Students interested in submitting artwork for the Poetry category must:

• Be a declared English major (undergraduate or graduate, including MFAs, MAs and PhDs), a declared Creative Writing minor, be currently enrolled in an English Department creative writing class or a current member of the Jiménez-Porter Writers’ House.
• Submit a single unpublished poem that responds to the theme as expressed in the above quote. The poem should not be longer than two pages.

Winners will be added to the Sadat Poetry for Justice and Peace Permanent Collection. The Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development and the University of Maryland will have the right to display and reproduce the poem, with credit given to the writer. The Writer shall also retain ownership and rights to use and reproduce the poem. Past competition-winners in the art prize have been awarded to Sadat Lecturers at UMD including Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, Jimmy Carter, Mary Robinson and others.

Students must use the 2027 Sadat Poetry Category Submission Form to submit their poems by February 15, 2027.

• Submissions may not include the student’s name within the document or in the document name; submissions with identifying information within the PDF will be disqualified.
• Poems in other languages are welcome if they are accompanied by an English translation.
• All submissions must be the student’s original work and previously unpublished.
• Materials should be submitted as a PDF.

Cash Prizes:
1st Place Prize of $1,500
2nd Place Prize of $750
Honorable mention: $250

Winners Showcase:
The top three finalists will be required to attend the Winners Showcase on April 19, 2027 from 5-8 PM at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. The artists and their pieces will be recognized at the event.

Students interested in submitting a short film for the Film category must:

• Be an undergraduate or graduate student who has affiliation with one of the academic programs or the recognized student clubs that focus on film and video production. Please see the list below for eligibility.
• Submit a short film that addresses this year’s competition theme.

The following affiliations are eligible to apply:

• Cinema and Media Studies program
• The Department of Communication
• The School of Journalism
• Immersive Media Design program
• The School of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies
• The Maryland Filmmakers Club
• Veritas Short Films

Winning films will be added to the Sadat Music for Justice and Peace Permanent Collection. The Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development and the University of Maryland will have the right to continue to utilize the films, with credit given to the students. The films will be featured on the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development and the Arts for All websites.  The filmmakers shall retain ownership and rights to use and reproduce their films. Filmmakers will be asked to acknowledge the Sadat Music for Justice and Peace Prize in future viewings and publications.

Because students will need to submit their film to a secure server for the judging committee to review, the film category requires a two-step submission process:

• Step 1: Students must submit the Sadat 2027 Film Category Submission Form by February 15, 2027
• Step 2: Once students complete the submission form, staff will reach out within 24 hours with additional instructions for uploading your film in digital form to a secure server and submitting a film release form.

Materials must be submitted as either an .mp4 or .mov. Films must be approximately 3 minutes in length and will be judged according to how they address, evoke, or otherwise engage with the competition theme. All forms of film—fiction, documentary, animation, experimental—are be eligible for submission

Cash Prizes: 
1st Place Prize of $1,500
2nd Place Prize of $750
Honorable mention: $250

Winners Showcase
The top 3 filmmakers will be required to attend the Winners Showcase on April 19, 2027 from 5-8 PM at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. The short films will be screened at the event and the filmmakers will be recognized.

Students interested in submitting a composition for the Music Composition category must:

• Be an undergraduate or graduate student currently enrolled in a degree program in the UMD School of Music
• Submit a complete original score written for 2-6 musicians that addresses this year’s theme.
• Consult with a professor or private teacher on the composition.

Recordings of the winners will be added to the Sadat Music for Justice and Peace Permanent Collection. The Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development and the University of Maryland will have the right to continue to utilize the recordings, with credit given to the students. Recordings will be featured on the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development and Arts for All websites.  For the composition category, the composer shall retain ownership and rights to use and reproduce the composition and recording.  Composers are asked to acknowledge the Sadat Music for Justice and Peace Prize in future performances and publications.

Students must use the 2027 Sadat Music Composition Category Submission Form to submit their piece by February 15, 2027. This application has three main components:

• A complete original score written for 2-6 musicians that address this year’s theme.
• A MIDI or acoustic recording no more than 8 minutes long (ideally about 3-5 minutes in length). Recordings must be submitted as an .mp3 file.
• A statement (one page maximum, double spaced) describing how the composition addresses the year’s given theme. This statement must be submitted as a PDF.

Cash Prizes:
1st Place Prize of $1,500
2nd Place Prize of $750
Honorable Mention: $250

Winners Showcase
The top two finalists will be required to perform their compositions live and attend the Winners Showcase on April 19, 2027 from 5-8 PM at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. The artists and their pieces will be recognized at the event.

Students interested in submitting a composition for the Chamber Music category must:

• Be an undergraduate or graduate student currently enrolled in a degree program in the UMD School of Music.
• Submit a performance of an existing composition written for 2-6 musicians that addresses the year’s given theme.
• Consult with a studio teacher or chamber music coach on the recorded submission.

Recordings of the winners will be added to the Sadat Music for Justice and Peace Permanent Collection. The Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development and the University of Maryland will have the right to continue to utilize the recordings, with credit given to the students. Recordings will be featured on the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development and Arts for All websites.  For the composition category, the composer shall retain ownership and rights to use and reproduce the composition and recording.  Composers are asked to acknowledge the Sadat Music for Justice and Peace Prize in future performances and publications.

Students must use the 2027 Sadat Chamber Music Performance Category Submission Form to submit their piece by February 15, 2027. This application has three main components:

• The score for an existing piece written for 2-6 musicians that address this year’s theme.
• A MIDI or acoustic recording no more than 8 minutes long (ideally about 3-5 minutes in length). Recordings must be submitted as an .mp3 file.
• A statement (one page maximum, double spaced) describing how this submission addresses the year’s given theme. This statement must be submitted as a PDF.

Cash Prizes:
1st Place Prize of $1,500
2nd Place Prize of $750
Honorable mention: $250

Winners Showcase:
The top two ensembles will be required to perform their selected work at the Winners Showcase on April 19, 2027 from 5-8 PM at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. The artists and their pieces will be recognized at the event.