Our Guide to 22 Prestigious Literary Awards
Every year, there are thousands of literary awards that take place around the world. From the Pulitzer to the Nobel Prize in Literature, authors from around the globe strive to earn recognition. Authors are driven by a love for writing and dream of winning major book awards for their work.
All writers, from aspiring to accomplished, dream of making it there and earning a prestige that will make their mark in the literary industry. While there are numerous notable awards in the literary world, let's look at the most notable ones below.
1. Pulitzer Prize
Joseph Pulitzer established the Pulitzer Prize in Literature. The renowned journalist's career began in the 1800s. He belonged to a wealthy family but had an insatiable passion for making his mark in the world.
Born in Hungary, the respected newspaper publisher has established this prize to recognize works in music, drama, books, and journalism. Soon, his prize spread to other parts of the world, and today, this prize encompasses 22 categories.
Columbia University oversees the prize and winners in 20 categories certificate with a prize amount of US $15,000. Individuals who win the journalism competition in the public service division also receive a gold medal.
See this century's Pulitzer Prize Winners.
2. Nobel Prize in Literature
Stockholm, Sweden, hosts the Nobel Prize in Literature annually and awards it to an outstanding author from any country. A Nobel Committee comes together to send out invitations for the award ceremony, which first began in 1901.
The prize is named after Alfred Nobel, and it has recognized notable authors including; William Faulkner, George Bernard Shaw, and many others. The Committee invites only those qualified individuals who reach the nominations for the prize to the ceremony.
3. Booker Prize
This major literary award came into existence in 1969, and people recognized it as the Booker Prize until 2001. Only when the Man Group invested in this literary award in 2005 did it become famous as the Man Booker Prize. However, after the charitable foundation Crankstart became the prize's sponsor in 2019 the name reverted back to the Booker Prize.
This award recognizes the writing works in the English Language every year. An author may win this literary award only once in life, valued at £60,000.
From 2016 onwards, this prize also considers fiction for translation. In the case of a winner in this category, both the winning author and translator receive prize money of £50,000.
See our list of Booker Prize Winners.
4. The Women’s Prize for Fiction
No one can fail to set their sights on The Women's Prize for fiction as an author. The prize is one of the most coveted literary awards in the United Kingdom.
Every year, an outstanding female author wins this award for a full-length, published novel. Female authors of any nationality can qualify for this award and win a bronze sculpture for £30,000.
The prize has stirred up controversy, with many female writers angry that they are being singled out. Winner of the 1990 Booker Prize, A.S. Byatt, stated it was a "sexist prize" and that "such a prize was never needed".
To mark the 25th anniversary of the prize, the sponsor Bailey's worked with the prize organizers to publish "25 books previously published under male pen names, with the real female authors’ names finally printed on the covers, to honor their achievements and give them the credit they deserve" as part of the series "Reclaim Her Name".
5. T.S. Eliot Prize Award
The T.S. Eliot Prize Award first entered the literary world in 1993. Since then, it has recognized the works of outstanding poets with the best collection of poetry under their name. However, it only considers poetry collections in English, published either in the Republic of Ireland or the United Kingdom.
Every poet who wins the T.S. Eliot Prize Award further gets an opportunity to record for the archive, included in their prize.
6. T.E. Edgar Awards
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards began in 1964 and were first known as the Edgars. The Mystery Writers of America awards this literary prize to honor an author's work in television, non-fiction, mystery fiction, theater, or film produced or published in the previous year.
Books belonging to non-U.S. publishers can also qualify for this prestigious literary award, but only if they are widely distributed across America.
7. Neustadt International Prize for Literature
The Neustadt International Prize for Literature is considered the second most prestigious award for authors. It began in 1969, when Ivas Ivask established it in the United States. The founder was the editor for Brooks Abroad, so these literary awards were published under that company.
It was later in 1976, when this literary award adopted its current name. The University of Oklahoma sponsors the Neustadt International Prize for Literature, while Doris and Walter Neustadt endow the prize. This literary award recognizes phenomenal works in fiction, poetry, and drama.
The winner of the biennial award receives prize money of US $50,000, a silver eagle feather, and a certificate.
8. America Award
The America Award came into existence in 1994 as an alternative to the most coveted Nobel Prize in Literature. The primary objective of this alternate literary award is to honor lifetime achievements in writing.
A jury comprising of six literary critics from America, including prose writers, poets, and playwrights, unanimously chooses a winner. Its most notable feature is that it considers writing works of authors from all countries. Some of the most renowned authors it has brought to the limelight are John Ashberry and Peter Handke.
9. National Book Award
Nothing can be a bigger achievement than winning the National Book Award for American writers. This is the most prestigious prize for writers in America and recognizes the best literary works in the country.
It first came into existence in 1950 and, since then, has awarded several prominent writers. It assembles a jury of 25 outstanding translators, writers, librarians, critics, and booksellers to select a winner.
Some of the most notable winners of the National Book Award include Tina Rosenberg, Susan Choi, and James Jones.
See our guide to National Book Award winners from the past 50+ years.
10. Bram Stroker Awards
The Horror Writers Association presents the Bram Stoker Awards to recognize superior achievement in the horror genre in the previous year. The membership of the organization votes to select the winners, which are recognized at HWA's annual awards banquet.
11. Caldecott Medal
Given to the artist who has created the most distinguished picture book of the year. This award was proposed in 1937 by Fredric G. Melcher, representing a general concern that the Newberry Medal did not appropriately address the role of illustrators in the children's book arena.
The award is named in honor of Randolph J. Caldecott, the 19th century English illustrator. It is awarded to the "artist of the most distinguished American Picture Book for Children published in the United States during the preceding year." The artist must be a citizen or resident of the United States and does not have to be author of the text.
12. Christy Awards
The Christy Awards honor excellence in Christian fiction in a whole host of genres. The awards are overseen by the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association (ECPA), a non-profit trade organization involved in the distribution of Christian content worldwide. Winners for each category of voting are determined yearly at the Christy Award Gala held in November.
See our list of award-winning Christian books.
13. Coretta Scott King Award
The awards were established to commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and honor Coretta Scott King for her courage and determination in continuing the work for peace and brotherhood. The awards were founded by the late Glyndon Flynt Greer, a school librarian in Englweood, N.J., who envisioned an award that would recognize the talents of black authors and encourage them to continue writing books for children and young adults.
The award was established in 1969 by Mrs. Greer, Mabel McKissick, John Carroll, and Roger McDonough. It was created to recognize exceptional achievements in literature. In 1979, a new category was established to honor illustration.
14. Agatha Awards
Agatha awards are presented at the annual Malice Domestic Mystery Convention based on the votes of convention attendees. The award is named in honor of Agatha Christie, author of "cozy" mysteries, typically set in the English countryside. Each year, authors are honored in six categories: Best Novel, Best Contemporary Novel, Best Historical Novel, Best Short Story, Best Non-Fiction, and Best Children's/Young Adult Mystery.
15. Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence
The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction were established in 2012 to recognize the best fiction and nonfiction books for adult readers published in the US. The awards are named after Andrew Carnegie. He was a philanthropist from the 1800s who believed in the power of books and education to make a difference in the world. The award is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and administered by the American Library Association.
16. Charlotte Award
Named after the main character in E.B. White's Charlotte's Web, the purpose of the Charlotte Award is to encourage students to read outstanding literature and ultimately become life-long readers. Additionally, the award recognizes the authors and illustrators of such literature.
17. Hans Christian Andersen Awards
The International Board on Books for Young People bestows this honor every even-numbered year to both a children's book writer and a children's book illustrator, representing lifetime contributions to the field of children's literature. Nominations are brought forward by National sections of IBBY, and the winners are selected by a distinguished international panel. Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is the Patron of the Andersen Awards, and the program is also supported by Nissan Motor Company.
18. Hugo Award
Presented annually at the World Science Fiction Convention, the Hugos are one of science fiction's most prestigious honors. In 1996, Special "Retro" awards were presented to honor the groundbreaking works of science fiction from the year 1946.
19. Kirkus Prize
The Kirkus Prize was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. The award is split into three categories; Fiction, Non Fiction, and Young Reader's Literature. The prize has been descirbed as one of the most lucrative prizes in literature, awarding each winner $50,000.
20. Literary Award
PEN American Center, the largest of more than 120 Centers worldwide that compose International PEN, is a membership association of prominent literary writers and editors. As a major voice of the literary community, the organization seeks to defend the freedom of expression wherever it may be threatened and to promote and encourage the recognition and reading of contemporary literature.
21. Newbery Medal
The Newbery is awarded to the most distinguished American children's book published the previous year. Fredric G. Melcher proposed the award to the Children's Section of the American Library Association in June, 1921. It is named after the Eighteenth-Century English bookseller John Newbery.
22. PEN/Faulkner Award
The PEN/Faulkner Award is bestowed each May in Washington DC. The winner is nominated and awarded by the Folger Shakespeare Library. The nominees each receive $5000, and the winner is the recipient of $15,000.
Each year, over 200 books are read and judged by a panel of three American novelists. This prize was started by William Faulkner using his Nobel Prize money.
Final Thoughts
For an aspiring author, it is imperative to learn about the most prestigious literary awards in the world. Reading award-winning books, bestsellers, and underrated books is a great way to learn and expand your knowledge.
Further Reading: