Literary Awards and Writing Awards Listing
Below is a listing of literary awards and writing awards for you to look though. You can find inspiration, find out dates, how to enter writing awards, or award winning books to learn from. Each of the Literary Awards listed below has a link you can follow to get more information about or to see a list of books that have won (or been nominated) in the last few years.
Queensland Premier’s Literary Award
The Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards were inaugurated in 1999 and have grown to become a leading literary awards program within Australia. The Awards offer all Australian established and aspiring authors the opportunity to gain recognition in the literary community as well as providing financial assistance to support the development of high quality writing. The Queensland Literary Awards recognise the literary achievements of published Queensland and Australian authors and celebrate and promote contemporary Australian books and writing. Awards are presented in categories for published works and include development awards and prizes for young and emerging writers and unpublished manuscripts.
http://www.qldliteraryawards.org.au/
Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards
The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards were established in 1985 by John Cain, the Premier of Victoria at that time, to mark the centenary of the births of Vance and Nettie Palmer – distinguished writers and critics who made significant contributions to Victorian and Australian literary culture. The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards are a key element in the Victorian Government’s commitment to promote and raise the profile of contemporary creative writing and Australia’s publishing industry.
https://www.wheelercentre.com
Miles Franklin Award
The Miles Franklin Literary Award celebrates Australian character and creativity and nurtures the continuing life of literature about Australia. It is awarded for the novel of the year which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases. Publishers are required to submit novels on behalf of an author. All works must be in English. Works written by two or more authors are eligible for entry.
https://www.perpetual.com.au/milesfranklin
Caldecott Medal
The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal
Newbery Medal
The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberymedal
National Biography Award
The National Biography Award was established in 1996 to encourage the highest standards of writing biography and autobiography and to promote public interest in those genres. The National Biography Award is administered by the State Library of New South Wales on behalf of the award’s benefactors, Geoffrey Cains and Michael Crouch.
http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/about-library-awards/national-biography-award
Walkley Award for Non Fiction
The annual Walkley Awards recognize excellence in Australian journalism across all mediums including print, television, radio, photographic and online media. The prestigious Gold Walkley is considered the pinnacle of journalistic achievement and the awards are akin only to the esteemed Pulitzer Prizes.
http://www.walkleys.com/awards/
YABBA Awards
The YABBA awards are a children’s choice book award in 3 sections, presented annually. The sections are: Picture Story Books, Fiction for Younger Readers, Fiction for Older Readers. Each year:
+ Children nominate Australian children’s fiction books that have been published in the last ten years to create a short list.
+ Children vote for their favourite books by a specified date in October, (usually International Children’s Day).
+ The winners are announced at the award ceremony where authors and illustrators receive YABBA citations presented by children.
http://yabba.org.au/
Man Asian Literary Prize
Man Asian Literary Prize is an annual award for “Asian novel unpublished in English”. The Prize was initiated by the Hong Kong International Literary Festival Limited with financial support from Man Group plc. It is administered by representatives from the Man Hong Kong International Literary Festival, the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
https://www.manasianliteraryprize.org/
Colin Roderick Award
The Colin Roderick Literary Award is awarded to the best original book, in the judges’ opinion, that is published in Australia in the previous calendar year. Submissions must deal with any aspect of Australian life and can be in any field or genre of writing, verse or prose.
https://www.jcu.edu.au/foundation-for-australian-literary-studies/colin-roderick-award
Nebula Awards
The Nebula Awards are presented annually by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
https://nebulas.sfwa.org/
Man Booker Prize
The Man Booker Prize promotes the finest in fiction by rewarding the very best book of the year. The prize is the world’s most important literary award and has the power to transform the fortunes of authors and even publishers.
https://themanbookerprize.com/fiction
Nobel Prize in Literature
The Nobel Prize in Literature has recognized the whole spectrum of literary works including poetry, novels, short stories, plays, essays and speeches. Starting off with the first prize in 1901 to the poet and philosopher Sully Prudhomme, author of Stances et Poèmes (1865), the Prize has distinguished the works of authors from different languages and cultural backgrounds. It has been awarded to unknown masters as well as authors acclaimed worldwide.
https://www.nobelprize.org
Arthur C Clarke Awards
The Arthur C. Clarke Award is the UK’s premier prize for science fiction literature.
https://www.clarkeaward.com/
NSW Premier’s History Awards
The annual NSW Premier’s History Awards were instituted in 1997 and are intended “to recognise and promote excellence in historical research, writing and presentation.” Total prize money is $90,000, with each award category winner receiving $15,000.
http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/about-library-awards/nsw-premiers-history-awards
Hugo Award
The Hugo Award was named in honor of Hugo Gernsback, “The Father of Magazine Science Fiction,” as he was described in a special award given to him in 1960. The Hugo Award, also known as the Science Fiction Achievement Award, is given annually by the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS).
http://www.thehugoawards.org
Kate Greenaway Medal
The Kate Greenaway Medal was established by The Library Association in 1955, for distinguished illustration in a book for children. It is named after the popular nineteenth century artist known for her fine children’s illustrations and designs.
http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk
Ned Kelly Awards
Awarded annually by the Crime Writers Association of Australia, the Ned Kelly awards are presented for Australian Crime Writing in the following categories: Best Novel/ Best First Novel/ Best True Crime/ Lifetime Achievement Award
https://www.austcrimewriters.com
Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards
These annual awards are for books with an implied readership under the age of eighteen, and are presented in five categories. The Judges assess entries for the Awards primarily for literary merit, including cohesiveness in significant literary elements; language chosen carefully for its appropriateness to the theme and style of the work with proper regard to the aesthetic qualities of language; and originality in the treatment of literary elements as they apply to the form of the work. Judges also consider quality of illustrations, book design, production, printing and binding.
https://cbca.org.au/
National Book Awards (US)
National Book Awards (US) are given to recognize achievements in four genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People’s Literature. The Winners, selected by five-member, independent judging panels for each genre, receive a $10,000 cash award and a crystal sculpture.
http://www.nationalbook.org/
Pulitzer Prize
In the latter years of the 19th century, Joseph Pulitzer stood out as the very embodiment of American journalism. In writing his 1904 will, which made provision for the establishment of the Pulitzer Prizes as an incentive to excellence, Pulitzer specified solely four awards in journalism, four in letters and drama, one for education, and four traveling scholarships. In letters, prizes were to go to an American novel, an original American play performed in New York, a book on the history of the United States, an American biography, and a history of public service by the press.
http://www.pulitzer.org/
The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction
The Baillie Gifford Prize aims to reward the best of non-fiction and is open to authors of any nationality. It covers all non-fiction in the areas of current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts.
Formerly known as The Samuel Johnson Prize (1999 – 2015) it is the most prestigious non-fiction prize in the UK, worth £30,000 to the winner.
https://thebailliegiffordprize.co.uk/
Prime Ministers Prize for Australian History
The Prime Minister’s Prize for Australian History is awarded annually for an outstanding publication or body of work that contributes significantly to an understanding of Australian history.The Prime Minister’s Prize for Australian History comprises an embossed gold medallion and a grant of $100,000 and may be awarded to an individual or a group.
https://www.arts.gov.au/pm-literary-awards/about-awards
WA Premier’s Book Awards
Annual literary awards were inaugurated by the Western Australian Government in 1982 to honour and celebrate the literary achievements of Western Australian writers. Until 1990 they were called the WA Week Literary Awards. They are now known as the Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards.
NSW Premier’s Literary Awards
Arts NSW administers the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. These awards, which are offered annually, honour distinguished achievement by Australian writers. In 2008, 11 prizes ranging in value from $5,000 to $20,000 will be open for application.
Costa (Formerly Whitbread) Award
The Costa Book Awards is one of the most prestigious and popular literary prizes in the UK and recognises some of the most enjoyable books of the year by writers based in the UK and Ireland.
https://www.costa.co.uk/costa-book-awards/welcome/
MPAC Dublin Literary Award
The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is the largest and most international prize of its kind. It involves libraries from all corners of the globe, and is open to books written in any language. The Award, an initiative of Dublin City Council, is a partnership between Dublin City Council, the Municipal Government of Dublin City, and IMPAC, a productivity improvement company which operates in over 50 countries.
http://www.dublinliteraryaward.ie/
The Women’s Prize for Fiction
The UK’s largest annual literary award for a single book aims to celebrate novels of excellence by women writers. The prize also helps promote women writers to as wide a range of readers as possible both in the UK and around the world.
https://www.womensprizeforfiction.co.uk/