Australia, 2nd Oct 2026, Grand Newswire –
The Chrysalis BREW Project has released the results of the 2026 BREW Poetry Award, with Bianca Black and Sushanth Shyamsundar receiving the two Poem and Poet of the Year distinctions.
Black’s Youth was selected as the Judges’ Poem of the Year, while Shyamsundar’s THE ALMOST-PERSON received the Community’s Poem of the Year title.
The award uses two forms of recognition. The Judges’ Pick is based on assessment by the award’s judging panel, while the Community’s Pick is based on reader activity associated with poems published in the BREW Directory.
Judges’ Pick
Youth by Bianca Black received the Judges’ Pick Open Category title and was subsequently named the Judges’ Poem of the Year.
The judging process considers ten areas: creativity and originality; emotional impact; technical proficiency; depth and complexity; unity and coherence; language and imagery; resonance and relevance; voice and style; innovation and experimentation; and impact and memorability.
The other poems named as Judges’ Pick finalists are:
- On My Way / Mike Marks
- Saltwind / P Prashant Singha
The three poems identified for submission for Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize consideration are Youth, On My Way, and Saltwind.
Community’s Pick
The Community’s Poem of the Year is THE ALMOST-PERSON by Sushanth Shyamsundar.
The Community’s Pick recognition is based on activity recorded on the BREW Directory. Views and comments contribute to each poem’s Community’s Score, with comments carrying a higher weighting than views under the award’s published system.
The Community’s Pick Open Category title goes to THE ALMOST-PERSON by Sushanth Shyamsundar.
The Community’s Pick Tertiary Category title goes to 1bd, 1ba, 1 paragraph by Waverly Vernon.
The Community’s Pick finalists are:
- Youth / Bianca Black
- On My Way / Mike Marks
- Saltwind / P Prashant Singha
- ÌRÒKÒ ÀKÓKÒ (The Iroko Tree of Time) / Anselm Eme
- Kino / Thaise Lis Nascimento
- Unspinning / Monci Ellis Lee
- Selenophile / Laima Gulbe Testa
- 1bd, 1ba, 1 paragraph / Waverly Vernon
- The Sage Creek Thing / Magnus Briar
- Chocolate Road / Alice Hlidkova
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago receives a Special Certificate of Recognition in connection with the Tertiary Category result for 1bd, 1ba, 1 paragraph by Waverly Vernon.
Award Categories and Selection
The BREW Poetry Award has four categories: Open, Primary School, Secondary School, and Tertiary. The award provides both Judges’ Pick and Community’s Pick recognition within its category structure.
For the Judges’ Pick, poems are reviewed by members of the BREW Laureate Council according to the published judging criteria. A poem must reach the required judging threshold to be considered for a Judges’ Pick title.
The Community’s Pick operates through reader participation. Published poems accumulate points through views and comments, with the results used to determine the Community’s Pick titles.
The 2026 award cycle accepted entries through 31 August. Community voting concluded at 23:59 Adelaide time on 30 September, with the results announced in October.
No winners or finalists were announced for the Primary School or Secondary School categories in the 2026 results.
2026 Recognition
The 2026 winners and finalists are scheduled for inclusion in a BREW Poetry Award anthology or another publication this year or the following year. Awardees aged 18 and above will also be included as members of the BREW Laureate Council, subject to the applicable award terms.
The Judges’ Poet of the Year receives the award’s stated Poet of the Year prize, which provides a choice between AUD 100 or a BREW Award medal, in accordance with the published award terms.
About the BREW Poetry Award
The BREW Poetry Award is an annual poetry award administered by The Chrysalis BREW Project. It provides recognition through a judging process and reader participation, with categories covering Open, Primary School, Secondary School, and Tertiary submissions.
The award is open to poets internationally and does not charge an entry fee. Its published criteria and selection procedures distinguish between Judges’ Pick and Community’s Pick recognition.
About The Chrysalis BREW Project
The Chrysalis BREW Project is a literary and creative platform established in 2019. BREW refers to Books, Reviews, and Everything Written.
The platform publishes literary and creative content, including poetry, book-related material, reviews, author features, and contributions from writers and other creators. It also administers the BREW Book, Blog, and Poetry Awards and maintains directories for literary contributors.
The Chrysalis BREW Project is based in Australia and publishes work from contributors in different countries and regions.
Media Contact
Organization: The Chrysalis BREW Project
Contact
Person: The Chrysalis BREW Project
Website:
https://thechrysalisbrewproject.com/
Email:
info@thechrysalisbrewproject.com
Country:Australia
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