Toronto, ON - Speaker Slam®, North America's largest inspirational speaking competition, is proud to reveal its themes for the 2027 season. Entering its 11th year, Speaker Slam continues to champion storytellers, elevate new voices, and create life-changing opportunities for speakers at every stage of their journey.
The Journey to the Grand Slam
Four qualifier competitions will take place throughout the year, with 12 speakers at each event delivering powerful 5-minute speeches inspired by the theme of the night. These competitions give speakers the chance to win a prize package valued at up to $10,000, including $2,000 in cash. The top three speakers from each competition advance to the Grand Slam: Inspirational Speaking Finals in November.
The Speaker Slam Competition Themes for 2027
The Comeback - February 23rd, 2027
Season 11 opens with the return. The moment you got back up after everything told you to stay down. Maybe you rebuilt after losing everything, came back from a failure people were sure would define you, or found your way back from a place you never thought you'd leave. If you refused to let your lowest moment be the end of your story, this theme was made for you.
Perseverance - April 27th, 2027
Anyone can start. This theme honors the people who kept going when quitting would have been easier. Share the story of what it cost you to hold on, the quiet decisions to continue that nobody saw, and what was waiting on the other side of not stopping.
Fearless - June 22nd, 2027
Fear shows up for everyone. The question is what you do next. This theme invites stories of the moment you acted anyway, the leap you took or the truth you finally spoke, and who you became once fear stopped making your decisions.
The Awakening - September 14th, 2027
Some moments change everything you thought you knew. This theme explores the wake-up call, what shook you out of autopilot, what you finally saw clearly, and how answering it changed the direction of your life.
Wild Card Race: A Path Back to the Finals
Speaker Slam will choose two speakers who demonstrated strong speaking ability, meaningful growth, or significant impact following their competition.
Grand Slam: Inspirational Speaking Finals - November 20th, 2027
The top speakers from the year will gather at the Grand Slam on November 20th, 2027, held at the CBC Glenn Gould Studio. Fourteen finalists will return to compete for the title of Inspirational Speaker of the Year. The event includes the Grand Slam trophy, $5,000 in cash, and a prize package valued at up to $50,000.
About Speaker Slam®
Speaker Slam® is a Toronto-based speaker development agency and the home of North America's largest inspirational speaking competition. Since 2016, the organization has supported speakers, changemakers, and thought leaders in sharing their stories and building influential platforms.
For those interested in participating in the 2027 competitions, application details can be found at speakerslam.com/apply.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
Dan Shaikh | Team@SpeakerSlam.com | Co-Founder & Publicist for Speaker Slam®