[5] During the first five years of the award, more than 170,000 manuscripts were submitted from Russia, many European countries, former members of the Soviet Bloc, the United States, Israel, Australia and Japan.
[6] In 2012, the Debut Prize winners toured the eastern USA[7][8][9] and participated in the Festival of Russian Arts in New York.
[12] Works could be nominated by the authors themselves, as well as by public organizations, mass media, and people involved with the literary process.
[14][15] Winners in all categories receive a Bird award and a publishing contract with the Pokolenie Foundation worth one million rubles.
Works of the winners and finalists of the Debut Prize are published annually in collections and individual books.