LETS GET READY FOR THE 2027 NATIONAL SPOKEN WORD AWARDS AND

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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, Father of SPOKEN WORD MONTH, and the United States’ First Spoken Word Laureate. He was responsible for bringing the Chicago Poet Laureate honor to Chicago, making him the Father of the Chicago Poet Laureate honor. He was instrumental in bringing the National Poetry Awards to Chicago in 2016, its 7th and final year. The end of the National Poetry Awards inspired the beginning of the NATIONAL SPOKEN WORD AWARDS, creating a new national platform dedicated to honoring, celebrating, and elevating Spoken Word Poetry and its artists. 

The National Spoken Word Awards (NSWAs) were created to honor American Spoken Word Artists and international artists who have made a significant impact in the United States. The 1st Annual National Spoken Word Awards was held Saturday, September 2, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. Each year, the NSWAs are held Labor Day Weekend, helping kick off International Spoken Word Month.

Nominations are held annually from April 1st, the first day of National Poetry Month, through May 15th. Voting takes place electronically from July 1st through July 31st, giving every nominated artist an equal opportunity to have their fans and supporters vote. Each person may vote once per device. When nominees receive the same percentage of votes, the result is a tie.

Unlike many awards programs, the National Spoken Word Awards proudly makes its voting results available for everyone to see, demonstrating our commitment to transparency, fairness, and integrity.

Please visit us at nationalspokenwordawards.com