Juried literary
Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award and Kate Tufts Discovery Award
Claremont Graduate University (CGU), School of Arts and Humanities
In short
Claremont Graduate University gives two poetry book awards each year: the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, worth $100,000, for a mid-career poet, and the Kate Tufts Discovery Award, worth $10,000, for a first book. They are among the largest cash prizes for a single book of poetry in the United States, and a printed, bound self-published collection is eligible. The poet may enter directly, or a publisher or agent may enter with the poet's written consent, and eight copies go in the mail with the form.
This cycle closedChecked September 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Every label is a fact from the official rules, never a judgment about whether the award is worth entering. How we describe awards.
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Claremont Graduate University (CGU) gives two poetry book awards each year. The Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, worth $100,000, honors a mid-career poet for a collection published in the previous year. The Kate Tufts Discovery Award, worth $10,000, recognizes a first book by a poet of genuine promise. A single book can be entered for one award or the other, not both.
The book must be original poetry written in English by a United States citizen or legal resident alien, published as a printed, bound book during the eligibility window (July 1 of one year through June 30 of the next). Manuscripts, chapbooks, CDs, and ebooks are not accepted; self-published printed books are eligible. Entries may be submitted by the author or, with the poet's consent, by a publisher, agent, or other representative, and require eight copies mailed with the entry form, postmarked by July 1.
No entry fee is listed on the eligibility or FAQ pages. Finalists are typically announced in January or February and winners in early March, with the ceremony in April. The Kingsley Tufts winner agrees to spend a week in residence at CGU within six months of the award.
Why it may matter
These are among the largest cash prizes for a single book of poetry in the United States, and both are open to direct entry by the poet, including for self-published printed collections. The July 1 postmark deadline and eight-copy requirement mean the entry has to be planned while copies are still on hand, not after the book has been out for a year.
2027 cycle: 2027 awards (books published July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026)
- Eligible publication dates
- July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026
- Final deadline
- July 1, 2026 (passed)Checked September 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Deadline note
- Eight copies and the 2027 entry form postmarked by July 1, 2026
- Entry fee
- No entry fee is listed on the eligibility or FAQ pagesChecked September 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Results
- Finalists expected in January or February 2027, winners in early March 2027, ceremony in April 2027
Worth knowing
Our reading, not a rule the organization published. We judge an award on the rubric in how we describe awards.
Previous Kingsley Tufts winners may not enter that award again, although a Kate Tufts winner may later enter the Kingsley Tufts. Entrants agree to attend the April ceremony and to allow excerpts to be used in publicity. The 2027 window (books published July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026) closed with the July 1, 2026 postmark; the 2028 entry form is normally posted on the CGU site the following spring. As of September 16, 2026 the eligibility page (arts.cgu.edu/tufts-poetry-awards/about/eligibility/ (opens in a new tab)) still described the 2027 cycle and the 2028 dates had not been posted.
Rules and deadlines change. We last checked this information on September 16, 2026. If you see something that needs updating, please tell us.
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