CINCINNATI, May 8, 2024 – The 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee brings a field of 245 competitors – the largest since 2019 – to National Harbor, Maryland, from May 28-30, including six former finalists and three four-time national participants.
The national qualifiers advanced through local and regional bees that took place through early April. All rounds of this year’s national competition – preliminaries, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals – will take place at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2024 SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE FIELD
The spellers range in ages from 8 to 15. Only 57 spellers return from the 2023 field, while 65 spellers have previously competed. More than 73 percent – 180 spellers – are competing in their first Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Four 2023 finalists advanced to the 2024 national competition: Sarah Fernandes, tied for 10th; Aryan Khedkar, tied for fifth; Tarini Nandakumar, finished ninth; and Shradha Rachamreddy, tied for third. Aliyah Alpert and Kirsten Santos were finalists in 2022.
Logan Edwards, Tarini Nandakumar and Shradha Rachamreddy will be competing in their fourth Scripps National Spelling Bees. Edwards and Nandakumar have been to four in a row. Sixteen spellers are in their third Bee, and 13 are making their third consecutive appearance.
There are spellers from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Texas has the largest representation with 20 national competitors. California and Ohio are next with 17 each, followed by Florida, Illinois and New York with 13 each.
There are 12 competitors from outside the 50 United States, representing The Bahamas, Canada, Germany, Ghana, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
HERE IS THE 2024 SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE MEDIA GUIDE
“Each year, I’m moved by the stories I read about our spellers in the leadup to the national rounds of the competition,” Scripps National Spelling Bee Executive Director Corrie Loeffler said. “They are athletes and artists, engineers and entrepreneurs, philanthropists and authors – they are multi-faceted young people. The thing they have in common is a shared love of language and the empowerment that comes from having the words to make connections and express their ideas. That is our mission at the Bee, and I can’t wait to see this year’s group of spellers bring it to life as they impress audiences across the world with their incredible prowess and authenticity.”
THE BEE ON SCRIPPS NETWORKS
The Bee will again air on ION this year after a strong first two years on Scripps’ national network. In 2023, the semifinals and finals drew 9.2 million viewers, an increase of 22% over its 2022 debut on ION. The 2023 finals (live and immediate encore) on June 1 reached its largest audience since 2012 – 6.1 million viewers, an increase of 30% over 2022.
The 2024 broadcast/livestream of onstage competition follows this schedule (all times Eastern and end times approximate):
The preliminaries will be streamed on ION Plus, Bounce XL, Grit Xtra, Laff More and spellingbee.com from 8 a.m. to 7:40 p.m. on Tuesday, May 28.
The quarterfinals will be streamed on ION Plus, Bounce XL, Grit Xtra, Laff More and spellingbee.com from 8 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday, May 29.
The semifinals will be streamed on ION Plus, Bounce XL, Grit Xtra, Laff More and spellingbee.com from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 30. A special semifinals broadcast will air later that evening from 8-10 p.m. on ION and Scripps News, as well as Bounce, Grit, ION Mystery, Laff and Defy TV.
The finals will air live in primetime on ION from 8-10 p.m. on Thursday, May 30.
In addition to ION, the finals will also air on Scripps’ other popular national entertainment networks, Bounce, Grit, ION Mystery, Laff and Defy TV, as well as its free, ad-supported streaming channels ION Plus, Bounce XL, Grit Xtra and Laff More. A rebroadcast of the finals will be available on Scripps News on May 31 from 10 p.m. to midnight and again June 1 from midnight to 2 a.m. The Scripps Networks can be found free over-the-air as well as on cable, satellite and streaming platforms.
The 2024 Bee also will celebrate three special recognitions:
2024 Educator of the Year, presented by SugarBee® Apple: Dr. Alexander Carr, teacher at Orlando Gifted Academy in Florida. Once a competitive speller himself, Carr started the school’s first spelling bee program and serves as its coordinator.
2024 Regional Partner of the Year: Sage, a global academic publisher of books, journals and
library resources. Since Sage became the regional partner for the Ventura County Spelling Bee in 2017, its team has worked to customize the spelling bee experience for every participant, from developing new resources to congratulating each school champion with special welcome boxes.
2024 Regional Volunteer of the Year: Craig Pearson, volunteer pronouncer for the WFCU Credit Union Regional Spelling Bee in Windsor, Ontario. Pearson is the managing editor of the Windsor Star and has pronounced at the regional bee for the past 19 years.
ABOUT THE SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE
The Scripps National Spelling Bee is the nation’s largest and longest-running educational program, having launched in 1925. By inspiring the exploration of words, the Scripps National Spelling Bee illuminates pathways to lifelong curiosity, celebrates academic achievement and enriches communities.
Visit spellingbee.com for more information about the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which is administered on a not-for-profit basis by The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP).
ABOUT SCRIPPS
The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) is a diversified media company focused on creating a better-informed world. As one of the nation’s largest local TV broadcasters, Scripps serves communities with quality, objective local journalism and operates a portfolio of more than 60 stations in 40+ markets. Scripps reaches households across the U.S. with national news outlets Scripps News and Court TV and popular entertainment brands ION, Bounce, Defy TV, Grit, ION Mystery and Laff. Scripps is the nation’s largest holder of broadcast spectrum. Scripps is the longtime steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps’ long-time motto is: “Give light and the people will find their own way.”
