5 of the Most Prestigious Writing Awards in the World
- Pola
- Mar 24
- 3 min read
Awards aren't everything, but recognition can be vital to thrive in an increasingly-competitive publishing scene. Prizes, competitions, and awards have a vital role in any person’s career, and for writers it's no different. Winning any sort of recognition also creates popularity and increases connections, opening many doors for one’s career. If you have been writing for a while, then maybe you dream of winning one of the awards below:
Newbery Medal
Established in 1921, the Newbery Medal is an annual award given by the Association for Library Service Children Division of the American Library Association. This award honors “the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.” Other than the medal itself, the committee also awards citations, called Newbery Honor Books, to works that make the shortlist. Winners of the Newbery Medal include A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (1963), The View from Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg (1997), The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (2004) and the most recent winner, The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers (2024). You might recognize honorees Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary (1978) and Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (1998).
The Hugo Award
Named after Hugo Gernsback, founder of the science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, the Hugo Awards are granted annually to the best works and achievements in science fiction or fantasy. The Hugo was first awarded in 1953 at the Eleventh World Science Fiction Convention as the Science Fiction Achievement Awards and later renamed after Gernsback in 1992. Currently, there are seventeen Hugo Award categories, ranging from fiction and magazines to cover art and fan work. Hugo Awardees for Best Novel include Ursula K. Le Guin in 1970 for The Left Hand of Darkness, Isaac Asimov in 1983 for Foundation's Edge and Orson Scott Card in 1987 for Ender’s Game.
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards are a set of awards presented yearly by the Mystery Writers of America. Popularly known as Edgars, the awards honor the best in mystery fiction, film, television, and theater that was produced or published the year before. The Edgars have been presented since the mid-forties. In 2017, fourteen Edgars were awarded. Previous Edgar Awards for Best Novel were given to Noah Hawley’s Before the Fall, Best Juvenile to OCDaniel by Wesley King, and the Raven Award to Dru Ann Love.
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is an annual award that honors achievements in journalism, literature, and music composition. It was established by the will of American newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer in 1917. The prize has twenty-one categories, twenty of which are awarded USD 15,000, a certificate and a gold medal. Previous winners include The New York Times (most Pulitzer Prizes for Journalism at 173), Robert Frost (Poetry), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Drama, 2016 for Hamilton), and Jayne Anne Phillips (Fiction, 2024 for Night Watch).
Nobel Prize in Literature
Established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1901, the Nobel Prize is a set of five awards bestowed to people with achievements in medicine, physics, chemistry, economics, peace, and literature. Considered one of the most prestigious awards in the world, the prize consists of a certificate with citation, a gold medal, and a cash prize. Winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature include Kazuo Ishiguro in 2017, Toni Morrison in 1993, and Jean-Paul Sartre in 1964.
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