The R.A. Butler Prize is an annual politics essay competition jointly organised by Trinity College Cambridge and the Cambridge University Department of Politics and International Studies, established in memory of former Master Lord Butler.
The official page marks the 2026 competition as closed. Its July 31, 2026 deadline, retained above, is historical. The rules on that page apply to 2026; they do not establish eligibility or dates for 2027. The previous catalog's free-entry claim could not be confirmed from the checked official pages, so no numeric fee is asserted.
For 2026, the published first prize was £600 and second prize £400, each split equally between the entrant and their school or college, with the school's share issued as book tokens. These amounts are not a confirmed award schedule for a later cycle.
Source checked November 4, 2026: official politics prize page and Trinity essay prizes overview. The next cycle's dates, requirements, fees, and awards remain unannounced in those sources.