Submissions for the 53rd Annual National Shrimp Festival poster contest are now being accepted until March 27.

The winning artist will be announced on April 17 and will receive a one-time payment of $1,000. Submissions must be delivered in person or via mail to the Coastal Alabama Business Chamber at 3150 Gulf Shores Parkway in Gulf Shores.

The contest is open to all ages, however, if the winning artist is under the age of 18, a parent's signature is required before the prize money can be received.

The winning artwork will be used in 2026 Shrimp Fest merchandise, and the artist will be required to attend the Saturday, Oct. 10, festival day to sign posters and souvenirs for festival attendees.

Artists should capture the elements of the festival by including the festival year, location, official name and themes such as art, food and music. Artwork must be 18 by 24 inches and should be completed on poster board, paper, canvas or another medium that can be scanned and reproduced.

Steve Jones, VP of special events and community relations for the Coastal Alabama Business Chamber, said nothing was added to the rules specifying the artwork has to be an original creation.

"But internally we've added a step to submit all entries to ChatGPT to determine whether there is any evidence of 'borrowing' too heavily from existing work," Jones said.

Last year's initial winning poster was withdrawn after it was found to be "similar in design to a poster from an event in another state in 2024."

For a full list of contest rules, visit www.myshrimpfest.com/poster.

This year's festival will be held Oct. 8-11 at the intersection of Hwy. 59 and East/West Beach Boulevard. Vendor applications are set to open Feb. 1, closing April 24, and entertainment submissions close Feb. 28. Volunteer applications will be accepted until the festival open date; volunteers receive a two drink tickets and a t-shirt featuring the winning poster. There is no entry cost for Shrimp Fest.