Twelve-year-old Blake Mackenzie and Bivor win 2026 Australian Poetry Slam titles

Blake Mackenzie of Newcastle and Alice Springs poet Bivor were named the 2026 Australian Poetry Slambassadors after the national final at the Sydney Opera House. The pair share a $20,000 prize package and will perform at festivals in Australia and abroad through 2027.

Why it matters: - The win sends two spoken-word performers onto festival stages in Australia and overseas through 2027. - The Australian Poetry Slam continues to surface voices from regional, remote and metro communities, with audience members choosing who represents them. - The competition also spotlights themes shaping public debate, including racism, inequality, AI, domestic violence and work.

What happened: - Twelve-year-old Blake Mackenzie from Newcastle and Alice Springs poet Bivor were crowned the 2026 Australian Poetry Slambassadors after the National Final at the Sydney Opera House. - Ten judges, selected randomly from the audience, scored the performances. - Blake earned 2026 Youth Champion after performing first-round poem I love my country and final-round piece Dear ChatGPT. - Bivor became 2026 Adult Champion after performing Ourselves and then Politics is doing you. - Blake and Bivor share a prize package worth $20,000.

The details: - Blake’s I love my country addressed racism and inequality in Australia. - Blake’s Dear ChatGPT examined how AI is replacing friendship and work, and whether people can trust it or want that future. - As Youth Champion, Blake will have opportunities to perform at festivals across Australia. - As Adult Champion, Bivor will represent Australia at international festivals in Ubud and Singapore. - Miles Merrill, CEO and Creative Director at Word Travels, said the annual slam tracks the pulse of the nation through topics ranging from domestic violence to a job interview at 7-11. - Merrill said people have shared their stories in more than 60 towns and cities, from Wallaby Creek in Far North Queensland to Hobart, Tennant Creek, Bunbury and Parramatta. - Merrill said the crowd chose two voices it wants representing Australia on the world stage. - Merrill said the theme, Poets Run This, asks more of national leaders by amplifying voices that often feel unheard and unrepresented. - The 2026 Australian Poetry Slam ran 65 heats in 60 towns and cities. - Finals were held in every state and territory before the top 16 spoken-word artists reached the Sydney Opera House stage. - Word Travels presented the 2026 season with support from local stages including Speakeasy in Dubbo, Spill in Launceston, Mackay Poetry Slam and Enough Said in Wollongong. - Word Travels worked alongside Red Dirt Poetry in the Northern Territory, Canberra Slam, Spoken Word SA and Perth Slam. - Word Travels also incubates Black Ink, a BIPOC literary arts organization in Brisbane, and tours regional workshops and story-sharing sessions to First Nations and new migrant communities. - The Australian Poetry Slam is in its 22nd year as a national performing writers program. - Audience members elect local Slambassadors to represent regional, remote and metro communities.

Between the lines: - The event is becoming more than a competition. It functions as a national talent pipeline and a platform for social commentary. - Blake’s win underscores how youth voices are being elevated alongside established adult performers. - The mention of a future Asia Pacific Poetry Slam suggests organizers may be considering broader regional expansion. - Ubud Poetry Slam Champion Kismet Krystle attended the final as a special guest, adding to that cross-border conversation.

What's next: - Blake and Bivor will take up publishing and performance opportunities through 2027. - Their itinerary includes the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival and the Singapore Writers Festival, among others. - Bivor follows 2025 Slambassador Arantza Garcia Ferrand, who performed at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival this year. - More information is available at Australian Poetry Slam and Word Travels.