Ghana has achieved a historic milestone in the global spoken word arena as Ghanaian poet King Yaw emerged winner of the 2025 World Poetry Slam Championship, held from May 30 to June 1 in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
King Yaw, who had previously secured second place at Ehalakasa’s National Slam, triumphed over competitors from 30 countries, solidifying Ghana’s growing influence in international slam poetry.
His participation was made possible by Ehalakasa, Ghana’s leading spoken word and slam poetry movement, which has played a pivotal role in nurturing the genre locally for over a decade. Co-founded by Yibor KOJO Yibor, also known as Sir Black, Ehalakasa has consistently represented Ghana on the world stage—from the country’s debut in Brussels (2022) to reaching the semi-finals in Brazil (2023) and a fifth-place finish in Togo (2024).
This year’s win marks Ghana’s most significant achievement yet in the championship, widely regarded as the “World Cup” of spoken word poetry. Organised by a Brussels-based NGO, the event unites poets, slammers, and spoken word enthusiasts from across the globe in a powerful celebration of storytelling and artistic expression.
Despite these global successes, Ehalakasa has largely self-financed Ghana’s participation and is now calling for support and strategic partnerships as preparations begin for the 2026 edition of the competition in South Africa.
King Yaw’s victory is not just a personal triumph—it’s a moment of pride for Ghana’s creative arts community and a testament to the country’s growing cultural footprint on the international stage.