NPR's 'Write Your Own Oscar Speech' Contest!

Time Life Pictures

Try your hand at crafting the next great Oscar speech. If we like it... if we really, really like it... we'll put it on the Web site

Sally Field stood up at the Oscar podium in 1985 and exclaimed "Right now, you like me!"

Sacheen Littlefeather told the Academy, "Marlon Brando has asked me to tell you, in a very long speech which I cannot share with you presently — because of time — that he cannot accept this very generous award."

Greer Garson had no qualms about time. After winning the Best Actress award for Mrs. Miniver in 1943, she delivered the longest Oscar acceptance speech ever: approximately seven minutes long, beginning at 1 a.m.

Surely, you can do better than that! Here's how.

What: NPR is now accepting entries for its first Oscar Speech contest. Write an acceptance speech for your favorite actor, actress, supporting actor or supporting actress nominated in 2007. The caveat: The speech must be written in character. That means writing Sacha Baron Cohen's speech As Borat would deliver it. Or Jennifer Hudson's speech, as Effie would sing it.

How to Enter: E-mail your 200-word entry to us.

Prizes: We'll record winners' speeches in a phone interview and post the best ones online. Up to three winners will receive copies of the box set of our musical CD series I Heard It on NPR. (But sadly, no Oscar.)

Deadline: Feb. 17, 2007, no later than 11:59 p.m. PST.

Judging: NPR's digital media staff will do the honors. Winners will be announced at npr.org by Feb. 23, 2007. Runners-up will be displayed online.

Questions? Comments? You can contact us via this form and we will do our best to respond quickly.

Sample Entry: Sacha Baron Cohen accepting the award for best actor, as Borat.

Jagshemash! Wa wa oi oi. I kiss all of you. Especially you. (Points to sister.) She is No. 3 prostitute in all of Kazakhstan? Only four people in Kazakhstan watch ceremony right now, and 18 stand on top of roof with foil taped to groin to get signal. But this is glorious day for people of Kazakhstan. Only two from my country does America honor in this respect — I, Borat, and the how-you-say audio engineer from the 1987 silent film "Kazakh Potassium Company Employee Training Guide Part Eleven."

Don't forget to include your name, e-mail address and telephone number with your entry!

Practical Rules for the Contest: The entry must be in character and in good taste. Be creative, but realize that we are public radio and therefore can only say certain things on air.

Very Serious Rules for the Contest: Only complete entries will be eligible for the contest. NPR is not responsible for improperly posted or incomplete entries. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. To participate, you must be at least 18 years of age or obtain the consent of a parent or guardian. All entries must include the writer's name, phone number and e-mail address. Employees of NPR and NPR member stations and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter.

Rules of Consent: Each contest participant understands that phone interviews with the winners will be recorded, will be posted online, and may be broadcast over the air. Each contestant consents to NPR's recording of such phone interview. Each contest participant further consents to the use of his or her name, entry, voice and phone interview, on the NPR Web site, over air, and in all media and manner, now or hereafter known, throughout the world, in perpetuity, without compensation