Western Wordsmiths conducts a contest every year at the IWMA International Convention.  This is a contest to judge individual poets' recitations of their own original work.  Poets must recite his/her original poem.  Reading is not allowed.  Poets will have 1 1/2 to 4 minutes in which to present their selection, including any introduction.  Points will be deducted if the presentation exceeds four minutes.  Contestants will be judged on the following criteria:

Quality (technical structure, rhyme, meter, avoiding slant rhymes)

Theme (appropriate Western theme, regardless of era)

Delivery (inflection; diction; projection, stage presence, connection with audience)

Cowboy Poetry Album of the Year

Cowboy Poetry is defined for IWMA awards purposes as works containing rhyme and meter. Although the album’s content may include short prose and free verse, only rhyme and meter poetry will meet the 75% eligibility requirement.

• Albums can be nominated by any IWMA member, including self-nomination.
• Artists may be nominated, and necessary forms are provided to eligible Members.
• All albums will have a “birth date” of January 1 of the release year and will be eligible that year plus one subsequent year (e.g. January 1, 2025, through September 1, 2026).
• Poems written in free verse or blank verse do not meet the 75% rhyme and meter poetry eligibility requirement.
• 75% of the album tracks must be original Cowboy Poetry, written in rhyme and meter, and recited solely by the principal author of the poetry.
• 25% of the album tracks may contain other material including:
• Collaboration in writing is permitted. Collaboration in reciting is not permitted. In the event a poem is written by the collaboration of two or more persons, one of the collaborators must be named as the principal author. Collaborators will be regarded as co-authors. Editors are considered collaborators.
• Background music on a poetry album is permitted. Music need not be original.
• Background music imported from an external source (CD, radio, etc.) is permitted. Such music must be properly licensed for inclusion in the poetry album.

Cowboy Poetry Book of the Year:

Cowboy Poetry is defined for IWMA awards purposes as works containing rhyme and meter. Although the book’s content may include short prose and free verse, only rhyme and meter poetry will meet the 50% eligibility requirement.

• Books can be nominated by any IWMA member or by self-nomination. If you are self-nominating, please provide a copy of the book, with the printed publication date, and a completed nomination form.
• 50% of the book must be poetry with rhyme and meter, written solely by the author of the book. Poems not written by the author of the book will not qualify as part of the 50% rhyme and meter poetry eligibility.
• 50% of rhyme and meter poems (criteria #1) must be 20 lines or more in length.
• Rhyme, meter, stage presence (Male and Female poet of the year only), value/entertainment, technical excellence, word choices, message interest, originality, and closing are all considered in judging.
• Credits for poems written by someone other than the author of the book (including anonymous works) must be given. Books written by multiple authors are not eligible.
• All books will have a “birth date” of January 1 of the publication year and will be eligible that year plus one subsequent year (e.g. January 1, 2025 through September 1, 2026).
• Artists may be nominated and necessary forms are provided to eligible members.
• A reprint of a previously published book is not eligible.

Male Poet of the Year, Female Poet of the Year:

• Persons can be nominated by any IWMA member or by self-nomination.
• Nomination is for excellence within the eligibility period (e.g. January 1, 2025 through September 1, 2026)