Following three rounds of virtual competition, the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals will take place in-person early next month. Today, Scripps has announced the 11 finalists who will be competing for the champion title.
What’s Happening:
- As previously announced the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals will take place on July 8th at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort.
- Today, Scripps and Disney announced the names of this year’s 11 finalists who will be competing for the champion title.
- The final rounds of this year’s Bee will be broadcast live in prime time on ESPN2 at 8 pm ET.
- On their path to the Finals, the 2021 Finalists advanced successfully through three levels of virtual competition this year:
- Preliminaries on June 12th
- Quarterfinals on June 15th
- Semifinals on June 27th
- During the in-person Finals on July 8, the Bee will have the option of activating a spell-off if needed.
- The spell-off would be activated in the closing minutes of the competition if a champion has not yet been declared in a traditional, one-person, one-word round.
The 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finalists:
- Roy Seligman, 12, from Nassau, The Bahamas. Sponsored by The Ministry of Education.
- Bhavana Madini, 13, from New York. Sponsored by NYC Regional Spelling Bee.
- Sreethan Gajula, 14, from Charlotte, North Carolina. Sponsored by the Carolina Panthers.
Roy Seligman
Bhavana Madini
Sreethan Gajula
- Ashrita Gandhari, 14, from Leesburg, Virginia. Sponsored by Loudoun County Public Schools.
- Avani Joshi, 13, from Loves Park, Illinois. Sponsored by Boone-Winnebago Regional Office of Education.
- Zaila Avant-garde, 14, from New Orleans. Sponsored by New Orleans Chapter of The Links.
Ashrita Gandhari
Avani Joshi
Zaila Avant-garde
- Vivinsha Veduru, 10, from Fort Worth, Texas. Sponsored by Texas Christian University.
- Dhroov Bharatia, 12, from Dallas. Sponsored by Dallas Sports Commission.
- Vihaan Sibal, 12, from Waco, Texas. Sponsored by Rapoport Holdings, LLC.
Vivinsha Veduru
Dhroov Bharatia
Vihaan Sibal
- Akshainie Kamma, 13, from Austin, Texas. Sponsored by West Austin Chamber of Commerce.
- Chaitra Thummala, 12, from San Francisco. Sponsored by Bay Area Regional Spelling Bee.
Akshainie Kamma
Chaitra Thummala
The 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion will receive:
- $50,000 cash prize
- Commemorative medal and the Scripps Cup, the official championship trophy of the Scripps National Spelling Bee
- $2,500 cash prize and reference library from the Bee’s dictionary partner Merriam-Webster
- $400 of reference works, including a 1768 Encyclopædia Britannica Replica Set and a three-year membership to Britannica Online Premium
What They’re Saying:
- Dr. J. Michael Durnil, executive director of the Bee: “We are honored to introduce our 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finalists. Round after round, this group of spellers proved their mettle, and we look forward to seeing them show off their knowledge and hard work as they square off against the dictionary on the national stage. Congratulations to all of this year’s 209 national qualifiers – they’ve persevered over a year that has been challenging in many ways, and our team is proud to have witnessed their journey.”
Did You Know?:
- For the first time, the Bee is inviting audiences to view special events including the upcoming pre-show for the Finals on Thursday, July 8, at 7:30 pm, and the awards ceremony on Sunday, July 11, at 3 pm.
- Audiences can access these livestreams, as well as past virtual events such as the opening ceremony and a presentation from the Bee’s dictionary partner Merriam-Webster, on Facebook and YouTube.
- For more information please visit Spellingbee.com.
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