Individual World Poetry Slam
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The Individual World Poetry Slam (iWPS) is a yearly
poetry slam A poetry slam is a competitive art event in which poets perform spoken word poetry before a live audience and a panel of judges. While formats can vary, slams are often loud and lively, with audience participation, cheering and dramatic delivery. ...
tournament put on by Poetry Slam, Inc. that pits individual slam poets from around the world against one another.


History

From 1990 to 2007, the National Poetry Slam held an "individual" poetry competition (known as "indies") simultaneously with the team competition, with the poets earning the highest ranking individual poems during the first two days of competition moving on the semifinal and final rounds. The first ever winner of this event was Patricia Smith, who would go on to win the Individual National Poetry Slam Championship title a record four times.Poetry Slam, Inc. Website: Past NPS Winners page
/ref> Starting in 2004, Poetry Slam Inc (PSI) decided to host a separate event called the Individual World Poetry Slam (iWPS), in which solo poets (not teams of poets) competed for the championship title.Poetry Slam, Inc. Website: iWPS page
/ref> The first iWPS was held in Greenville, SC under the direction of Kimberly Simms and the first iWPS champion was
Buddy Wakefield Kenneth Zane Beasley III (born June 4, 1974), known as Buddy Wakefield, is an American spoken word artist, a three-time poetry slam world champion, and the most toured performance poet in history. His works have been released by Strange Famous Re ...
. Because of the popularity of iWPS and to avoid the confusion of two "individual" poetry slam titles being awarded ever year, Poetry Slam Inc. decided to cancel the "indie" competition at the National Poetry Slam.Poetry Slam, Inc. Website: NPS FAQ page
/ref> In 2016, the competition was held in Flagstaff, Arizona. When PSI dissolved, the name was taken by the Dallas Poetry Slam who continues to organize the event.


Format

The tournament has two days of preliminary rounds, in which poets compete in 1, 2, 3, and 4 minute bouts. After these 4 bouts are completed, the poet's rankings in each bout are added up and the top 12 poets of the tournament are invited to compete in the final round. A 3 minute time limit is applied to the poems in the final round.


Tournament results by year

{, class="wikitable" , - ! Year !! Winner !! Runners Up !! Number of Competitors !! Host City , - , 2019 , Jay Ward, Akeem Olaj, Breeze (Tie) , (4) Meccamorphosis
(5) Anita D
(6) TIE - Xach Blunt & RJ Wright
(8) TIE - Yaw Kyeremateng & Doctor TJ
(10) Hakeem Furious
(11) Cocoa Flo
(12) TIE - Kimberly Arrington & Bluz
(14) Jael Benjamin , 74 , San Diego, CA , - , 2018 , Mic Ting , (2) Natasha Hooper
(3) Koi aka Coy
(4) David G
(5) Wayne Henry
(6) Jay Ward
(7) Yaw Kyeremateng
(8) Curtis Davis
(9) Melania Luisa
(10) TIE - Shasparay Lighteard & Breeze
(12) Rio Chanae
(13) Ryan J , 84 , San Diego, CA , - , 2017 , Arvind Nandakumar , (2) Anthony McPherson
(3) Kenneth Something
(4) Rudy Francisco
(5) Kofi Dadzie
(6) RJ Walker
(7) Damien McClendon
(8) Asia Bryant-Wilkerson
(9) Christopher Michael
(10) Steven Willis
(11) Yaw Kyeremateng
(12) Michael Harriot
(13) Jahman Hill
(14) Ed Mabrey , 90 , Spokane, WA , - , 2016 , Ed Mabrey , (2) Rage Almighty
(3) Patrick Roche
(4) Joaquin Zihuatanejo
(5) Ebo Barton
(6) Akeem Olaj
(7) Johnny Osi
(8) FreeQuency
(9) Jozer
(10) TIE - Toaster & Ashlee Haze
(12) Emtithal Mahmoud
(13) Christopher Michael
(14) Steven Willis , 96 , Flagstaff, AZ , - , 2015 , , Emtithal Mahmoud , , (2) Rasheed Copeland
(3) TIE - FreeQuency & Christopher Michael
(5) TIE - Rudy Francisco & Imani Cezanne
(7) TIE - Porsha O &
Javon Johnson Javon Johnson is an American spoken word poet, writer, and professor. He is the director of African American and African Diaspora Studies in the Department of Interdisciplinary, Gender, and Ethnic Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, an ...

(9) TIE- Crystal Valentine & TaneshaNicole
(10) Steven Willis
(11) Paul Tran
(12) D.E.E.P. , , 96 , , Washington, DC , - , 2014 , , Porsha O , , (2) Danez Smith
(3) Desiree Dallagiacomo
(4)
Hanif Abdurraqib Hanif Abdurraqib (born August 25, 1983) is an American poet, essayist, and cultural critic. He is the author of 2016 poetry collection ''The Crown Ain't Worth Much'' (published as Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib), the 2017 essay collection ''They Can't ...

(5) Will Evans
(6) TIE - Damien Flores & Hieu Nguyen
(8) Ed Mabrey
(9) Joaquin Zihuatanejo
(10) Twain
(11) Imani Cezanne
(12) Leo Bryant , , 72 , , Phoenix, AZ , - , 2013 , , Ed Mabrey & Chancelier "Xero" Skidmore (Tie) , , (3) Aaron Samuels
(4) Jozer
(5) Rudy Francisco
(6) Dominique Ashaheed
(7) Carrie Rudzinski
(8) Joaquin Zihuatanejo
(9) TIE - Outspoken Bean &
Denice Frohman Denice Frohman is a poet, writer, performer and educator, whose work explores the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality. Frohman uses her experience as a queer woman from a multi-cultural ( Puerto Rican and Jewish) background in her w ...

(11) Doc Luben
(12) Antwaun "Twain" Davis , , 70 , , Spokane, WA , - , 2012 , , Ed Mabrey , , (2) Thuli Zuma
(3) Melissa May
(4) Seth Walker
(5) Clint Smith
(6) 6 is 9
(7) Franny Choi
(8) Brian "Omni" Dillon
(9) TIE - Lauren Zuniga & George "G" Yamazawa, Jr.
(11) Cameron Awkward-Rich
(12) Lisa Slater , , 67 , , Fayetteville, AR , - , 2011 , , Chris August , , (2) Jesse Parent
(3) Kait Rokowski
(4) TIE - Tatyana Brown & Brian "Omni" Dillon
(6) Danez Smith
(7) Alvin Lau
(8) Ed Mabrey
(9) Michael Lee
(10) TIE - Suzi Q Smith & Joanna Hoffman
(12) Storm Thomas
(13) Robyn Bateman

*There were 13 finalists instead of 12 due to a tie at the 12th qualifying rank , , 78 , , Cleveland, OH , - , 2010 , , Rudy Francisco , , (2) Jesse Parent
(3) Chancelier "Xero" Skidmore
(4) C. P. Maze
(5) George "G" Yamazawa, Jr.
(6) Thomas "Tre G" Gilbert
(7) Tara Hardy
(8) Alvin Lau
(9) Gary Johnson
(10) Zak "Kane" Corsi
(11) Sasha Langford
(12) Houston Hughes , , 72 , , Charlotte, NC , - , 2009 , , Amy Everhart , , (2) Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo
(3) Rudy Francisco
(4) 6 is 9
(5) Theo Wilson
(6) The Original Woman
(7) Tara Hardy
(8) Ed Mabrey
(9) Sierra DeMulder
(10) Kim Johnson
(11) William Evans
(12) Alvin Lau , , 96 , , Berkeley, CA , - , 2008 , , Joaquin Zihuatanejo , , (2) Jason McBeth
(3) 6 is 9
(4) Buddy Wakefield
(5) Joshua Bennet
(6) Andrew Tyree
(7) Lizz Straight
(8) Tara Hardy
(9) Colin Gilbert
(10)
Bobby LeFebre Bobby LeFebre (born 1982) is a poet, performer, and cultural worker. He is the current poet laureate for the state of Colorado. He is the state's youngest and first poet laureate of color. Biography LeFebre is a native of Denver and attended Nor ...

(11) Queen Sheba
(12) The Original Woman , , 70 , , Charlotte, NC , - , 2007 , , Ed Mabrey , , (2) Anis Mojgani
(3) Andrea Gibson
(4)
Jamie DeWolf Jamie DeWolf (born October 28, 1977) is an American Poetry slam, slam poet, film director, writer, spoken word artist, and circus ringmaster from Oakland, California. DeWolf is best known for his early career as a slam poetry champion, his award ...

(5) Dan Leaman
(6) Sonya Renee
(7) Jared Paul
(8) Ryler Dustin
(9) Nicole Homer
(10) Buddy Wakefield
(11) J. W. "Baz" Basilo
(12) Da'shade Moonbeam, , 72 , , Vancouver, BC , - , 2006 , ,
Mighty Mike McGee Michael Matthew McGee (born January 12, 1976), more commonly known as Mighty Mike McGee, is an American slam poet. Biography McGee is the oldest of eight children from several marriages. He has spent most of his life in and around San Jo ...
, , (2) Joaquin Zihuatenejo
(3) Andrea Gibson
(4) Jared Paul
(5) Da Minista
(6) Versiz
(7) Sonya Renee
(8) Stephanie Williams
(9) Krissi Reeves
(10) Rachel McKibbens
(11) Basik Knowledge
(12) Q , , 71 , , Charlotte, NC , - , 2005 , ,
Buddy Wakefield Kenneth Zane Beasley III (born June 4, 1974), known as Buddy Wakefield, is an American spoken word artist, a three-time poetry slam world champion, and the most toured performance poet in history. His works have been released by Strange Famous Re ...
, , (2) Versiz
(3) Maze Forever
(4) Roger Bonair-Agard
(5) Joaquin Zihuatanejo
(6) Black Butta Fly (Mekkah)
(7) Chris August
(8) Bluz
(9) Future
(10) Da Minista
(11) MAD
(12) Ansel Appleton , , 60 , , Worcester, MA , - , 2004 , , Buddy Wakefield , , (2) TIE - Celena Glenn & Ed Mabrey
(4) Rachel McKibbens
(5) Paradox
(6) Alvin Lau
(7) ?
(8) Marcell Murphy
(9) Beth Bullmer{{cite web, title=Beth Bullmer, url=http://www.kzooslam.net/poets/bullmer.htm
(Other finalists: Ali Langston, Thee Black Falcon, Jonathan Brown, Xodus), , 60 , , Greenville, SC


See also

* List of performance poets *
National Poetry Slam The National Poetry Slam (NPS) is a performance poetry competition where teams from across the United States, Canada, and, occasionally, Europe and Australia, participate in a large-scale poetry slam. The event occurs in early August every year an ...
* Oral poetry * Performance poetry *
Poetry Slam A poetry slam is a competitive art event in which poets perform spoken word poetry before a live audience and a panel of judges. While formats can vary, slams are often loud and lively, with audience participation, cheering and dramatic delivery. ...
* Poetry Slam, Inc. *
Spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...
*
Women of the World Poetry Slam The Women of the World Poetry Slam (WoWPS) is an annual poetry slam put on by Poetry Slam, Inc. The tournament features individual slam poets from around the world that "live their lives as women" competing to be the highest ranked woman poet in th ...


References


External links


Official Poetry Slam Incorporated Homepage
Poetry festivals in the United States Poetry slams