There are prizes for novels, poetry, short stories, essays, works of nonfiction, translations and more. Some of these contests have age and regional restrictions, so be sure to check submission guidelines before submitting.
Many contests are offered annually, so if you miss your ideal contest this year, you can always enter next year. For a month-by-month list of free contests see: Writing Contests. (You can also get a jump on next month's contests by checking that page periodically.)
Click here to read the list of free writing contests.