The 2026 Forward Prizes for Poetry Ceremony

Discover some of the best poetry coming out of the UK and Ireland, and be here as the winners of the 2026 Forward Prizes for Poetry are announced live on stage. The Forward Prizes are an unmissable fixture in the literature calendar – a celebration for all who want to discover the best contemporary poetry. Twenty poets are invited to take the mic and perform their work, delivering an incomparable mixtape of poetry. This one-night event showcases the breadth and richness of poets publishing and performing in the UK and Ireland today. The shortlisted line-up is curated by a judging panel chaired by award-winning writer Sarah Moss, alongside critically acclaimed poets Romalyn Ante, WN Herbert, Michael Mullen and Yomi Ṣode. The Forward Prizes recognise achievement in four categories: Best Collection (£10,000) The Jerwood Prize for Best First Collection (£5,000) Best Single Poem – Written (£1,000) Best Single Poem – Performed (£1,000) This year’s judges read more than 214 poetry collections and watched or read 340 single poems to find the most exciting poetry published this year in the British Isles.