Find out about the key milestones in The Orwell Prizes schedule
The Orwell Prizes are awarded annually to work first published in the previous calendar year. There are four key milestones:
- The launch and opening of submissions – usually in mid November
- The closing of submissions – varies across books and journalism
- The finalists announcement – usually in mid May
- The announcement of the winners – on or around 25 June (George Orwell’s birthday)
1) Opening of submissions
New judging panels are announced each year. You can read about this year’s panels here.
Entry to the Orwell Prizes will open late October in the year in which the prizes are awarded, e.g. entry to The Orwell Prize 2026 will open on 28 October 2025.
Rules and full eligibility criteria for all prizes are available here. Please check the eligibility criteria for the prize you are applying for, as key details may vary.
2) Closing of submissions
Entry to our book prizes will close on 26 January 2026. Entry to the prizes for Journalism and Reporting Homelessness will close on 31 March 2026.
Final copies of books for submission for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing and The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction should arrive at The Orwell Foundation no later than 26 January 2026.
3) Finalists announcement
In 2022, The Orwell Prizes moved from a longlist/shortlist format to a single set of eight to ten finalists in each category.
Finalists for all The Orwell Prizes (excluding The Orwell Youth Prize) will be announced on 13 May 2026.
4) Winners announcement
The winners of The Orwell Prizes are announced at the prize ceremony in central London, on or around George Orwell’s birthday (25 June). In 2026, The Orwell Prize ceremony will take place at Bloomsbury Theatre on 25 June.