Kirkus Prize
The Kirkus Prize is an American literary award conferred by the book review magazine Kirkus Reviews. Established in 2014, the Kirkus Prize bestows US$150,000 annually. Three authors are awarded US$50,000 each, divided into three categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Young Readers' Literature.[1] It has been described as one of the most lucrative prizes in literature.[2][3]
| Kirkus Prize | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | |
| Date | Annual |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Kirkus Reviews |
| Reward(s) | US$50,000 |
| First awarded | 2014 |
| Website | www |
Eligibility and selection
Books reviewed by Kirkus Reviews that have received the Kirkus Star are automatically eligible for the Kirkus Prize and are selected for nomination. The eligibility dates of publication for books is typically between November 1 of the previous year and October 31 of the current year, with few exceptions. Self-published books that have earned the Kirkus Star are eligible for the Kirkus Prize. However, self-published books are not eligible based on their date of publication but rather the date of publication of their online review by Kirkus Reviews. All books must first be reviewed by Kirkus Reviews to be considered.[4]
The Prize is divided into three categories: the Kirkus Prize for Fiction, the Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction and the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature. Each category is judged by a panel of three judges: a writer, a bookseller or librarian, and a Kirkus Reviews critic. The editors and staff of Kirkus Reviews evaluate each of the nominated books, conducting a first round of eliminations. The panels of judges then decide upon six finalists in each of the three categories. In the Young Readers' Literature category, the six finalists include two picture books, two middle-grade books and two teen books. The three winners are announced at a ceremony. The prize money for books with multiple authors and illustrators is divided fairly as decided by the Prize's judges and administrators.[4]
Winners and finalists
Fiction
Nonfiction
Young Readers' Literature
| Year | Winners and finalists | Book | Ref(s). |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 |  Kate Samworth |
Aviary Wonders Inc.: Spring Catalog and Instruction Manual | [5] |
| Cece Bell | El Deafo | ||
| Jen Bryant Melissa Sweet (ill.) |
The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus | ||
| Jack Gantos | The Key That Swallowed Joey Pigza | ||
| E. K. Johnston | The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim | ||
| Don Mitchell | The Freedom Summer Murders | ||
| 2015 | Pam Muñoz Ryan Dinara Mirtalipova (ill.) |
Echo | [6] |
| Martha Brockenbrough | The Game of Love and Death | ||
| Lauren Child | The New Small Person | ||
| Daniel José Older | Shadowshaper | ||
| Duncan Tonatiuh | Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras | ||
| Jonah Winter Shane W. Evans (ill.) |
Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 | ||
| 2016 | Jason Reynolds |
As Brave as You | [7] |
| Sherman Alexie Yuyi Morales (ill.) |
Thunder Boy Jr. | ||
| Ashley Bryan | Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan | ||
| Traci Chee | The Reader | ||
| Russell Freedman | We Will Not Be Silent: The White Rose Student Resistance Movement That Defied Adolf Hitler | ||
| Meg Medina | Burn Baby Burn | ||
| 2017 | Cherie Dimaline |
The Marrow Thieves | [8] |
| Jairo Buitrago Rafael Yockteng (ill.) Elisa Amado (tr.) |
Walk with Me | ||
| Cao Wenxuan Helen Wang (tr.) Meilo So (ill.) |
Bronze and Sunflower | ||
| Karen English | It All Comes Down to This | ||
| Lilli L'Arronge Madeleine Stratford (tr.) |
Me Tall, You Small | ||
| Angie Thomas | The Hate U Give | ||
| 2018 | Derrick Barnes Gordon C. James (ill.) |
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut | [9] |
| Elizabeth Acevedo | The Poet X | ||
| Tomi Adeyemi | Children of Blood and Bone | ||
| Meg Medina | Merci Suárez Changes Gears | ||
| Yuyi Morales | Dreamers | ||
| Jacqueline Woodson | Harbor Me | ||
| 2019 | Jerry Craft Jim Callahan (color.) |
New Kid | [10] |
| Kwame Alexander Kadir Nelson (ill.) |
The Undefeated | ||
| Juana Felipe Herrera Lauren Castillo (ill.) |
Imagine | ||
| Angie Thomas | On the Come Up | ||
| Juan Pablo Villalobos Rosalind Harvey (tr.) |
The Other Side: Stories of Central American Teen Refugees Who Dream of Crossing the Border | ||
| Alicia D. Williams | Genesis Begins Again | ||
| 2020 | Derrick Barnes Gordon C. James (ill.) |
I Am Every Good Thing | [11] |
| Elizabeth Acevedo | Clap When You Land | ||
| Kimberly Brubaker Bradley | Fighting Words | ||
| Hanna Alkaf | The Girl and the Ghost | ||
| Carole Lindstrom Michaela Goade (ill.) |
We Are Water Protectors | ||
| Jason Reynolds Ibram X. Kendi |
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning |
See also
References
- Dwyer, Colin (September 30, 2014). "Book News: First-Ever Kirkus Prize Picks 18 Finalists". NPR. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- Dwyer, Colin (October 25, 2018). "Here Are The Winners Of The 2018 Kirkus Prizes". NPR. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
- Schaub, Michael (September 25, 2018). "Literary awards season heats up with $50,000 Kirkus Prize finalists". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
- "Kirkus Prize". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
- "2014 Kirkus Prize". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- "2015 Kirkus Prize". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- "2016 Kirkus Prize". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- "2017 Kirkus Prize". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- "2018 Kirkus Prize". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- "2019 Kirkus Prize". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- "2020 Kirkus Prize". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved November 26, 2020.