This isn’t just a poetry slam.
This is Slam Cup.
A national, year-long competition where cities build teams, voices rise, and every word counts.
All season long, Slam Cup venues across the country host monthly qualifying slams—each one a battle, each one a step closer to the top. Poets show up, show out, and fight for their place on the roster.
At the end of the season, every city crowns its team.
And then—it all leads to Baltimore.
The Slam Cup Finals.
The best of the best. City vs. city. Poet vs. poet.
One stage. One trophy. One moment.
$100,000 on the line.
Legacy on the line.
Welcome to Slam Cup.
Where bars become battles—and poetry becomes sport.
AWARDS
All awards are presented to encourage venues and individuals to come up with new and exciting ways to tell the stories of our planet. There are 6 distinct awards. Each award is intended to foster the type of growth and environment in which poetry and slam can be nurtured and celebrated.
THE SLAM CUP TROPHY
The Slam Cup Trophy also known as The Dunbar Trophy is the ultimate prize of this competition. It is awarded to the poet who survives the tournament undefeated. As an knock-out tournament, in order for a poet to win the Slam Cup Trophy, that poet must go through the tournament without ever losing a single bout.
THE GOLDEN PEN AWARD
The golden pen trophy is awarded to a poet who has displayed impeccable writing skills during the final.
PERFORMABCE POET TROPHY
The performance poet trophy is awarded to a poet who has displayed impeccable performance and communication skills during the finals
new poet prize
hall of fame poet
Awarded to poets who have spent more the 20 years, building and supporting the poetry and the slam community. These poets must be nominated by their peers. also they must command the respect of the poetry community. Either as a writer, a performer or an organizer.
top venue award
The Top Venue award goes to the venue that produces the winner of The Slam Cup Trophy. Along with the Trophy the venue also get a cash prize.
The Best New Poet trophy is awarded to a youth poet who has displayed the performance and literary skills that will help to shape the future of slam. The person has to be a new person to the Slam Cup finals.
