Gabrielle Jaques, Associate Director of Publicity
The Huntington Education Department announces the top five students in the Massachusetts chapter of Poetry Out Loud, the national recitation contest run locally by The Huntington with Mass Cultural Council and nationwide by the National Endowment for the Arts. The 21st annual Massachusetts state finals were held at the Old South Meeting House on March 8, 2026, with 12 student finalists competing, representing high schools from across the state, with five emerging as the top finalists.
Nia Cao, a Junior from Dana Hall School, is the 2026 Poetry Out Loud Massachusetts State Champion and has won $200 and an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete at Nationals in Washington, DC April 27-29, 2026. Dana Hall School also will receive a $500 stipend to purchase poetry books for the school’s library. The Nationals will be livestreamed online.
The 2nd place poet is Jason Yang, a Junior from Lexington High School. The 3rd place poet is Marina Zaki, a Freshman from Franklin High School. Seniors Iris Zhao from Mystic Valley Regional Charter School and Mia Brillantes from The Newman School also placed in the state’s top five.
“Congratulations to all 12 of our incredible Poetry Out Loud Mass State Finalists,” said Huntington Director of Education Meg O’Brien. “Sunday’s event was incredibly strong, and every student brought their most moving recitations to the Old South Meeting House. Nia, Jason, Marina, Iris, and Mia are an exceptional top five, and we are thrilled to support Nia in DC when she represents the Massachusetts program.”
“Mass Cultural Council is proud of the longstanding tradition of Poetry Out Loud and is grateful for the leadership of our partners at The Huntington’s Education Department in making the 2026 contest a success,” said Mass Cultural Council Acting Executive Director David T. Slatery. “On behalf of the Agency and our governing Council, I want to congratulate all 12 of the State Finalists and wish our State Champion, Nia Cao, the best of luck as she represents Massachusetts at Nationals this spring.”
In addition to the twelve students’ competitive performances, the state finals also included remarks from Mass Cultural Council Acting Executive Director David T. Slatery, and performances by Boston Youth Poet Laureate and 2024 POL MA champion Ailin Sha, as well as educator and nationally celebrated poet Jamele Adams. KB Bickford emceed the event, and live music was provided by music duo Jean-Michelle.
Poetry Out Loud is a national recitation contest that celebrates the power of the spoken word and a mastery of public speaking skills while cultivating self-confidence and an appreciation of students’ literary heritage as they take poetry from the page to the stage. Poetry Out Loud has inspired hundreds of thousands of high school students to discover and appreciate both classic and contemporary poetry. Several students who have come up through The Huntington’s education program have gone on to rank in the top nine students in the national competition. Poetry Out Loud is in all 50 states as well as America Samoa, Guam, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“Poetry Out Loud helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage,” said the National Endowment for the Arts. “By encouraging students to study, memorize, and perform some of the most influential and timeless poems of the English language, you immerse them in powerful expression and provocative ideas.”
Regional semi-finals were held on February 7-14, 2026 in Boston, Cape Cod, Hopkinton, Newburyport, and Springfield. The state finals at Old South Church in Boston on March 8, 2026 determined the MA state champion who will go on to compete at the national level April 27-29, 2026. Massachusetts State Champions have been top-9 National Finalists in 2008, 2011, 2017, 2018, and 2019.