The winners of the 2025 Jaki Shelton Green Performance Poetry Prize have been announced by contest judge El’Ja Bowens:
1st Place: “Facts” by Asma Abike
Abike is a poet and painter from Houston, TX, now based in Charlotte, NC. A first-generation Nigerian-American Muslim, her work explores the rich intersections and dualities of her identity, weaving together themes of heritage, faith, and belonging. Through both visual and literary art, she creates spaces for complex stories to breathe and be heard. Her dedication to her craft has earned her numerous accolades, including being named the inaugural Blackberry Peach National Poetry Champion and a Watering Hole Fellow.
2nd Place: “History Revealed” by Dionne D.Hunter
Second place went to established Charlotte poet Dionne D. Hunter for her poem “History Revealed.” Bowens was impressed by “the culmination of black history and using art and storytelling to connect to why these things need to stay relevant and revealed in a world trying to not acknowledge its contribution.” Hunter is a talented author, poet, and spoken word artist, and a veteran of the US Navy. Her military service, experiences as a mother and grandmother, and journey as a Black woman in America deeply enrich her artistic voice. Her poetry has been featured in several anthologies, while her spoken word performances and film series have been screened domestically and internationally. She was named the 2024 AMG Heritage Awards Spoken Word Artist of the Year.
3rd Place: JeanMarie Olivieri
Third place was awarded to JeanMarie Olivieri from Mebane, NC. “I like how the poem seems to be comedic, but the poem addresses a lot of issues dealing with financial stability, disability, and just trying to make it,” Bowens remarked. Olivieri is a retired business writer who now mostly writes poetry, saying she doesn’t have the attention span to write a novel. Her work has been published in Pinesong, other anthologies, and several online journals.
Honorable Mention: Marcial “CL” Harper. Honorable Mention went to Marcial “CL” Harper of Clayton for “Shadow Work.” Bowens calls it “a poem of a man and his vulnerability” and says he “loved the passion and the wordplay.” Harper, who performs under the name “CL Tha Artist” is a multifaceted poet, rapper, health coach, and business consultant. He took third place in the 2024 Green contest and has performed poetry at various events across the Southeastern US and Virgin Islands.