Essay Contest - High School Category 

Deadline: January 15, 2027

Topic: Open 

Awards 

1st Place: $250 and published in the July/August issue of Bethesda Magazine 

2nd Place: $150 

3rd Place: $100

Honorable Mention: $75

All winning essays will be published on the Bethesda Urban Partnership and Bethesda Magazine websites and will be honored at a special event during the Local Writer's Showcase, March 12, 2027.

Requirements Essays must be limited to 500 words or less about a topic of the writer's choosing. Only one entry per person. Your essay must be your original work. Any essays containing material that is obscene or objectionable will be disqualified. AI-generated or AI-assisted poems are not eligible for submission and will be disqualified.

Eligibility Students must attend a public or private school or reside in Washington, D.C. or Montgomery County, MD to be eligible. Applicants that are 18 years old and still in high school as of March 12, 2027, should apply in this High School Category.

Current and former employees, contractors, directors, and officers of the Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP) and their immediate family members are ineligible. Current students, relatives, or close personal friends of the judge(s) are also ineligible. Only one entry per person. 

Judges TBD

Notification Applicants will be contacted in February 2027.

Copyright All entrants retain the copyright rights that they have in the essays they submit, but by participating in this contest and submitting essays, all entrants grant Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP) the right, license, and ability to use and publish all submitted essays (in complete form or in excerpted form) on the BUP website, on other websites, and in other media. 

Questions? Please email essay@bethesda.org or call 301-215-6660, Ext. 117. 

For more information, please visit www.bethesda.org

Essay Contest - Adult (Ages 18+) Category 

DEADLINE: January 15, 2027

Topic: Open 

Awards 

First place: $500, published in the July/August issue of Bethesda Magazine, and complimentary class and membership to The Writer's Center. 

Second place: $250 

Third place: $150 

Honorable Mention: $100 

All winning essays will be published on the Bethesda Urban Partnership and Bethesda Magazine websites and will be honored at a special event in downtown Bethesda during Bethesda's Local Writer's Showcase March 12, 2027.

Requirements Essays must be limited to 500 words or less about a topic of the writer's choosing. Only one entry per person. Your essay must be your original work. Any essays containing material that is obscene or objectionable will be disqualified. Previously published essays are not eligible. AI-generated or AI-assisted poems are not eligible for submission and will be disqualified.

Eligibility Residents of Washington, D.C. and the select counties of Maryland (Montgomery and Prince George's) and Virginia (Arlington/Alexandria and Fairfax) are eligible. Current and former employees, contractors, directors, and officers of the Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP) and their immediate family members are ineligible. Current students, relatives, or close personal friends of the judge(s) are also ineligible. Only one entry per person. 

Judges TBD

Notification Winners will be contacted in February 2027.

Copyright All entrants retain the copyright rights that they have in the essays they submit, but by participating in this contest and submitting essays, all entrants grant Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP) the right, license, and ability to use and publish all submitted essays (in complete form or in excerpted form) on the BUP website, on other websites, and in other media.

 Questions? Please email essay@bethesda.org or call 301-215-6660, Ext. 117. 

For more information, please visit www.bethesda.org. 

Bethesda Poetry Contest 

Deadline: January 15, 2027

Awards 

First place: $350, published on The Writer's Center's blog and magazine, and a free class and membership to The Writer's Center.

Second Place: $250 

Third Place: $150 

Honorable Mention: $100 

All winners will be published on the Bethesda Urban Partnership and The Writer's Center websites, as well as, honored at a special event during the Local Writer's Showcase, March 4, 2027

Requirements Poems cannot be more than 21 lines of text. Only one entry per person. Poems must be original work of the applicant and must be currently unpublished. Any poems containing material that is obscene or objectionable will be disqualified. AI-generated or AI-assisted poems are not eligible for submission and will be disqualified.

Eligibility Residents of Washington, D.C. and the select counties of Maryland (Montgomery and Prince George's) and Virginia (Arlington/Alexandria and Fairfax) are eligible. Current and former employees, contractors, directors, and officers of the Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP) and their immediate family members are ineligible. Current students, relatives, or close personal friends of the judge(s) are also ineligible. Only one entry per person. 

Judge Douglas Powell/Roscoe Burnems

Notification Applicants will be notified in February 2027.

Copyright All entrants retain the copyright rights that they have in the poems they submit, but by participating in this contest and submitting poems, all entrants grant Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP) the right, license, and ability to use and publish all submitted poems (in complete form or in excerpted form) on the BUP Web site, on other Web sites, and in other media.

Questions? Please email poetry@bethesda.org or call 301-215-6660, Ext. 117. 

For more information, please visit www.bethesda.org.

Bethesda Poetry Contest 

Deadline: January 15, 2027

Awards - Up to ten student poets (Grades 9-12) will receive a $100 Young Poets Award. Winners will be published on the Bethesda Urban Partnership website and The Writer's Center Website, as well as, honored at a special event during the Local Writer's Showcase, held March 4, 2027.

Requirements Poems cannot be more than 21 lines of text. Only one entry per person. Poems must be original work of the applicant and must be currently unpublished. Any poems containing material that is obscene or objectionable will be disqualified. AI-generated or AI-assisted poems are not eligible for submission and will be disqualified.

Eligibility Students must be residents or attend a school in Montgomery County, MD or Washington, D.C.. Current and former employees, contractors, directors, and officers of the Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP) and their immediate family members are ineligible. Current students, relatives, or close personal friends of the judge(s) are also ineligible. Must be a high school student (Grades 9-12) at the time of the entry deadline. Only one entry per person. 

Judge Douglas Powell/Roscoe Burnems

Notification Applicants will be contacted in February 2027.

Copyright All entrants retain the copyright rights that they have in the poems they submit, but by participating in this contest and submitting poems, all entrants grant Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP) the right, license, and ability to use and publish all submitted poems (in complete form or in excerpted form) on the BUP Web site, on other Web sites, and in other media. 

Questions? Please email poetry@bethesda.org or call 301-215-6660, Ext. 117. 

For more information, please visit www.bethesda.org.

Overview 

The 11th annual Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards is searching for the best songwriters in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. The competition, founded by Cathy Bernard, is named in honor of Fred Ebb, one of the great American songwriters and creator of Broadway hits such as Cabaret and Chicago and iconic songs including New York, New York. Applicants are invited to submit three original songs. Each song must have lyrics. Therefore, instrumental compositions are not accepted. All genres are accepted. Maximum song length is 4:30min. The adjudicated contest will award a Grand Prize of $10,000, and a second prize of $2,500. Each finalist will receive $1,000 to perform. A young songwriter who is 17 or younger will also be honored with $2,500. Young Songwriter entrants (including co-writers/performers) must be born after January 11, 2010. (*Please see alternate application form for Young Songwriter entries.) 

Judging 

The contest will be a multi-staged, adjudicated competition. Jurors will include professional artists, venue operators, booking agents and music academia. The jury will select the finalists who will perform their original songs during a concert in Bethesda, Maryland on Friday, April 16, 2027 at the Bethesda Theater. Each finalist will perform two of the songs they submitted for the competition. The Grand Prize Jury (TBA) will attend the concert to select the winners. The winning songwriter and young songwriter will be announced at the close of the show.      

Judging Criteria 

• Composition
• Lyrics
• Originality
• Melody/Harmony

Eligibility 

Songwriters who are 18 years of age or older and are permanent, full-time residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C. are invited to apply. Songwriters who are 17-years-old and younger are eligible to enter under the Young Songwriter category (Young Songwriter entrants must be born after January 11, 2010. Please see separate application). 

 Applicants must be available to perform their original songs for a live audience in Bethesda,  Maryland on Friday, April 16, 2027.   *Please see application to list an alternate performer if the songwriter is not also the singer.    The names and addresses of all contributing writers must be included in the entry form. It is the responsibility of the entrant to divide any prizes with co-writers as appropriate.    A lyric sheet must be included for each song.    The Grand Prize Winner and Young Songwriter Winner will  be given local performance opportunities in the months following their award. Events and dates are forthcoming. The Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards requests that the winners are available for each performance opportunity.      

Restrictions 

• Applicants must not have made more than $5,000 in publishing royalties in 2025 and 2026 combined. 
• Entrants can’t be employed as a staff writer for a publishing company, nor have been paid for such services by a publishing company. 
• All submissions must be original and the sole work of the writer(s) listed. Entries shall not infringe on any copyrights, trademarks, intellectual property rights or any other rights of a third party. Submissions that violate these terms will be immediately disqualified. Applicants shall hold Bethesda Urban Partnership and the Bethesda Arts and Entertainment District from and against claims inconsistent with these requirements. Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards shall not be held liable for any legal action that results from unlawful or restricted submissions. 
• All songwriters must be permanent, full-time residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C. 
• Songwriters must appear on only one application. Songwriters may not be listed on more than one submission, including as a co-writer.  

 Notifications

Finalists will be notified approximately 4-6 weeks before the live performance in Bethesda, Maryland.   For more information about the Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards please visit www.bethesda.org.   

Overview

The 11th annual Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards is searching for the best young songwriters in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. The competition, founded by Cathy Bernard, is named in honor of Fred Ebb, one of the great American songwriters and creator of Broadway hits such as Cabaret and Chicago and iconic songs including New York, New York. The adjudicated contest will award one talented, young songwriter who is 17 or younger, $2,500.  Applicants must submit one original song. The song must have lyrics. Therefore, instrumental compositions are not accepted. All genres are accepted. Maximum song length is 4:30min. *Young Songwriter entrants (including co-writers/performers) must be born after January 11, 2010.

 Judging 

The contest will be a multi-staged, adjudicated competition. Jurors will include professional artists, venue operators, booking agents and music academia. The jury will select the finalists who will perform their original songs during a concert at the Bethesda Theater on Friday, April 16, 2027.  Each finalist will perform the song they submitted for the competition. The Grand Prize Jury will attend the concert to select the winners. The winning songwriter and young songwriter will be announced at the close of the show.  

Grand Prize Jury TBA 

Judging Criteria 

• Composition
• Lyrics
• Originality
• Melody/Harmony

Eligibility 

• Songwriters who are 17-years-old or younger and are permanent, full-time residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C. are invited to apply. Young Songwriter entrants (including co-writers/performers) must be born after January 11, 2010.
• Applicants must be available to perform their original song for a live audience in Bethesda,  Maryland on Friday, April 16, 2027.*Please see application to list an alternate performer if the songwriter is not also the singer.
• The names and addresses of all contributing writers must be included in the entry form. It is the responsibility of the entrant to divide any prizes with co-writers as appropriate. 
• A lyric sheet must be included.
• The Young Songwriter Winner will  be given local performance opportunities in the months following their award. Events and dates are forthcoming. The Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards requests that the winner is available for each performance opportunity.

Restrictions 

• Applicants must not have made more than $5,000 in publishing royalties in 2021 and 2022 combined. 
• Entrants can’t be employed as a staff writer for a publishing company, nor have been paid for such services by a publishing company. 
• All submissions must be original and the sole work of the writer(s) listed. Entries shall not infringe on any copyrights, trademarks, intellectual property rights or any other rights of a third party. Submissions that violate these terms will be immediately disqualified. Applicants shall hold Bethesda Urban Partnership and the Bethesda Arts and Entertainment District from and against claims inconsistent with these requirements. Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards shall not be held liable for any legal action that results from unlawful or restricted submissions. 
• All songwriters must be permanent, full-time residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C. 
• Songwriters must only appear on one application. Songwriters may not be listed on more than one submission, including as a co-writer.  

 Notifications 

Finalists will be notified approximately 4-6 weeks before the live performance in Bethesda, Maryland.  For more information about the Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards please visit www.bethesda.org.