GGO 2026 POETRY SLAM
The mic is open. The stakes are real.
Up to 15 poets. Three rounds. Five judges. One champion.
$2,500 in cash prizes.
Poetry Slam
LAST YEAR
You had to be there.
Relive the energy from the GGO Poetry Slam and see what happens when the room, the mic, and the poem meet at exactly the right moment.
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Photos by @kumolustudios
COME WATCH
Be in the room when it happens.
The GGO Poetry Slam is open to everyone with eligible Slam admission.
Admission is included with a VIP or All Access conference pass, or you can purchase a standalone Poetry Slam ticket.
Already have VIP or All Access? Your Slam admission is included.
THE FORMAT
15 → 8 → 4 → Champion
5 judges. Three rounds. Make the Final Four and you get paid.
ROUND 1
The Cut
15 → 8
Five judges score each performance under standard slam scoring. The eight highest-ranked poets advance.
ROUND 2
Head-to-Head
8 → 4
Poets are seeded by Round One results. Five judges select the winner of each matchup. Each 0.5 time penalty costs the poet one judge vote. Four matchup winners advance.
- #1 vs #8
- #2 vs #7
- #3 vs #6
- #4 vs #5
ROUND 3
The Final Four
4 Finalists
The four finalists redraw for performance order. All five judges rank all four finalists. Final rankings determine first through fourth place.
THE PRIZE POOL
$2,500 is on the line.
Only poets who do not finish in the Final Four are eligible.
YOU HAVE A SAY
Pick the Poem of the Night.
During the Slam, audience members will be able to scan a QR code and vote live for the poem that stayed with them.
You'll vote for the specific poet and poem, and you'll also have the option to leave the poet a note about what moved you.
Live totals will not be displayed during voting. Only poets who do not advance to the Final Four are eligible to receive the $200 Poem of the Night Award.
STEP TO THE MIC
Think you belong on the stage?
Registration is limited to 15 poets.
8–10 spots will be reserved for invited poets, selected to help create a dynamic and intentionally balanced field. Remaining competitor spots will open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
KNOW BEFORE YOU SLAM
Three minutes. Ten seconds of grace.
Each poem has a three-minute time limit with a 10-second grace period.
Head-to-Head Time Penalties
In Round Two, every 0.5 time penalty costs the poet one judge vote. A poem reaching 3:30.1 or longer results in disqualification.
Standard Slam Rules
The GGO Poetry Slam follows standard poetry slam rules. Full competition rules, including poem requirements, performance restrictions, scoring, timing, protests, and tiebreak procedures will be published before registration opens.
Any protest must be raised before the beginning of the next round. A protest involving the Final Round must be raised before winners are announced.
ONE ROOM. ONE MIC.
Will you be watching— or will you be on the stage?
GGO is made possible with support from
We are grateful for the organizations, businesses, and community partners helping us create space for Black Southern writers, stories, and community.
SpiritHouse
SpiritHouse South, Inc. is an intergenerational cultural arts organization dedicated to cultural organizing, preserving community traditions, art, media, and collective healing. We believe we can interdependently achieve communal autonomy through community investment, arts and culture, collective healing, intergenerational work and cultural preservation.
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