Best skill contests with big prizes

This competition is highly regarded in the publishing industry, offering not only cash prizes but also significant credibility and publication opportunities for professional writers across various genres. Its annual cycle ensures it remains a relevant opportunity for aspiring and established authors.

Focused on speculative fiction, this contest offers substantial long-term industry value for genre writers, providing a pathway to professional recognition and career development. Its consistent presence and focus on new talent make it a key opportunity.

As one of the largest poetry prizes globally, offering €11,000 for a single unpublished poem, it provides a significant financial reward and international recognition. Its open nature to poets aged 16 and over makes it accessible to a wide range of talent.

This contest stands out for its $5,000 total prize pool and, notably, no entry fee, making it highly accessible for writers. Winners also receive publication and professional illustration, adding significant value beyond the cash prize.

These awards provide substantial project grants ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 to individual artists across various disciplines. They specifically support new, experimental, and bold works, making them crucial for innovative artists seeking significant funding.

This prize offers a substantial $1,500 top prize for a short story, along with valuable professional feedback from a literary agent and a year-long Reedsy Learning membership. It's an excellent opportunity for writers to gain recognition and professional development.

With a large $30,000 prize pool distributed among multiple genre winners and runners-up, this short story contest offers numerous chances to win. It provides significant financial incentives and recognition for short fiction writers.

This prestigious national coding challenge by Google offers a total prize pool of INR 6,00,000, Pixel devices, and invitations to Google's office. It's an unparalleled opportunity for engineering students to showcase their algorithmic prowess and gain recognition from a tech giant.

As the pinnacle of competitive robotics for students, this championship offers a chance to be crowned world champions and develop advanced STEM skills. It brings together top teams globally, making it a highly competitive and rewarding experience.

This social entrepreneurship competition offers a life-changing $1,000,000 USD in seed money to the winning startup. It's one of the largest and most impactful student competitions globally, empowering young entrepreneurs to solve pressing social issues.

Recognized as one of the most prestigious STEM competitions for high school students, it offers a substantial $250,000 scholarship to the top student. This competition provides significant recognition and financial support for groundbreaking scientific research by young innovators.

This competition provides a valuable platform for entrepreneurial high school and college students to pitch innovative business ideas to experts, with prize money available. It's an excellent opportunity for young entrepreneurs to gain feedback, recognition, and potential funding.