African-American
BCALA Awards – The BCALA Literary Awards recognize outstanding works of Fiction and Nonfiction by African American authors for adult audiences. Sponsored by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, the award has been presented since 1994
The Coretta Scott King Award – honors African American authors and illustrators for outstanding contributions to children’s and young adult literature that promote understanding and appreciation of the culture and contribution of all people to the realization of the American Dream
AudioBooks
The Audie Awards – This is the premier awards program in the United States recognizing distinction in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment. Awards are bestowed for thirty separate categories, including Biography/Memoir, Business, History, Non-Fiction, Audiobook of the Year, and Distinguished Achievement in Production
Odyssey Award – awarded annually to the producer of the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States
Children/Young Adult
Alex Awards – Top Ten adult books for teens
The Bluegrass Award – There are four grade divisions to the Bluegrass Award: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12
Caldecott Medal – awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children
Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal – honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children
Margaret A. Edwards Award – honors an author’s lifetime achievement for writing books that have been popular over a period of time
Mildred L. Batchelder Award – awarded to an American publisher for a children’s book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country, and then translated into English
Newbery Medal – awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children
Michael L. Prinz Award – Award for excellence in Young Adult Literature
Pura Belpre Award – presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth
Robert F. Sibert Information Book Award – awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished informational book published during the preceding year
Scott O’Dell Award – awarded annually to a children’s or young adult book for distinguished work in historical fiction set in North, Central, or South America
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award – given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States
Comic Books/Graphic Novels
Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing – Each year, the awards committee selects two recipients—one living and one deceased—who have produced a significant body of work in the comics field
Glyph Awards – awarded annually to recognize the best in comics made by, for, and about people of color
Icon Award – presented to individuals or organizations who have been instrumental in bringing comics and/or the popular arts to a wider audience
Inkpot Award – given to individuals for their contributions to the worlds of comics, science fiction/fantasy, film, television, animation, and fandom services
National Cartoonists Society Awards – There are two major awards awarded: The Reuben Award for outstanding cartoonist of the year and the Canniff Award for lifetime achievement in the field of cartooning
Russ Manning Award – presented to a comics artist who, early in his or her career, shows a superior knowledge and ability in the art of creating comics
Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards – These are the “Oscars” of comics, the most prestigious of the industry’s awards, and are given in multiple categories
Cookbooks
IACP Cookbook Awards – award annually celebrates the year’s most outstanding food and beverage publications
The James Beard Foundation Awards – these awards are highest honor for food and beverage professionals working in North America, including cookbooks and works of food journalism
Horror
Bram Stoker Awards – awarded annually by the Horror Writers Association for “superior achievement” in the genre
Shirley Jackson Awards – awarded annually for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic
Inspirational Fiction
Christian Book Awards – awards are given to recognize excellence in content, literary quality, design, and significance of contribution to the field of Christian fiction
Christy Awards – annual awards for Christian fiction in the following categories: contemporary, fantasy, first novel, futuristic, historical, romance, and suspense
Literary
The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest – a whimsical literary competition that challenges entrants to compose the opening sentence to the worst of all possible novels
Costa Book Awards – recognises some of the most enjoyable books of the year by writers based in the UK and Ireland in the following categories: first novel, novel, short story, biography, poetry, and children’s book
Indie Book Awards – Members of the American Booksellers Association nominate the winners of these “Indiebound” books
Man Booker Prize – commonly known as the Booker Prize, this award aims to reward the best English language novel of the year written by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, the Republic of Ireland, or Zimbabwe
National Book Awards – given to recognize achievements in four genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People’s Literature
The Nobel Prize in Literature – dedicated to “the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction”
National Book Awards – given to recognize achievements in four genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People’s Literature.
PEN/Faulkner Awards – the largest juried award for fiction in the United States
Pulitzer Prizes – awarded annually for excellence in the fields of Journalism, Literature, Drama, and Music
Mystery
Agatha Awards – given for the Best Novel, First Mystery Novel, Short Story, and Nonfiction work of Mystery fiction
Anthony Awards – given annual at Bouchercon for Best Novel, Best First Novel, Best Paperback Original, Best Short Story, Best Critical Nonfiction Work, and up to three wild-card Anthony Awards in categories selected by the Local Organizing Committee.
Barry Awards – named for Barry Gardner, one of the most ardent and beloved ambassadors of mystery fiction, were first awarded in 1997 by Deadly Pleasures. The Barry Awards are now voted on by the readers of Deadly Pleasures and Mystery News and are presented at the annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention.
Hammett Prize – awarded annually by the North American Branch of the International Association of Crime Writers to honor literary excellence in the field of crime-writing (fiction or non-fiction), as reflected in a book published in the English language in the US and/or Canada.
Edgar Awards – awarded to authors of distinguished work in various categories of the genre
Nero Award – presented annually by The Wolfe Pack for the best American Mystery written in the tradition of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe stories. The Black Orchid Novella Award is presented annually by The Wolfe Pack in cooperation with Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine for the best novella written in the tradition of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe novellas.
Shamus Awards – awarded annually by the Private Eye Writers of America to honor excellent work in the Private Eye genre. Committee members of PWA select the winners.
Poetry
American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medals for Poetry – Awarded every six years to honor the distinguished career of a poet
Arthur Rense Prize – In 1998, the $20,000 award was established to honor “an exceptional poet” once every third year
Fellowship of the Academy of American Poets – $25,000 for distinguished poetic achievement
Harold Morton Landon Translation Award – $1,000 for a published translation of poetry from any language into English
James Laughlin Award – $5,000 to recognize and support a poet’s second book
Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize – $25,000 for the best book of poetry published in the United States in the previous year
Michael Braude Award for Light Verse – $5,000 biennial award is given “for light verse written in English regardless of the country of origin of the writer”
Raiziss/de Palchi Translation Awards – $10,000 book prize and $25,000 fellowship, awarded in alternating years to recognize outstanding translations into English of modern Italian poetry
Shelley Memorial Award – Since 1929, offered by the society to a poet living in the United States who is chosen on the basis of “genius and need”
Wallace Stevens Award – $100,000 to recognize outstanding and proven mastery in the art of poetry
Walt Whitman Award – Awards are first-book publication, $5,000, and a one-month residency at the Vermont Studio Center for an American who has not yet published a book of poetry
William Carlos Williams Award – Awarded by the society for the best book of poetry published by a small, non-profit, or university press
Romance
Golden Heart Awards – given annually for outstanding unpublished romance fiction manuscripts
RITA Awards – given annually for outstanding published romance fiction novels
Science Fiction/Fantasy
Arthur C. Clarke Award – given to the best SF novel published each year in the UK (this novel does not have to be by a British writer)
Hugo Awards – given annually for over 50 years in over a dozen categories, including best books, stories, dramatic works, professional and fan activities
James Tiptree, Jr. Award – annual literary prize for “science fiction or fantasy that explores and expands the roles of women and men for work by both women and men”
John W. Campbell Memorial Award – given annual for or the best science-fiction novel of the year
Mythopoeic Awards – given to the fantasy novel, multi-volume novel, or single-author story collection for adults published during the previous year that best exemplifies “the spirit of the Inklings (J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams)”
Nebula Award – given annually for the best novel, novella, novelette, short story, and screenplay
Phillip K. Dick Award – given annually for the best original science fiction paperback of the year
Rhysling Award – awarded annually for best poems with science fiction, fantasy, or horror themes
Robert A. Heinlein Award – given to honor outstanding published works in hard science fiction or technical writings that inspire the human exploration of space
Science Fiction Awards Database – This is a comprehensive database of awards in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. It includes awards for other countries other than the US or UK and also archives awards that are defunct
Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award – given annually for the best short science fiction of the year
Translation
Cliff Becker Prize – Awarded to an unpublished book-length manuscript of poetry in translation
Italian Prose in Translation Award – Awarded for translation of contemporary Italian works of fiction and literary non-fiction translation into English
Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize – Awarded for translation of Asian works into English
National Translation Awards – Awarded for Poetry and Prose, given for an exceptional book of translated literature published within the previous year
Westerns
Spur Awards – given for distinguished writing about the American West