Made possible by a grant from past Haiku Society of America president Virginia Brady Young, the Gerald M. Brady Award for best unpublished senryu was inaugurated in 1988 in hopes of stimulating interest in this genre. The annual contest is open to to all poets, who may submit up to five senryu at a time. Judges selected by the HSA Contest Coordinator award cash prizes for three top-ranked senryu and designate a number of honorable mentions.