King of Poetry, Father of Spoken Word Month & Founder of Chicago Poet Laureate Honor
LETS GET READY FOR THE 2026 NATIONAL SPOKEN WORD AWARDS
Our Vision
The National Spoken Word Awards was founded in 2017 by De'Andre Hawthorne aka Blaq Ice, an international award winning Spoken Word Poet from Chicago and the father of the Chicago Poet Laureate. He was instrumental in bringing the National Poetry Awards to Chicago in 2016, the 7th and final year of the National Poetry Awards. The end of the National Poetry Awards inspired the beginning of the NATIONAL SPOKEN WORD AWARDS.
The Grammys Of Spoken Word
The National Spoken Word Awards (NSWAs) were created to honor American Spoken Word Artists and international artists who have made an impact in the United States.
The 1st annual show was held Saturday, September 2, 2017 in Chicago, IL. The NSWAs are held every year Labor Day weekend, kicking off International Spoken Word Month.
Nominations run annually from April 1st, the first day of National Poetry Month, through May 15th.
Voting is July 1st - July 31st. Voting is done electronically and fairly
every artist has the same opportunity to have their fans and supporters vote for them. You can vote once per device. If nominees receive the same percentage, it results in a tie.
Unlike any other awards show, the National Spoken Word Awards posts the voting results for everyone to see, showing the transparency and integrity of the awards.
Please visit us at nationalspokenwordawards.com
THE NSWA EXPOSIVE WEEKEND
SATURDAY
The National Spoken Word Fest is about to ignite Chicago! 🔥
Poets from all over the nation will bring their fire to the stage at Hayes Park for an unforgettable kickoff! 🌎✍🏾
The highlight of the day? An electrifying SLAM hosted by the Legendary Billy Tuggle! 🎯
✨ Energy. Passion. Poetry at its finest. ✨
📍 Hayes Park, Chicago | National Spoken Word Fest Kickoff