The Stellar Prize 

About

The Stellar Prize is a prestigious award for outstanding youths (between the ages of 14 and 45) who have shown exceptional talent or skill in specific areas. The Stellar Prize is the first of its kind and is primarily focused on young talents in literature. The Stellar Prize is one of the projects of The Stellar Community, with the mission of empowering youths and young talents in Africa, as well as all over the world. The award is usually in the form of prize money, and certificates. In addition to this, the expenses to attend the award ceremony, which would be held in Cape Verde for the 1st Stellar Prize, is covered by The Stellar Community. The award ceremony is held in a different country each year. To learn more about The Stellar Community and make donations, please visit www.thestellarcommunity.iezef.org. The Stellar Prize is usually awarded annually. This year, we are recognizing talents in poetry and short stories, and we encourage applications from all over the world for The Stellar Prize. 

Eligibility/Rules

  • You have to be between the ages of 14 and 45 (14 and 45 inclusive) by the time of submission. Participants in the Junior Stellar Prize have to be between the ages of 14 and 18 (14 and 18 inclusive). Participants in The Stellar Prize have to be between the ages of 19 and 45 (19 and 45 inclusive).

  • Any nationality can participate. All applications, from anywhere in the world, would be reviewed for this award insofar it complies with the guidelines. Applicants from outside Africa are considered only for the Stellar International Award and the Stellar Youth Award. Applicants from Africa, however, are only considered for the Junior Stellar Prize.

  • Entries must be unpublished poems or short stories.

  • Poems cannot be more than 45 lines in length, and short stories cannot be more than 2000 words.

  • All poems written in another language must bear an English translation. An exception to limit on the number of lines are allowed for this case.    

  • Multiple submissions are allowed.

  • Only submissions done through this official website are accepted.

  • Any profession or background is accepted. Experience, affiliation with an institution or school, or professional background is not a factor considered for The Stellar Prize. Anyone can apply if within the age limit.

  • The judges' decision is final and cannot be appealed.

  • Only poems and short stories are accepted for the 1st Stellar Prize.

  • Employees of IEZEF or its subsidiaries, their relatives, and family members are not eligible to participate.

  • Past winners for The Stellar Prize will not be awarded future Stellar Prize. However, they would still be considered for the Stellar Youth Award (SYA).

  • Former winners of SYA Award are not eligible to compete.

  • Former winners of The Junior Stellar Prize will not be awarded future Junior Stellar Prize but may compete in future for other Stellar Prizes.

  • Entries for the Junior Stellar Prize are not considered in The Stellar Youth Award (SYA) selection.

  • Nominations are allowed. Nominations for the annual Stellar Prize are still subject to the submission fees; however, nominations for The Stellar Teacher Award, which is awarded every five years to the best-nominated teacher, is free. To nominate for The Stellar Teacher Award, you must be a partnering organization/entity or a registered non-profit organization.

  • Although special cases may arise and be excused, only registered nonprofit organizations, partners, and donors to IEZEF or The Stellar Prize are eligible to make nominations for The Stellar Teacher Award.

  • The poems and short stories awarded The Stellar Prize, for winners who accept the award, are copyrights of The Stellar Community, and may be commercialized by The Stellar Community. However, poets would always be given credit and receive royalties on their work.
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Prizes

The Stellar Prize is divided into three award categories:

1. Junior Stellar Prize (for ages between 14 and 18)
     - only for participants within Africa

  • First Place Winner:  700,000 Naira (approx. $2,000 USD)
  • Second Place Winner: 400,000 Naira (approx. $1,200 USD)
  • Third Place Winner: 200,000 Naira (approx. $600 USD)
  • Plus 4 Honorable Mentions

2. Stellar African Prize (for ages between 19 and 45)
    - only for participants within Africa

  • First Place Winner: 1 Million Naira (approx. $3,000 USD)
  • Second Place Winner: 500,000 Naira (approx. $1,400 USD)
  • Third Place Winner: 250,000 Naira (approx. $700 USD)
  • Plus 4 Honorable Mentions


 
3. The Stellar International Award (for ages between 18 and 45) 
     - only for participants outside Africa

  • First Place Winner: 1 Million Naira (approx. $3,000 USD)
  • Second Place Winner: 500,000 Naira (approx. $1,400 USD)
  • Third Place Winner: 250,000 Naira (approx. $700 USD)
  • Fourth Place Winner: 100,000 Naira (approx. $300 USD)
  • Plus 5 Honorable Mentions


  The Stellar Youth Award (SYA) (aged between 18 and 45)
    - for participants from all over the world

Every three years, entries for The Stellar Prize are reviewed, and a poet who has consequently made good submissions in previous years, but was not a prize winner in any of these years, would be awarded a sum of 1.5 Million Naira (approx. $4,300 USD) for The Stellar Youth Award (SYA). Hence, one still stands the chance of winning The Stellar Youth Award (SYA), given that they are between ages 18 and 45, even if one does not make it into the first three or four places for any of the annual Stellar Prize.  To increase chances of winning The SYA Award, it is advised to participate in any project of The Stellar Community every year. Since a collection of poetry and short story submissions made by a poet are collectively considered for this award, it is encouraged to turn in your best works each year for the annual Stellar Prize.

It is important to note that one cannot apply for The Stellar Youth Award (SYA); participating in any of the Stellar Prizes automatically qualifies you for consideration for the SYA. Please be advised that the SYA is not restricted only to people who may have competed in the Stellar Award projects; although participants who have competed in any of the Stellar Community projects are given the privilege of automatic consideration and stand a great chance of winning the SYA, the SYA is also open to nomination for youths who have excelled greatly in leadership, academics and innovation. Nomination for the SYA is entirely free. The SYA is also open to nominations from outside Africa. 

Entries for The Junior Stellar Prize are not considered for the SYA. The Stellar Youth Award (SYA) is a prestigious award that would be presented together with The Stellar Teacher Award, which is also awarded every three years by IEZEF. Nomination for The Stellar Teacher Award is free; however, the criteria for selection is very strictly followed. Although special cases may arise and be excused, only participants who have competed in The Stellar Community projects, partners and donors to IEZEF or The Stellar Community are eligible to make nominations for The Stellar Teacher Award. To learn more about The Stellar Teacher Award and nominations, please visit IEZEF website.


All winners would be invited for the prize giving ceremony by early April 2019. For The 1st Stellar Prize, the prize giving ceremony would be held on the beautiful island of Cape Verde. All flight expenses, hotel lodging, and feeding, during the period of the award ceremony, would be covered by The Stellar Community. Other costs not included here, like visa costs, would be the responsibility of the awardee. Very significant discounts for flight expense would be given to international prize recipients outside of Africa; feeding and lodging would be entirely covered by The Stellar Community. Winners of the Junior Stellar Prize are allowed to bring along a guardian, literature teacher or mentor. Feeding and lodging alone of the guardian would be covered by The Stellar Community. All expenses, aside from visa costs, would be covered for the literature teacher. Honorable Mentions from The Stellar International Award may attend the award ceremony but would have to cover all costs pertaining to attending the award ceremony, which would include feeding, flight, lodging, etc. However, Honorable Mentions would be provided food during the luncheon following the award ceremony. Certificates of recognition would be mailed to Honorable Mentions who are unable to attend the award. In addition, all winners including Honorable Mentions are granted the opportunity of having their works published by The Stellar Community and receiving royalties on their work. All participants of The Stellar Prize would be granted a Certificate of Participation. The award giving ceremony would be filmed by some of the largest television networks in Africa, and top literature dignitaries would be present at the award ceremony in Cape Verde. Winners would be considered for membership of The Stellar Community. Membership of The Stellar Community is a golden privilege that offers the chance for scholarships, employment in big companies/organizations, project funding, and investments. Stellar Community members are equipped to succeed in their lines of interest and empowered to impact others likewise. Applications for membership of the Stellar Community for regular applicants are usually only open once a year for the duration of a month.

Judges

The judges for the 1st Stellar Prize would be announced after submissions are closed.

Submission

  • You can make your submissions here.
  • Multiple submissions are allowed and encouraged.

  • The deadline of the first bid for The Stellar Prize submission is June 11, 2018, by 0001hrs WAT (West African Time). The second bid would end by November 8, 2018, and the third and final bid would end by February 18, 2019.
  • For the Early Bid Application, the following fees apply for both categories of the Stellar Prize:
    1. The submission fee for the first submission is $5 USD (approx. 1,800 Naira).

    2. Every other subsequent submission costs $3 USD (approx. 1,000 Naira).

  • At most 50 works can be submitted in one entry. However, multiple submissions are allowed and advised. After June 11, 2018, the entry fee for the second bid would be $7 (approx. 2,500 Naira) for the first submission and $4 (approx. 1,400 Naira) for each subsequent or additional entry. This ends by November 8, 2018. The entry fee for the third and final bid which would end by February 18, 2019 is $9 (approx. 3,200 Naira) for the first submission and $5 (approx. 1,800 Naira) for each subsequent entry. 

All submissions must be made online through our official IEZEF website here !
Only these submissions would be accepted.

To make donations to The Stellar Prize or other projects of The Stellar Community, please visit  the official website of The Stellar Community.