Rules

If you want to enter, please read the rules below carefully. Submissions that break the rules will be automatically disqualified without previous notice.

1. You can submit to any number of categories, but you can only submit one entry per category. Only submit the form once; duplicate answers will be removed.
2. All submitted works must be public (not private) and published (not draft). Do not set entries as private or draft while they are being judged or voted on.
3. If a world has previously won a "world" category (e.g. Most Beautiful World), it cannot be submitted to that category again. It can be submitted to other world categories.
4. Non-world entries (e.g. article, maps, etc) which have previously won any category cannot be submitted again.
5. Full world submissions will be judged based on five pages you submit: the world homepage and four pages of your choice, which can be articles, timelines, maps, or anything else. Make sure they paint a clear picture of what your world is about!
6. Entries to the Awards can only be submitted to one category. However, if you submitted to a world category, any of the pages that are part of the world submission can be submitted to one other category (for example, a supporting article to "Best World" can also be submitted to "Best Article").
7. Some categories have additional requirements; take a look at the list of categories above to see them (for example, the History Award category doesn't allow legacy timelines).
8. Do not edit your entries while they are being judged: entries that aren't nominated can be edited after March 20th. Do not edit any nominated submissions until the end of the judging phase on April 4th.
• For full world submissions, this rule applies to the world homepage and the four supporting pages you submitted, as well as the world's CSS theme. Updates to dynamic homepage widgets, like the table of contents and recent articles, are allowed.
9. All art must be clearly labelled with the artist's name, e.g. beneath the image, in the author's notes, footer, global footer, or a similarly visible location. You must have explicit permission from the original artist to use their work. If you are the artist, you must credit yourself.
10. World Anvil retains the right to arbitrate and/or change the rules where necessary to uphold the spirit and integrity of this event and the community. We will communicate changes as necessary.
11. As always, World Anvil claims no ownership over your original work.
12. Do not approach any of the judges about your submissions; this may result in full disqualification.
13. By taking part to this challenge, you agree to comport yourself with civility and kindness. The World Anvil Team reserves the right to disqualify users that break Etiquette from this and future events. If you have any complaints or concerns regarding another user, or about the challenge itself, please email us at [email protected].

Voting and Judging Process

The nominees for all categories will be chosen by the World Anvil Team; there will be 5 nominees per category. For major categories, external judges will choose a winner from among the nominees. For non-major categorie, the community will vote for a winner from among the nominees.

This is the full schedule of the event:

Pre-submission phase: Until January 1st, 2027

Read the rules on this page carefully and prepare your entries for submission.

Submission phase: January 2nd-February 28th

Submit your entries! During this period, a submission form will be shared on this page.

Nominee adjudication: March 1st - March 19th

The World Anvil Team reviews all submissions and chooses five nominees for each category. Do not edit your submissions during this phase, or they may be disqualified!

Nominee reveal: March 20th

Nominees are announced! Everyone except nominees can now edit their submission.

Winner adjudication: March 20th - April 4th

For non-major categories, the community votes for their winners from among the nominees. For major categories, external judges choose their winners.

Awards Ceremony: April 17th

At our online Awards Ceremony, we'll announce all the winners, with acceptance speeches by winners and and appearances by some of our external judges.

Prizes

The following digital prizes will be awarded:

• Participation badge: awarded to all submitters.
• Nominee rosette: for shortlisted works.
• Winner rosette: for the winner of each category.

Additionally, winners will also get:

• A physical trophy (design will be revealed at a later date).
• A spot in the Worldbuilding Awards showcase page.
• Priority when choosing World Anvil content to feature in blog posts, videos, and more.

Please note that some of these prizes require significant time to prepare, so delivery might take some time!

Can I submit NSFW content?

NSFW entries will not be eligible for these Awards. This includes sexual themes or erotica, and depictions of extreme violence or gore.

Can I submit content in other languages?

You can submit content in any language. Note that non-English content will be judged based on machine translation tools like Google Translate, which may not properly convey the tone of your writing.

How do I submit an entry?

Use the form that will be posted here when the event starts in January 2nd, 2027, and only submit your entries once; duplicates will be removed. Entries must be submitted with their view link. Read the rules and the submission form carefully to ensure your submissions are valid.

Where can I check if I've won or been nominated in previous years?

The Worldbuilding Awards Showcase has the list of all winners, and you can find all nominees here.

How are my creator rights affected by these Awards?

By entering the Worldbuilding Awards, you allow World Anvil to use your content for promotional purposes. However, your creator rights are in no way affected by this and you can revoke this permission at any time with reasonable notice. Check our copyright page for more information about how we handle copyright on World Anvil.

Why can't past winners (or nominees) submit the same entries again?

We started the Worldbuilding Awards to celebrate the amazing creativity of our community. This restriction is intended to make sure that more people have a chance of winning. Of course, past winners can still submit content that hasn't been previously nominated and, for major categories, you can even re-submit past nominations! (see rules 3 and 4).

What's different from last year?

If you took part last year, here are the main changes we've made to the Awards:

• We have a new major category: Best Flash Fiction.
• Minimum interactive requirements for chronicles, timelines, and maps have been removed. Making good use of interactive features (like pins, layers, etc.) is still strongly recommended.
• You can now submit worlds that have previously won the Awards, as long as you submit them to a different category than the one they previously won.