth place with 136 points.

'Had to smuggle nonbinary flag in,' Eurovision winner Nemo says

Eurovision winner Swiss artist Nemo said they had to “smuggle” a nonbinary flag into the event because “Eurovison said no.”

“Maybe Eurovision needs a little fixing too every now and then,” they said.

Restrictions on what flags are permitted have also seen artists and fans stopped from displaying the Palestinian flag at this year’s event.

Nemo said they were “incredibly proud” to be the first nonbinary Eurovision winner, adding that queer people “need to be heard and need to be understood”.

“To know that a song where I speak about my story has touched so many people, and maybe inspired other people to stay true to their stories, is the most insane thing that has ever happened to me,” they said.

Find out what viewers made of Olly Alexander’s performance of his song “Dizzy” during the final, in which he came 18th.

Abbatars perform ‘Waterloo’ at Eurovision 50 years after win

Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s winner, switzerland’s nemo.

The 24-year-old artist, full name Nemo Mettler , is already known as a musician in their home country and was the recipient of four Swiss Music Awards in 2018, including Song of the Year for their single “Du”.

Find out more about Nemo below:

Meet Nemo, Switzerland’s Eurovision 2024 entry

Greta Thunberg removed from pro-Palestine protests by Swedish police outside Eurovision arena

Climate activist Geta Thunberg has been removed by Swedish police outside the Malmö arena where the Eurovision final took place.

Find out below:

Abbatars perform at Eurovision after hosts tease performance from real band

Abbatars perform at Eurovision after hosts tease performance from Swedish pop supergroup

Viewers felt duped into thinking they might see Abba reunite, even though the band hasn’t performed live together since 1982.

Read more below:

‘Peace, love’ and politics: The statements and outbursts on politically-charged Eurovision song contest

Switzerland’s nemo mettler crowned winner of eurovision after public vote.

Switzerland has been crowned the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 champion, winning thanks to singer Nemo and their song “The Code”.

The 24-year-old pop singer, who goes by they/them pronouns, won over both the jury and the public voters , after what looked like an initially close match with fellow favourites Croatia, France and Italy.

Their song “The Code”, which incorporated elements of opera, pop, rap and dance, was written by Benjamin Alasu, Lasse Midtsian Nymann, Linda Dale and Nemo. It riffed cleverly on the Habanera aria from Georges Bizet’s 1985 opera Carmen, and had drawn comparisons to the dramatic themes of the James Bond franchise.

Accepting the trophy from 2023 winner Loreen, Nemo thanked voters and said they “hoped this competition can continue to live up to its promise to stand for dignity and peace everywhere”, a pointed remark that seemed to nod to the controversy that has surrounded this year’s event.

The 68th Eurovision Song Contest was overshadowed by rumours of backstage rows, tears, a disqualified contestant and public protests over Israel’s participation in the grand final.

Full report:

Switzerland’s Nemo wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2024

The scores are in for Israel

A total of 375 points for Israel, who are promptly overtaken by Ukraine with a huge score from the public.

But then... 337 points for Croatia’s Baby Lasagna, pushing them to the No 1 spot!

Bad news for Norway as they come dead last in the 2024 Eurovision final

Poor Norway, but really they didn’t arrive with the same standard they usually do, just a good singer, which is very hard to make stand out.

Some very low public scores elsewhere, meaning the votes have gone to two or three big favourites...

Here’s a look at the scoreboard so far

More votes for switzerland, with ireland and portugal still doing well.

It’s looking like it could be a very tight race between Switzerland and Ireland, although we’ve still got the rest of the jury and then the public vote to get through.

The UK’s Olly Alexander is still languishing behind Israel, which currently has 19 points.

Switzerland getting a lot of the jury votes for Nemo

Nemo looks shocked as they receive a clutch of douze points from the jury votes!

So far nul points for the UK, but Ireland is looking good, as is Italy, Portugal and Croatia.

A reminder that the public vote can change everything...

Eurovision 2024 favourites: Our Top 10, from Croatia’s Baby Lasagna to Ireland’s Bambie Thug

From zany novelty songs to club bangers and heartfelt ballads, the competition at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest is fierce. We take a look at our favourites

Who’s going to win Eurovision 2024? Our top 10 favourites

TV chat show host Graham Norton said “it's been quite an eventful Eurovision this year” as the annual song contest kicked off.

The music competition is taking place in Malmo Arena after Swedish singer Loreen won the contest last year with her song Tattoo.

As the competition got under way on Saturday, Norton, 61, who is the commentator for coverage on BBC One said: “It's been quite an eventful Eurovision this year, but hopefully tonight we will bring you the usual beauty, mayhem, madness and of course, male nudity.”

This year protesters have called for a boycott of Eurovision over Israel's inclusion in the contest amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

During the grand final the country's entry, Eden Golan, performed her song Hurricane to audible boos and cheers in the arena.

Irish TV presenter Norton described the crowd as having a “mixed reaction”.

He added: “In some of the open rehearsals we heard more booing, but there was quite a lot of cheering tonight as well and I should tell you that that song is tipped to do very well tonight.”

Press Association

Eurovision 2023 champion Loreen appears for a dramatic performance

Loreen won the 2023 song contest for Sweden with her single “Tattoo”, and is back for a racing, techno-infused performance at the Malmo Arena.

She is tasked with handing over the Eurovision trophy to the winner when they announced.

Eurovision fans chant 'shame on you' outside Malmo Arena as grand final unfolds

They’ve brought out the abbatars.

After some unacceptable rickrolling (or Alcazarring), the Abbatars from London’s purpose-built arena have been brought out for a rendition of “Waterloo”, with some help from their fellow Eurovision champions including Austria’s Conchita Wurst.

Eurovision: Boos and ‘mixed reaction’ after Israel’s Eden Golan performs

How to vote in the eurovision song contest 2024 final and how the rules have changed.

How to vote in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 final

Eurovision fans proclaim Croatia’s Baby Lasagna favourite to win

The crowd at the Eurovision Song Contest were sent into a frenzy by Croatia’s maverick entry Baby Lasagna with his eccentric performance of his self-written song “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”.

Singer-songwriter Marko Purišić, 28, who is from Umag, Croatia, and performs under the pseudonym Baby Lasagna, gained an overwhelming reaction from fans in the Malmö Arena, Sweden, who have already proclaimed him the favourite of this year’s competition.

My colleague Ellie Muir reports:

Here’s Croatia!

Meet Baby Lasagna, the maverick singer representing Croatia in the Eurovision final

Thoughts on Nemo’s performance from Switzerland

Really standout performance from Switzerland’s Nemo with their spectacular, operatic song “The Code”, which touches on themes of identify and breaking down barriers.

Meet Nemo, Switzerland’s Eurovision 2024 entry singing ‘The Code’ in the semi-final

Portugal’s singer iolanda cries ‘peace will prevail’ after performance.

Some of Eurovision’s contestants are defying the EBU’s stance on ‘political’ statements, as they call for peace.

So far, Ireland’s Bambie Thug and Portugal’s iolanda have both made statements following their performances, with iolanda shouting “peace will prevail” after she sang “Grito”.

Protests outside the Malmo Arena in Sweden, where the final is taking place, are still ongoing.

Greta Thunberg removed from Stop Israel protests at Eurovision arena

Is Finland’s Windows95Man really naked?

Don’t worry, there is a flesh-coloured thong there, but he really does look very naked. Clever camera angles.

Serbia is giving Evanescence

Super dark, super goth. Love it. Beautiful voice and delivery, too. There’s a lot of big flashy staging in this competition, so actually, a more understated performance is likely to stick in the minds of voters.

Nice pipes on Norway...

Really strong vocal performance, and we all know Eurovision loves a strong vocal. Next up we have Italy, another favourite, starring Angelina Mango singing “La noia”.

Thoughts on the UK’s Olly Alexander

Again, sorry to anyone rooting for Olly Alexander but that was really not great. Lot of bum notes - he’s not got the best range to begin with - and the dancing was lacklustre, featuring some very unenthusiastic thrusting. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up in the bottom five.

Fun fact about this year’s contest

This is the first Eurovision in history where all the finalists are singing songs in the minor key.

Weird, right? Stats show that songs in the major key have traditionally done very well, but apparently everyone’s in the doldrums at this year’s contest. It’s making for some great songs, though, from Bambie Thug’s “Doomsday Blues” to Italy’s “La Noia”.

In pictures: Bambie Thug performs ‘Doomsday Blues’ in the Eurovision final

Who is Bambie Thug? The Irish ‘goth gremlin’ leaving Eurovision fans ‘speechless’

Thoughts on Estonia’s performance

I mean... what do you even say. Absolutely batshit, the best kind of Eurovision performance in my view. Because it’s batshit, yes, but it’s brilliant as well. I particularly enjoyed their weird dance battle with musical instruments. Spectacular.

Graham Norton being praised for ‘honesty’ as some fans claim they couldn’t hear the booing he mentioned during Israel’s performance (I definitely could and I’m watching the BBC broadcast.

Thoughts on Spain’s performance!

Nebulossa is a great favourite and it’s easy to see why, you can’t help but adore them. The Spanish electropop duo are singer Maria Bas and keyboardist / producer Mark Dasousa. And their song “ZORRA” is a proper Europop banger that has the crowd really up and cheering for the first time since the event got underway.

In pictures: Eden Golan performing for Israel

Israel’s eden golan performs with audible booing heard in the audience.

The most controversial performance, undoubtedly, was always going to be Israel’s Eden Golan. You can hear the jeering and booing in the live crowd.

Golan is singing “Hurricane”, which became Israel’s entry after they were told to change original song “October Rain”, widely interpreted as a reference to the 7 October attacks by Hamas.

Who is Eden Golan? Israel’s Eurovision contestant singing in the final

Eurovision 2024 final plunged into further chaos after French singer’s speech

This year’s Eurovision Song Contest has had chaotic start amid widespread protests about Israel’s participation in the competition .

A thousands-strong pro-Palestinian protest has broken out in the host country of Sweden, arguing that Israel should not be allowed to compete amid the country’s ongoing war on Gaza.

France’s entrant Slimane Nebch took the opportunity to call for peace during their rehearsal, telling the audience: “United by music, yes, but for love, for peace.”

Two jurors have also given up their power in the competition, with Finland’s Käärijä saying that it “doesn’t feel right” to give out points in the 2024 competition.

Full story:

Thoughts on Germany’s performance

So sorry to all the German fans reading this, but I find ISAAK’S performance so dull, it’s giving the UK’s disastrous James Newman in 2021.

Thoughts on Ukraine’s performance

I absolutely love Ukraine’s song “Teresa & Maria”, I think it’s incredibly affecting, sung in Ukrainian, with an amazing rap interlude from Alyona Alyona, a former school teacher who’s hoping her performance with singer Jerry Heil will help raise funds to rebuild a school destroyed by a Russian missile. Super slick rapping: her inspirations include Eminem, Missy Elliott and Princess Nokia!

Meet Ukraine’s Eurovision contestants Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil

Meet Ukraine’s Eurovision contestants: Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil

Thoughts on Sweden’s performance by Marcus & Martinus

So I had a brief chat with Norwegian twins Marcus & Martinus... they are lovely, of course, but this has to be one of the weakest of Sweden’s Eurovision entries in years. It’s a sub-standard club bop, taking vague nods from The Weeknd but failing to pull off the same thrills and spills.

Meet Sweden’s Eurovision 2024 entry, Norwegian twins Marcus and Martinus

Looks like we’re in for a bambie thug performance.

Hopefully I’m not calling it too early, but given Bambie Thug just appeared during the flag parade, it seems very likely we’ll get to see them perform in the grand final.

Another observation: the crowd look considerably more muted than I’ve seen them in previous Eurovision finals where they are going absolutely ballistic.

BBC off to a rocky start with Graham Norton’s coverage

Björn Skifs opens proceedings with “Hooked on a Feeling”, after a bit of a bumpy voiceover opening from the BBC’s presenter Graham Norton. Sounded like a mic issue.

And then the flag parade, where all the finalists come out with their country’s flag. Great entrance from Estonia just now.

Kaarija has pulled out of announcing Finland’s jury scores...

Finland’s 2023 runner up Kaarija has announced that he will no longer announce Finland’s jury votes.

Eurovision: Bambie Thug 'cried with team' after finding out Israel had made final

Ireland's Eurovision Song Contest entry Bambie Thug has accused the Israeli broadcaster, Kan, of a rule break, after the singer missed their final rehearsals.

The singer, who uses the pronouns they/them, has previously hit out at Israel's representative, Eden Golan, competing in the contest, and been outspoken about their pro-Palestine views before becoming the first Irish qualifier since 2018.

Bambie will compete in the final on Saturday.

In an Instagram story, they said: “I have raised multiple complaints to the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) regarding instances I have experienced this week.

“Earlier today they confirmed to my delegation in front of others that Kan's commentator had broken the rules of conduct during the Eurovision semi-final.

“I have been patiently waiting to hear what action is set to be taken by the EBU following this rule break. I have since seen a statement by EBU director general Noel Curran which contradicts this earlier confirmation.

“I am still waiting for an official update from the EBU. I hope to see you on the stage tonight.”

In response, a spokesperson for the Israeli broadcaster Kan told the PA news agency: “We wish everyone the best of luck tonight.”

The organisers of Eurovision said: “Bambie Thug did not perform in dress rehearsal three and the footage of their performance in dress rehearsal two was used in its place.

“They missed the dress rehearsal due to a situation that is currently being discussed with the EBU and song contest organisers.

“We hope that this will be resolved shortly and Bambie Thug will appear in the Grand Final show as planned.”

Irish broadcaster RTE has reported that the singer called on organisers to address commentary made on Israeli television before their performance in Tuesday's semi-final.

They told the broadcaster: “I'm angry with other teams breaching their rules of the EBU, and still being allowed in.

“So there's definitely a war drum sounding in my heart to push the performance even more than I have done before.”

Does everyone really hate the UK at Eurovision? Here are the surprising stats

The last time the UK won Eurovision was in 1997...

Dutch broadcaster calls Joost disqualification by Eurovision organisers ‘disproportionate'

The Netherlands entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, Joost Klein, was disqualified following a “threatening movement” from the singer towards a camerawoman, a Dutch radio and television broadcaster said.

A statement from the Netherlands' Songfestival, which sends acts to the Eurovision Song Contest, on X added that AVROTROS, the Dutch radio and television broadcaster, found the “penalty very heavy and disproportionate” and said it was “very disappointed”.

On X, formerly Twitter, the statement said: “An incident occurred after last Thursday's performance. Against clearly made agreements, Joost was filmed when he had just gotten off stage and had to rush to the green room.

“At that moment, Joost repeatedly indicated that he did not want to be filmed. This wasn't respected.

“This led to a threatening movement from Joost towards the camera. Joost did not touch the camerawoman. This incident was reported, followed by an investigation by the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) and police”.

The statement said they had “consulted extensively with the EBU and proposed several solutions”, but that “nevertheless, the EBU has still decided to disqualify Joost Klein”.

It added that AVROTROS “finds the penalty very heavy and disproportionate”, saying they “stand for good manners - let there be no misunderstanding about that - but in our view, an exclusion order is not proportional to this incident”.

The statement ended saying: “We are very disappointed and upset for the millions of fans who were so excited for tonight. What Joost brought to the Netherlands and Europe shouldn't have ended this way.”

Klein, 26, entered with the song Europapa, which is a tribute to his late parents.

He was disqualified from Saturday night's grand final following a Swedish police investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

The EBU said police were investigating a complaint made by a female member of the production crew after an incident following his performance in Thursday night's semi-final.

“While the legal process takes its course, it would not be appropriate for him to continue in the contest,” it said in a statement.

“We would like to make it clear that, contrary to some media reports and social media speculation, this incident did not involve any other performer or delegation member.

“We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards inappropriate behaviour at our event and are committed to providing a safe and secure working environment for all staff at the contest.

“In light of this, Joost Klein's behaviour towards a team member is deemed in breach of contest rules.”

A follow-up statement said Dutch viewers would still be allowed to vote in the grand final and added that the Dutch jury result is still valid.

Eurovision 2024 final subject of more chaos as French contestant calls for peace and Norway’s jury announcer resigns

The Eurovision Song Contest has been plunged into further chaos after France’s delegate Slimane called for peace, while a Norwegian jury spokesperson resigned as she appeared to call out the organisers for hypocrisy.

On Saturday (11 May) during the dress rehearsals at the Malmo Arena in Sweden, French contestant Slimane stopped singing “Mon Amour” to call for peace amid the war between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip.

There have been multiple calls to boycott the competition over Israel's participation with singer Eden Golan, who is due to perform her song Hurricane on Saturday evening, as large protests take place in the city centre.

Slimane told the audience: “Everybody, I just need to say something. Sorry I don't speak English very well but when I was a child I dreamed about music, I dreamed about this dream, to be a singer and to sing peace here.

“Every artist here wants to sing about love and sing about peace. We need to be united by music yes, but with love for peace. United by music yes, but with love for peace. Thank you so much, thank you Europe.”

Palestinian flags - which had been banned by the organisers the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) - were also seen in the audience.

Ahead of the grand final, Alessandra Mele posted to Instagram to say that she will no longer be the person who announces the points awarded by Norway during Eurovision.

In a video the former Eurovision contestant said: “Even though I'm thankful that I was given the opportunity to do so, I've taken the decision to withdraw. United by music - Eurovision's motto is the reason why the music unites people, brings them together.

“But right now, those words are just empty words. There is a genocide going on and I'm asking you all to please open up your eyes, open up your heart, let love lead you to the truth.

“It's right in front of you. Free Palestine.”

The grand final will now have 25 performers rather than 26 after Dutch act Joost Klein was disqualified following a Swedish police investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has been approached for comment.

Olly Alexander speaks out: ‘What a road it has been'

The UK’s delegate Olly Alexander has shared a somewhat muted video from his hotel room ahead of the final tonight. To be honest, who can blame him - it’s sounding as though the show is being thrown into further chaos after France’s entry Slimane called for “peace” (will the EBU see this as a “political” statement, I wonder?) and a Nowegian jury spokesperson resigned at the 11th hour, currently no confirmation as to why.

“We’re here, and last night’s jury performance went really well, so, let’s do this,” Alexander says in his video. “What more can I say apart from... vote for me. And... I love you all”

And no comment on his fellow delegate Joost being disqualified. Hmm.

Why is Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest final?

Israel will compete in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, despite calls for the country to be banned from participating due to its ongoing war on Gaza.

Eden Golan is representing Israel with the track “Hurricane”, which was reworked from original entry “October Rain” after it was alleged to include references to the 7 October attacks by Hamas, therefore breaching the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) rules over political songs.

The Israel-born Golan, who grew up in Russia, told ITV News this week that she could not have asked “for a better year to be representing my country”.

She has qualified to compete in the grand final tonight (Saturday 11 May) , where she will be up against favourites including Switzerland’s Nemo with “The Code”, and the Netherlands’ Joost with “Europapa”.

Protests over Israel’s participation are underway in Malmö, Sweden, which is hosting this year’s contest following Swedish contestant Loreen’s win with “Tattoo” in 2023.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is underway , with all qualifying countries now revealed and preparing to perform in tonight’s final.

Eurovision is typically known for its uplifting atmosphere, as fans celebrate each country’s musical talents along with plenty of dramatic staging, zany costumes and tremendous vocal performances.

Here are our favourites for the 2024 contest:

Eurovision’s Bambie Thug says pro-Palestine protests 'putting a cloud above everyone'

Meet baby lasagna, the maverick singer representing croatia in the eurovision 2024 final.

Whatever the outcome for Croatia’s 2024 entry Baby Lasagna at Saturday’s final, the singer will go down in Eurovision history as the contestant with one of the best names.

Singer-songwriter Marko Purišić, 28, who is from Umag, Croatia, performs under the pseudonym Baby Lasagna – the name of a wider creative project he is pursuing following the launch of his solo career in 2023 .

His song for this year’s competition, “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”, is a rock-techno-inflected track about economic migration, and its catchiness and epic staging has already seen fans crown him as one of this year’s favourite contestants .

The glamour model was seven months pregnant and dressed in a pink rubber catsuit when she placed second in a public vote to represent the UK in 2005. She’s since said she was left ‘humiliated’ by the experience, but her performance is secretly sort of brilliant, writes Adam White