The HearSay Audio Prize 2026 open for entries [CLOSES Thursday 12th MARCH]

• The Student/ Early Bird Deadline is  Friday 27th February  2026 at 4pm (IST/GMT)
• The FINAL Deadline is Thursday 12th March at Midnight (IST/GMT) 

Click here to Enter the HearSay Audio Prize 2026

As part of our rewilding of HearSay in 2026, we have

• focused the prize on creating new work - for this year we are nourishing a sense of fresh possibilities - Piece entered must have been created especially for the HearSay Audio Prize 2026 (previously there were streams for both pre-existing work and new works) 
• Simplified and radically reduced our Entry fees. 29 euro and 49 Euros (see below)
• special category awards that reflect the breath of creative potential that is unique to sound.

The only creative constraint is as always length. Your entry must be a self-contained audio piece between 2 - 7 minutes in duration. Entries can take any subject, any form and be in any language.

Each Prize Winner will win a return flight for one person from anywhere in the world to HearSay26 from May 7th-10th, An Immerse Multi-day Festival Pass to HearSay26 and a One Week Residency in a luxury mountain lodge including for the nights of the festival, and presentation of your entry at the HearSay Prize 2026 Awards Night 

Our previous winners have been veterans and novices, sound artists, film-makers and documentary makers, students and podcasters. They've come from all around the world: Argentina, Kenya, Israel, United States, Australia, Denmark, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Belgium and many more..

What we are looking for - What to Enter

We're looking for the most adventurous, freshest voices in audio from all genres and backgrounds, sound artists to documentary producers, filmmakers to radio dramatists, veterans and newcomers. We're looking for creative collaborations and singular voices.

We welcome entries from those who are starting out and students and also from experienced producers and artists. We've got special category awards which encourage people from different disciplines and different levels of experience to enter. We're driven by a commitment to sound and its ability to move, inspire, challenge and intrigue us.

Entries can take any form - documentary, sound art, audio fiction, location report, field recording,   sound poem etc. etc.

Entries in any language are welcome and we have a special award ("GanBearla" meaning without English) to recognise the best entry in a language other than English which can be also of course win the overall award (A Transcript or a video version with English translation is required. )

Remember duration is to be 2-7 minutes and SEVEN MINUTES IS THE MAXIMUM LENGTH and pieces of longer duration should not be entered

Award Categories 2026

The HearSay Audio Prize in 2026  invites entries of new work created especially for entry to the HearSay Prize

The openness of the criteria (all forms, any content) balanced with the constraint of time (maximum 7 minutes) provides the perfect challenge to flex your creative muscle.

Overall Awards

HearSay GOLD Award -  (Overall winner - for NEW audio work)

HearSay GANBEARLA Award  - for work in a Language other than English

HearSay RISING Award - Encouraging audio creativity for those in full time education and/or under 21yrs.

Special Category Awards 

Entries  are automatically considered for Special Category Awards. 

Special Category Awards honour the diversity of the creative audio world, and encourage makers to take a risk or try an approach or a form that they have always wanted to.

Special category awards are made based on the Jury’s discretion and are dependent on the entries received. Not all special categories are expected to be awarded.  

HearSay HEARD Award – Audio that foregrounds under-represented experiences, perspectives, and voices – whether quietly intimate, or beautifully boisterous!

HearSay FEARLESS  Award  – Fictional or Factual Audio that tears up the unwritten rule book on treatment, sound design, content, edit, or form to simply demand to be listened to on its own terms

HearSay HUMAN  Award - audio, fictional or true, that forges a connection with lived experience, with our beautiful and sometimes fragile humanity

HearSay ZEST Award – audio that is the lemon slice in a refreshing drink on a too hot day – playful, funny, joyful, or surprising.

HearSay PROVOKE Award – deeply personal, or punchy political, abstract or direct – audio that unearths thoughts that unsettle, enrage or engage

HearSay ART Award – Sound Art, Radio Art that is on the edge of our senses and understanding – audio that transports, transforms, evokes, immerses, transports.

Note - An entry may win in multiple categories. Where this is the case they do receive multitple prizes, its still only one flight to Ireland.

What not to enter? 

There’s very little NOT allowed EXCEPT

• AI Generated Material -  HearSay is about being deeply human. Yes we know there can be creativity in the use of AI but for the prize this year we focus on creative constraint and the connection within us of the material we gather. So no part of your entry can have been generated by AI. 
• Pre-existing work or recuts of existing work.  -  As this is a year of renewal for HearSay, we do not have a steam for pre-existing works this time around. 

It’s not a song contest so songs or straight up musical tracks are unlikely to succeed but the use of music or song is not excluded.

Field recordings, interviews, drama, scripts, stories, found sounds, original music, actuality - feel free to use every sound at your disposal -  make every moment count.

Entry Fees - Keeping HearSay Accessible

These last few years have wrought financial havoc upon many in our audio making community. To help as much as we can, this year we have simplified and radically reduced our Entry fees.

• Our Student entry fee is 29 Euro
• Our EarlyBird Fee is also 29 Euro
• Our Full Entry fee to 49 Euro

(1 Euro is approximately 0.87 Pounds Sterling,  1.2 US Dollars, 1.6 Canadian Dollars, 1.7 Australian Dollars, 8.2 Chinese Yuan, 24 Czech Koruna, and 1,725 Argentine Pesos)

IMPORTANT NOTE

To avail of the Student OR Early Bird Rate entries must be submitted by 4pm (IST/GMT) on Friday 27th February  2026.

After 4pm (IST/GMT) on Friday 27th February  2026 the Full Entry fee will apply to ALL entries.

The Final Deadline is 12pm (2400 hours - Midnight) on Thursday 12th March (GMT/IST)

Enter the HearSay Audio Prize 2026

FAQS

Do you accept entries that are in languages other than English?

Yes we do. We welcome entries in any language or indeed combination of languages.  

Since  2015, our GanBearla award has rewarded the best entries  in languages other then English. These entries  are also eligible for the overall and special categories. 

You may feel that it is important that judges have a complete understanding of the meaning of the language used. in your piece. If so then you have option to have a translation as an “Additional File ” to accompany your entry.    

It is RECOMMENDED to upload a Video file (Mp4/MOV) of the audio piece with sub-titles in English. Alternatively, you option of providing an English Language transcript document instead of a video File. This should be timecoded.

Is there a limit to the number of entries I can submit?

There is no limit to the number of entries that an individual or creative team can submit. Each separate entry must be submitted as a self contained entry (i.e not linked to other entries).  Each entry has its own entry fee payable.  

The HearSay Prize 2026  celebrates and encourages the spirit of experiment and adventure in audio.

How does judging work?

The entries for the HearSay Awards will be judged by a collection of award winning audio creators from a rich variety of audio disciplines, backgrounds, and from around the world. Overall Entries will be judged on their use of sound, innovation, how they engage or surprise the listener.

Creativity, writing, composition, and inventiveness may all play a part. The specific criteria for each specific award will also be applied. Given the range of formats, styles, and subject matter that are possible, the judges will be flexible and open in their application of the criteria and the selection of winners. All decisions are final.

When will we be notified? What if I've already booked a place at HearSay26 

Award winners will find out before the end of March to allow time to travel to HearSay26.

If you have already booked and paid for a place at HearSay, your registration fee will be reimbursed as will your travel costs.

Can my piece contain copyright material that is not my own or material which is under a Creative Commons licence agreement?

You should be the copyright owner of all material contained within the piece or have cleared all necessary rights for use.

The use of creative commons material is permitted where the Creative Commons licence allows it. All Creative Commons licenses require at least attribution, which means you must give credit to the original author. A Credits section on the entry form can be used for this purpose. Make sure you check the Creative Commons conditions as some sounds may be marked for example as “No-Derivatives” term which means that you can't create any work that is based on or incorporates the original work. 

Needless to say, the purpose of the HearSay Audio Prize is to create new audio work and celebrate existing audio work and all entries should be substantially and significantly your own.  

What rights do I grant HearSay?

The producer(s) of each audio piece submitted will be asked, when making their entry to grant HearSay with broadcast, internet and live playout rights to present entries in their complete form to inspire others. Full copyright in the piece will remain with the creator(s).

Can my piece have been broadcast/podcast/performed etc prior to entry elsewhere?

NO - In 2026, the focus of the prize is on new work created especially for the HearSay Audio Prize. Your piece should not have been broadcast, or otherwise been  publicly heard, nor should it be extracted from another longer piece or recut from an existing piece of work. It should not have been entered into other prizes or showcases. 

Can I collaborate with others to create my piece?

Definitely yes. The spirit of HearSay is about inspiring each other.

There is a section on the entry form for credits and here you can put in the names of the whole team and the award will be credited to team members. If you win, we will be in contact with you to go through this in more details. Where there is a travel element to the award such as a flight then it will be issued for one member of the team, but we will do our best to facilitate the whole team re accommodation and festival participation. Even if you win more than one award, only one flight will be allocated to you.

What is the software used to enter? 

We use Submittable as a submission portal.

You'll need to sign up for a free Submittable account and once you're logged in you'll be able to fill out our Entry Form, upload your audio (or video with translation) and if necessary your optional transcript

If you have any other questions drop us a line to contact@hearsayfestival.ie

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