2025 Poetry Out Loud National Finals

Join us for the Poetry Out Loud® National Finals in Washington, DC, May 6–7, 2025 as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the program! You can watch the competition live in person at Lisner Auditorium, The George Washington University, 730 21st Street NW, Washington, DC, or online through a one-time-only webcast on arts.gov. 

A total of $50,000 in awards and school or organizational stipends will be awarded at the National Finals, including $20,000 for the Poetry Out Loud National Champion. 

National Finals—Wednesday, May 7, 2025 

The National Finals, hosted by National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Mac Barnett, will take place at 7:00 p.m. ET at Lisner Auditorium, and will culminate with the announcement of the 2025 Poetry Out Loud National Champion. The National Finals are free and open to the public—no ticket required. 

Judges are Rick Barot, Carmen Giménez, Candice Iloh, Roderick Justice, and Jasminne Mendez. The evening will also include a performance by singer, songwriter, and poet Jamila Woods, supported by the Poetry Foundation.

Closed captioning in English and Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided for both the Poetry Out Loud National Semifinals and Finals.