Great writing should be rewarded, and many times it is! Whether an author has won or simply been nominated, having an award (or two, or three) under one’s belt can really help a title gain traction and find exposure to a wider audience. While many different awards exist, here is a brief rundown of some of the major ones. Whether you use it to add titles to your “want to read” list or decide to submit some of your own work to be considered, these awards represent some of the best literature out there. 

The PEN America organization itself consists of over 7,500 members, including writers of every genre imaginable (fiction, nonfiction, essays, poems, plays, etc.) and those in the writing industry (publishers, editors, agents, translators, etc.). They have recognized excellence in a variety of fields since 1963, with specific awards including the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction (by “living American citizens”), the PEN/Osterweil Award for Poetry (by a “new and emerging American poet of any age”), and the PEN/O. Henry Prize (for a collection of short stories “of exceptional merit”).

Chances are that you remember the big gold “medal” embossed on some of your most famous and beloved childhood books. That medal represents a badge of honor for Randolph Caldecott Medal (or more commonly known as “Caldecott”) winners. Awards are given to the year’s “most distinguished American picture book for children,” and recipients are chosen by the American Library Association (ALA). The award itself goes to the book’s illustrator, who may or may not also be the author. Fun fact: The illustration on the medal (a boy riding a runaway horse) is actually from Caldecott’s illustrations for “The Diverting Story of John Gilpin.”

Since 1974, the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) have handed out awards in six different categories: fiction, nonfiction, autobiography, biography, poetry, and literary criticism. The group’s membership hovers around 800 people and includes everyone from authors and book reviewers to publishers and literary bloggers. To be considered for this award, all works must be published in the United States.

Another memorable big gold “medal” embossed on some of our favorite children’s books, the John Newbery Medal (or more commonly known as “Newbery”) is given to the year’s “most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.” Recipients are also chosen by the ALA (just like the Caldecott winners) and must be written by United States citizens or residents. Those who are nominated but don’t win were referred to as “runners-up” until 1971, when the term was changed to “honor books.” Silver “medals” are now embossed on these honor books.

Formerly known as The Man Booker Prize (until the Man Group PLC passed on sponsorship in 2019), this is considered one of the most major and respected book awards in existence. Since 1969, it has awarded “the best sustained work of fiction written in English and published in the UK and Ireland.” There is also the International Booker Prize, which started in 2005 as a twice yearly award for authors based on their “overall literary output.” Beginning in 2015, however, it dropped down to a once yearly prize and is awarded for a book that is translated into English from a different language.

Awarded by the Mystery Writers of America since 1955, this prize comes in a variety of different categories but focuses on mystery fiction, nonfiction, theater, television, and film. Obviously named after Edgar Allen Poe, these awards come in categories such as best novel, best first novel, and best paperback original. The ultimate honor is the Edgar Allan Poe Grand Master Award, which “acknowledges important contributions to the genre as well as for a body of work that is both significant and of consistent high quality.” And they are not messing around—the very first winner of this award was none other than Agatha Christie!

Formerly known as the Orange Prize for Fiction (from 1996 to 2012) and the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction (from 2014 to 2017), this award was created in direct opposition to the Booker Prize when, in 1991, not a single one of the six shortlisted books for that prize was a woman author. The panel of judges for this award is comprised exclusively of women, while the books that are considered must be written by a woman located anywhere in the world—as long as the book is written in, or has been translated into, English.

Let’s end on the literary prize to end all literary prizes, shall we? Established in 1917 (by newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer, who was known to hold rigorous standards for his journalists), the Pulitzer Prize consists of four main categories (which then branch off into more specific ones, for a total of twenty-three categories): Books, Journalism, Special Citations, and Music and Drama. The Pulitzers are handed out by Columbia University for a person’s accomplishments in “journalism, arts, and letters” and are essentially considered the pinnacle of literary achievement.

Andrea Moran lives outside of Nashville with her husband and two kids. She’s a professional copywriter and editor who loves all things books. Find her on LinkedIn.