World Literary Awards

Literary Awards

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580 literary awards

Lambda Literary Awards

Established
1989
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Lambda Literary Foundation
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around November
Announcement Period
around June
AnthologyBisexual LiteratureChildren's or Young AdultDramaGay FictionGay Memoir or BiographyGay PoetryGay RomanceJeanne Córdova PrizeJim Duggins Outstanding Mid-Career Novelists' PrizeJudith A. Markowitz AwardLesbian FictionLesbian Memoir or BiographyLesbian PoetryLesbian RomanceLGBTQ+ ComicsLGBTQ+ Romance & EroticaLGBTQ+ StudiesNonfictionPublishing Professional AwardRandall Kenan PrizeScience Fiction, Fantasy and HorrorTransgender LiteratureTrustee AwardVisionary AwardBisexual FictionBisexual NonfictionBisexual PoetryLGBTQ+ AnthologyLGBTQ+ Children's BooksLGBTQ+ DramaLGBTQ+ Middle GradeLGBTQ+ MysteryLGBTQ+ NonfictionLGBTQ+ PoetryLGBTQ+ Speculative FictionLGBTQ+ Young AdultTransgender FictionTransgender NonfictionTransgender Poetry

Annual literary award presented by Lambda Literary Foundation honoring outstanding LGBTQ+ literature. Established in 1989, also known as the Lammys.

Prize: Mainly honor and recognition (prestige and exposure from winning). No fixed cash prize amount is publicly specified.

Lannan Literary Awards

Established
1989
Frequency
Irregular
Organizer
Lannan Foundation
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Professional
PoetryFictionNonfictionFellowshipLifetime AchievementCultural Freedom PrizeNotable Book

A series of literary awards and fellowships established by the Lannan Foundation in 1989 to honor both established and emerging writers of exceptional quality. Winners are selected through anonymous nominations and the foundation's literary committee, with no direct applications accepted.

Prize: Prize money and fellowships (varies by year). Example: In 2006, major awards were each $150,000.

Los Angeles Times Book Prize

Established
1980
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Los Angeles Times
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around April
BiographyCurrent interestFictionArt Seidenbaum Award for First FictionHistoryMystery/ThrillerPoetryScience and TechnologyYoung Adult NovelGraphic Novel/ComicsRay Bradbury Prize (SF/Fantasy/Speculative Fiction)Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical ProseInnovator's AwardRobert Kirsch AwardAchievement in Audiobook Production (established 2023, presented by Audible)

An annual book prize established in 1980 by the Los Angeles Times, honoring outstanding works across multiple categories.

Prize: Each winning author receives a citation and US$500; the Robert Kirsch Award recipient also receives a citation and US$500. Awards are presented at a ceremony held the day before the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

Mary Tanenbaum Award for Nonfiction

Established
0
Organizer
The San Francisco Foundation
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Nonfiction and Documentary Literature
Target
Professional
NonfictionLiterature

An annual literary award for outstanding creative nonfiction manuscripts in progress by writers aged 20–35 residing in northern California or Nevada, sponsored by the San Francisco Foundation alongside the Joseph Henry Jackson and James Duval Phelan awards.

Michael Braude Award for Light Verse

Established
1987
Frequency
Biennial (every 2 years)
Organizer
American Academy of Arts and Letters
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Professional
PoetryLight verseEnglish-language

Biennial award for English light verse (light poetry). Organized by American Academy of Arts and Letters, prize money $5,000.

Prize: Cash prize US$5,000

Minnesota Book Awards

Established
1988
Frequency
Annually
Organizer
The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around November
Announcement Period
around May
Children's literatureGeneral NonfictionGenre FictionMemoir & Creative NonfictionMinnesotaNovel & Short StoryPoetryYoung People's LiteratureKay Sexton Award (special award)Minnesota Book Artist Award (special award)Readers' Choice Award (special award, public vote)Hognander Minnesota History Award (biennial, introduced 2012)Middle Grade LiteratureMinnesota NonfictionYoung Adult LiteratureAnthology (biennial)Kay Sexton Award (special)Hognander Minnesota History Award (biennial special)

An annual literary award recognizing books by Minnesota writers across multiple genres, established in 1988 and culminating each spring with an awards ceremony.

National Book Award

Established
1936
Frequency
Once a year (every fall / awards ceremony in November)
Organizer
National Book Foundation
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Research, Translation, and Scholarship
Target
Professional
Application Deadline
around May
Announcement Period
around September–November
FictionNonfictionPoetryTranslated LiteratureYoung People's Literature (Children's and Young Adult)

One of the major annual literary awards in the United States. Operated by the National Book Foundation, awarded annually in 5 categories.

Prize: Winners in each category receive $10,000 (USD) prize money and a bronze sculpture; finalists receive $1,000 (USD) prize money, a medal, and a citation from the judges. The Medal for Distinguished Contribution (lifetime achievement) comes with an additional $10,000 prize.

National Book Critics Circle Awards

Established
1975
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
National Book Critics Circle (NBCC)
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Newcomer
Announcement Period
around March
FictionNonfiction / General NonfictionPoetryMemoir/AutobiographyBiographyCriticismJohn Leonard Prize (Best First Book)Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement AwardNona Balakian Citation for Excellence in ReviewingGregg Barrios Book in Translation PrizeToni Morrison Achievement Award

An annual American literary award presented by the NBCC to honor outstanding books and reviews published in English.

Prize: Honorary recognition (cash prizes are generally not awarded)

National Jewish Book Awards

Established
1950
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Jewish Book Council
Selection Method
Open call / Recommendation
Category
Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around September
Announcement Period
around February–March
American Jewish StudiesAutobiography and MemoirBiographyBook Club AwardChildren's Picture BookContemporary Jewish Life and PracticeDebut FictionEducation and Jewish IdentityFictionFood Writing & CookbooksHebrew Fiction in TranslationHistoryHolocaustHolocaust Memoir AwardMiddle Grade LiteratureModern Jewish Thought and ExperiencePoetryScholarshipSephardic CultureWomen's StudiesWriting Based on Archival MaterialYoung Adult LiteratureEverett Family Foundation Jewish Book of the Year AwardMentorship Award

The longest-running North American literary awards program in the field of Jewish literature, presented by the Jewish Book Council across more than eighteen categories.

Prize: Awards and honors by category (usually not primarily monetary prizes). Related awards may include prize money.

National Outdoor Book Award

Established
1997
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
National Outdoor Book Awards Foundation; Idaho State University; Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Target
Professional
Application Deadline
around August
Announcement Period
around November
Outdoor LiteratureNatural History LiteratureJourneysNature and the EnvironmentHistory & BiographyGuides & Instructional (Outdoor Adventure)Guides & Instructional (Nature)Design and Artistic MeritChildren's booksOutdoor Classic

An American book award program recognizing excellence in outdoor writing and publishing across ten categories. Co-sponsored by the National Outdoor Book Awards Foundation, Idaho State University, and the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE), winners are announced each November.

Prize: No explicit prize money is mentioned. Winning works can display the National Outdoor Book Award gold medallion, and winning works are promoted.

National Poetry Series

Established
1979
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
National Poetry Series
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around March
Announcement Period
around September
PoetryLiterary awardPublishingOpen call

An American literary awards program that sponsors the publication of five poetry collections each year, with manuscripts selected by distinguished poets and each winner receiving a $10,000 prize.

Prize: Publication of winning poetry collection (by participating publishers)

National Translation Award

Established
1998
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
American Literary Translators Association (ALTA)
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Research, Translation, and Scholarship
Target
Professional
Application Deadline
around March
Announcement Period
around October
Literary TranslationPoetryProse

Awarded annually by the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) in poetry and prose categories to literary translators who have made an outstanding contribution to literature in English.

Prize: Cash prize awarded to the translator. Since 2015, awarded separately in poetry and prose categories.

Nebula Award

Established
1966
Frequency
Annually
Organizer
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA)
Selection Method
Vote
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around February
Announcement Period
around June
Science fictionFantasyLiterary awardComicsPoetry

Annual literary award for science fiction and fantasy works targeting the United States (and English-published works). Organized by SFWA.

Prize: Trophy (design featuring a spiral nebula and planet-modeled gem embedded in a transparent block). No prize money.

Newbery Medal (John Newbery Medal)

Established
1922
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), American Library Association (ALA)
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around January
Children's literature awardEnglish-language children's booksAmerican literature award

An annual literary award given to the author who made the most outstanding contribution among children's books published in the United States that year.

Prize: Bronze medal presented to the winning author; physical medal engraved with the winner's name.

New Criterion Poetry Prize

Established
2000
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
The New Criterion (Foundation for Cultural Review)
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around May
Announcement Period
around June–August
PoetryPoetry collectionLiterary award

The New Criterion Poetry Prize is an annual award administered by The New Criterion for a book-length manuscript of poems that pay close attention to form. The winner receives $3,000 and publication of their collection by Criterion Books.

Prize: Publication of the winning work and awarding of prize money (winning works are often published by The New Criterion and affiliated publishers)

O. Henry Award

Established
1919
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
In partnership with Anchor Books (Penguin Random House) and PEN America. Initially funded by the Society of Arts and Sciences.
Selection Method
Selection
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Professional
Short story awardLiterature awardInclusion in anthology

Annual award for American short stories. Selects outstanding short stories and includes them in an anthology as PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories.

Prize: Inclusion in the annual anthology (PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories) and literary recognition/honor

Oregon Book Awards

Established
1987
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Literary Arts, Inc.
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Open
Announcement Period
around April
PoetryFictionGraphic LiteratureDramaLiterary NonfictionYoung Readers Literature

Annual literary award recognizing literary excellence by writers from the state of Oregon.

Prize: Winners receive recognition (honor) and prizes. Specific prize amounts are not specified in the materials.

Outstanding Latino/a Cultural Award in Literary Arts or Publications

Established
0
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) (Sponsor: AT&T)
Selection Method
Open call / Recommendation
Category
Publishing Culture and Book Culture
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around November
Announcement Period
around February–March
LiteraturePublishingCultural Contribution

Annual literary and publishing award presented by AAHHE to honor cultural contributions to the Hispanic community.

Prize: Recipients are honored by AAHHE (no prize money mentioned in official information)

Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award

Established
1985
Frequency
Once a year (annually)
Organizer
Tulsa Library Trust (Tulsa City-County Library)
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around December
Literary prizeAuthor recognitionInternational acclaim

An American literary prize awarded annually by the Tulsa Library Trust to an internationally acclaimed author for a distinguished body of work.

Prize: Cash prize and an engraved crystal book (US$40,000 as of 2006).

PEN Award for Poetry in Translation

Established
1996
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
PEN America (formerly PEN American Center)
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Research, Translation, and Scholarship
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around March
Translation awardPoetryLiterary award

Annual translation award presented by PEN America to English translations of poetry books published in the US in the previous year.

Prize: Award for book-length poetry translation (cash prize and industry recognition)

PEN Translation Prize

Established
1963
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
PEN America (formerly PEN American Center). Historically, there were periods of cooperation and sponsorship by Book of the Month Club
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Research, Translation, and Scholarship
Target
Open
Announcement Period
around March
Translation awardLiteratureEnglish translation

Annual translation prize awarded by PEN America for outstanding book translations into English.

Prize: Cash prize awarded to the translator (USD $3,000)

PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction

Established
1981
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
PEN/Faulkner Foundation
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Professional
Application Deadline
around September
Announcement Period
around April
FictionNovelAmerican Literature Award

Literary award given once a year to outstanding fiction works by U.S. writers.

Prize: US$15,000 to the winner. US$5,000 each to the four runners-up.

PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel

Established
1976
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
PEN/Faulkner Foundation (administrator since 2026 cycle), in partnership with the Hemingway Foundation and Society
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around September
Announcement Period
around March
Debut novelFull-length novelShort story collectionAmerican literatureFiction award

Annual award recognizing debut novels by American authors, administered by the PEN/Faulkner Foundation since 2026 in partnership with the Hemingway Foundation and Society. Established 1976.

Prize: The winner (Winner) receives a cash prize of US$25,000. The winner, 2 finalists, and 2 runners-up are provided with Ucross Residency Fellowships.

PEN/Malamud Award (PEN/Bernard and Ann Malamud Award)

Established
1988
Frequency
Once a year (annually)
Organizer
PEN/Faulkner Foundation
Selection Method
Selection
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Professional
Short storyLiterary awardAmerican literary award

Annual award hosted by PEN/Faulkner Foundation honoring excellence in the art of the short story.

Prize: Honorary award (honoring excellence in the art of the short story)

PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award

Established
1991
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
PEN Oakland
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Literary awardMulticulturalDiversity

Literary award honoring multicultural writers in the United States. Aims to promote outstanding works by writers from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Prize: Primarily an honorary literary award. No official information on prize money is provided.

PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation

Established
1982
Frequency
Once every 3 years
Organizer
PEN America
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Research, Translation, and Scholarship
Target
Professional
TranslationLifetime AchievementLiterary award

A medal awarded by PEN America every three years to honor a translator's lifetime commitment to excellence. Since 2021, the medal is accompanied by a $1,000 cash purse.

Prize: Medal (recognizing lifetime achievement in the field of translation)

Poets' Prize

Established
1988
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Poets' Prize committee (a committee of about 20 American poets); awards reception hosted by the Nicholas Roerich Museum
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around May
PoetryAmerican poetry awardsBook award

Awarded annually for the best book of verse by a living American poet published two years prior to the award year.

Prize: Annual cash prize of $3,000 awarded to the winner; includes recognition and a reading at the awards reception.

Premio Aztlán Literary Prize

Established
1993
Frequency
Once a year (with occasional irregular hiatuses)
Organizer
National Hispanic Cultural Center (initially sponsored by University of New Mexico, founders: Rudolfo and Patricia Anaya)
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Short story collectionsNovels (excluding children's books and YA)Chicano/Chicana literatureFor emerging writersHispanic/Latino literature

American literary award for emerging Chicana/Chicano writers. Established in 1993.

Prize: The winner receives $1,000 and an opportunity to speak at the National Latino Writers Conference of the same year.

Digital Book World Publishing Innovation Award

Established
2011
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Digital Book World
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around January
FictionNonfictionChildren's booksReference/AcademicComics/Graphic novelsApps/eBooksTransmediaDigital design/Cover

An award organized by Digital Book World to recognize innovations in e-books and digital publishing.

Pulitzer Prize

Established
1917
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Columbia University
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Open
Announcement Period
around May
Audio ReportingBiographyBeat ReportingBreaking News ReportingBreaking News PhotographyCommentaryCriticismDramaEditorial WritingExplanatory ReportingFeature PhotographyFeature WritingFictionGeneral NonfictionHistoryIllustrated Reporting and CommentaryInternational ReportingInvestigative ReportingLocal ReportingMemoir or AutobiographyMusicNational ReportingOpinion WritingPoetryPublic Service

An annual award recognizing outstanding achievements in American newspaper journalism, literature, music, and more. Operated by Columbia University, it was established in 1917 in accordance with the will of Joseph Pulitzer.

Prize: Winners receive a certificate and $15,000 USD in cash (gold medal for the Public Service category).