Watt’s thoughts: Is the text that says I won 2nd place in Amazon contest true?

Most likely the answer is no.  This would apply to anything else that you did not enter in a contest and texts have appeared from Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and others recently.
I received one of those texts today showed from a New York phone number and stated “Amazon: Congratulations Dwight, you came second in March’s Amazon EarPods raffle!  Click this link to set delivery” The link how a bunch of random looking numbers and letters.
This was phishing text.  It had several red flags in it, but also showed a little work to try to get me to take the bait. 

The thing they did to make it look real was they spelled Amazon correctly, and they put my name in it.  Obviously, they got a list of cell number and names and did a merger.
Several items stood out as red flags.  First was the link.  If I won an Amazon contest, then I would expect the URL to be to Amazon.  Second was the format of the email with it starting Amazon:  Looks like tried to do formal letter in a text format.  Third is the wording.  “you came in 2nd in” reads awkward.  However, they did change to 2nd instead of “won” to make more believable.
The other interesting was that the text came receipt requested as when I went to close (I did not click link in email) it requested permission to send a read receipt to sender to show I read.  I answered no and would recommend you do the same.
If you get a similar message just delete it.  If you think you may have really won go to the website (using a known URL, not a URL in the text, or look them up on the web) or call the company (again use a known phone number or look them up on the web) and check with them.