FICTION     GAY & LESBIAN     HORROR     MYSTERY     ROMANCE     SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY     WESTERN

Fiction Awards

Governor General's Literary Award - Canada's most prestigious literary award, sponsored by the Canada Council for the Arts. The Council appoints an independent three-member peer jury to honor an outstanding work in the English language. (A separate jury chooses a French-language winner.) Established in 1936.

International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award - Awarded annually since 1996 to a work of fiction of high literary merit written in the English language, or written in any other language and published in English translation. Sponsored by IMPAC, a management consultancy company, and administered by Dublin City Public Libraries. San Antonio Public Library is one of over fifty libraries worldwide participating in the annual nomination process; the winner is selected by a panel of five distinguished writers from five different nations.

Man Booker Prize for Fiction - The most prestigious British literary award, established by Booker plc in 1968.   The prize aims to reward the best novel of the year written by a citizen of the Commonwealth or Republic of Ireland.  The Man Booker judges are selected from the country's finest critics, writers and academics to maintain the consistent excellence of the prize.  The winner receives £50,000.

National Book Award - Presented annually by the National Book Foundation to a work of fiction of the highest quality written by an American and published in the U.S. The winner is selected by a panel of five judges appointed by the board of directors of the NBF. (From 1980 through 1986, the awards were administered by the Association of American Publishers under the name of The American Book Awards.)

National Book Critics Circle Award - Awarded annually since 1975 by the National Book Critics Circle to an outstanding work of fiction published in English in the U.S. during the previous year. The NBCC consists of nearly 750 active book reviewers.

Nobel Prize for Literature - The ultimate literary prize, presented annually since 1901 to a distinguished writer in honor of his or her total literary output and not for any single work. Presented by the Nobel Foundation and administered by the Swedish Academy of Literature. The Nobel Prizes were endowed by Swedish chemist, inventor and industrialist Alfred Nobel.

PEN/Faulkner Award - A national prize, founded in 1980, which honors the best published works of fiction by American citizens in a calendar year. Named for William Faulkner, who used his Nobel Prize funds to create an award for young writers, and affiliated with PEN (Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists, Novelists), the international writers organization. Three judges, all fiction writers themselves, are chosen annually by the Directors of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation to select five books (including a "First Among Equals") from among the 200-300 works submitted by publishers, agents, and authors.

Pulitzer Prize - Administered by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and awarded each year since 1918 for distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life. Preliminary judging is carried out by an appointed jury, which submits 3 to 6 recommendations to the 17-member Pulitzer Prize Board (made up of the University President, members of the newspaper community, and up to three non-journalists); the board may accept or reject the jury's selections or make substitute recommendations to the Columbia University Trustees, who present the award. The Pulitzers were endowed by a $500,000 bequest by journalist Joseph Pulitzer.

Whitbread Prize - Presented for the most distinguished novel and the most distinguished first novel published in the United Kingdom or Ireland within the previous year. (The authors must have resided in the UK or Ireland during the three previous years.) Established by the Whitbread Breweries in 1971, the awards are determined by a panel of judges and presented by the Booksellers Association of Great Britain and Ireland.

FICTION     GAY & LESBIAN     HORROR     MYSTERY     ROMANCE     SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY     WESTERN

Mystery Awards

Agatha Awards - Presented since 1988 by the annual Malice Domestic Convention to celebrate the best in "mysteries of manners" published in the U.S. The genre is loosely defined as mysteries that contain no explicit sex, excessive violence, or gore, feature an amateur detective (usually), a confined setting, and characters who know one another. The awards, named after Agatha Christie, are overseen by the Agatha Awards Committee and voted on by attending members of the current year's convention. Categories include "Best Novel", "Best First Mystery Novel", and "Best Short Story"

Anthony Awards - Presented by the annual World Mystery Convention, called Bouchercon, and voted on by attending and supporting members of that year's convention. Categories include "Best Novel", "Best First Novel", "Best Paperback Original", and "Best Short Story". The awards and the convention are named in honor of author and critic Anthony Boucher. (To see a full listing of past Anthony winners, use BookAwardData's Search form.

Dagger Awards - Presented by the Crime Writers Association of Great Britain since 1955. Winners are selected by an independent committee appointed by the CWA. Categories include the "Gold Dagger" for best crime novel of the year, the "Silver Dagger" for runner-up, the "Short Story Dagger", the "Last Laugh Dagger" for most amusing crime novel, the "John Creasey Memorial Dagger" for the best crime novel that is also a first novel, and the "Cartier Diamond Dagger" for outstanding contribution to the genre.

Edgar Awards - The Edgar Allan Poe Awards have been presented by the Mystery Writers of America since 1954. Nominees and winners are selected by committees made up of members of that organization. Categories include "Best Novel", "Best First Novel by an American Author", "Best Paperback Original", "Best Short Story", and the "Grand Master" award.

FICTION     GAY & LESBIAN     HORROR     MYSTERY     ROMANCE     SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY     WESTERN

Horror Awards

Bram Stoker Awards - Active members of the Horror Writers Association vote for the "Best Novel", "Best First Novel", "Best Novelette", "Best Short Story", "Best Collection", and "Life Achievement" award. The awards, established in 1987, are presented at the annual conference.

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Science Fiction & Fantasy Awards

Hugo Awards - Also known as the Science Fiction Achievement Awards, the Hugos are presented to the best science fiction of the year at the annual World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon). Sponsored since 1955 by the World Science Fiction Society, whose membership submits nominations and elects the winners. Categories include Novel, Novella, Novelette, and Short Story. The awards are named in honor of Hugo Gernsback, the "Father of Magazine Science Fiction".

Nebula Awards - Presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America since 1965 to the best science fiction or fantasy of the year. The more than 1,000 SFWA members vote for winners in the categories of Novel, Novella, Novellette, Short Story, and Grand Master.

World Fantasy Awards - Presented since 1975 to the year's best fantasy at the annual World Fantasy Convention. Nominations are provided by reader ballots, after which a panel of judges selects additional candidates and the winners. All fantasy is eligible, from supernatural horror to Tolkienesque to sword and sorcery to the occult, magic realism, and beyond. Categories include Novel, Novella, Short Story, Anthology, Collection, and Life Achievement.

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Romance Awards

Rita Awards - Presented at the annual conference of the Romance Writers of America. Each year hundreds of romance novels are submitted by authors, editors, agents and readers to be judged by a panel of romance authors; finalists are selected for each of twelve categories, then judged again by a second panel of five authors to determine the winners. The awards are named for Rita Clay Estrada, RWA's first president.

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Western Awards

Spur Awards - Presented since 1953 by the Western Writers of America at the annual WWA convention. Categories include "Best Western Novel" (short novel), "Best Novel of the West" (long novel), "Best Paperback Original", "Best Short Story" and the "Medicine Pipe Bearer's Award" for the best first Western novel.

FICTION     GAY & LESBIAN     HORROR     MYSTERY     ROMANCE     SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY     WESTERN

Gay & Lesbian Awards

Lambda Literary Awards - Presented each year since 1988 by the Lambda Book Report to recognize excellence in gay and lesbian literature. Nominees are announced by the LBR staff, and final voting is done by a small group of volunteer judges in each category. The awards, also known as the Lammy's, include the best gay men's and the best lesbian works in the categories of Fiction, Fiction Anthologies, Mystery, and Science Fiction/Fantasy.

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