Please join us in celebrating the following winners of the 38th Annual Lambda Literary Awards, announced in ceremony on June 12, 2026 at Sony Hall in NYC.
BISEXUAL FICTION
- And I’ll Take Out Your Eyes by A. M. Sosa. Algonquin Books
- Beyond All Reasonable Doubt, Jesus Is Alive!: Stories by Melissa Lozada-Oliva. Astra House
- House of Beth by Kerry Cullen. Simon & Schuster
- WINNER Sympathy for Wild Girls by Demree McGhee. The Feminist Press
- The Salvage by Anbara Salam. Zando/Tin House
BISEXUAL NONFICTION
- Look Ma, No Hands by Gabrielle Drolet. McClelland & Stewart
- WINNER Reading the Waves by Lidia Yuknavitch. Riverhead Books
- The Maps They Gave Us: One Marriage, Reimagined by Wayne Scott. Black Lawrence Press
- The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
- unMothered, unTongued by Lee Horikoshi Roripaugh. University of Georgia Press
BISEXUAL POETRY
- antibody by Rebecca Salazar. McClelland & Stewart
- Blue Opening by Chet’la Sebree. Zando/Tin House
- Hover by Liza Flum. Omnidawn Publishing
- Moon as Salted Lemon by Clayre Benzadón. Driftwood Press
- WINNER The Garbage Poems by Anna Swanson, illustrated by April White. Brick Books
GAY FICTION
- Mothers and Sons by Adam Haslett. Little, Brown
- WINNER Nova Scotia House by Charlie Porter. Nightboat Books
- The South by Tash Aw. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
- The Sunflower Boys by Sam Wachman. HarperCollins
- Waiting for Something Else by Martin Cloutier. Heliotrope Books
GAY MEMOIR/BIOGRAPHY
- Alligator Tears by Edgar Gomez. Crown
- Deep House: The Gayest Love Story Ever Told by Jeremy Atherton Lin. Little, Brown, and Company
- On the Boardwalk by Martin Sherman. Inkandescent.
- WINNER TAKE MY NAME BUT SAY IT SLOW: ESSAYS by Thomas Dai. W.W. Norton
- The Einstein of Sex: Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, Visionary of Weimar Berlin by Daniel Brook. W.W. Norton
GAY POETRY
- Bachelor by Gustavo Hernandez. FlowerSong Press
- boy maybe: poems by W. J. Lofton. Beacon Press
- WINNER It Was Never Supposed To Be by Ben Kline. Variant Literature
- Kitchen Hymns by Pádraig Ó Tuama. Copper Canyon Press
- Seabeast by Rajiv Mohabir. Four Way Books
GAY ROMANCE
- A Bridge in Glass by Derek Sowers. Dreamsprinner Press
- WINNER A Mannequin for Christmas: A Novel by Timothy Janovsky. St. Martin’s Griffin
- Disco Witches of Fire Island by Blair Fell. Alcove Press
- Good Boy by Carey Sass. Self-published
- He’s to Die For: A Novel by Erin Dunn. Minotaur Books
LESBIAN FICTION
- A Language of Limbs by Dylin Hardcastle. Dutton
- A Sharp Endless Need by Marisa Crane. The Dial Press
- Girls Girls Girls by Shoshana von Blanckensee. Penguin Random House | G.P. Putnam’s Sons
- WINNER Hungerstone by Kat Dunn. Zando
- milktooth by Jaime Burnet. Vagrant Press
LESBIAN MEMOIR/BIOGRAPHY
- WINNER Black Panther Woman: The Political and Spiritual Life of Ericka Huggins by Mary Frances Phillips and Charlene A. Carruthers (foreword). New York University Press
- Gertrude Stein by Francesca Wade. Scribner
- The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland by Michelle Young. HarperOne
- The Autobiography of H. Lan Thao Lam by Lana Lin. Dorothy, a publishing project
- The Dry Season by Melissa Febos. Alfred A. Knopf
LESBIAN POETRY
- Cactus Flowers: Selected Poems by Judith Teixeira, translated by Samantha Pious. Headmistress Press
- Glove Money by Sophia Dahlin. Nightboat Books
- WINNER pleasureis amiracle by Bianca Rae Messinger. Nightboat Books
- savings time by Roya Marsh. MCD
- The Natural Order of Things by Donika Kelly. Graywolf Press
LESBIAN ROMANCE
- Bed and Breakup by Susie Dumond. The Dial Press
- Hot Tea & Bird Calls by Evie Marque. Self-published
- House of Rayne by Harley Laroux. Kensington Publishing Corporation
- WINNER Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti. St. Martin’s Griffin
- The Woman from the Waves by Roslyn Sinclair. Self-published
LGBTQ+ ANTHOLOGY
- Come Out and Play: The Queer Sports Project by Meghan Kemp-Gee and Megan Praz. Stacked Deck Press
- Edge of the World: An Anthology of Queer Travel Writing by Edited by Alden Jones. Blair
- WINNER Queer Lens: A History of Photography by Edited by Paul Martineau and Ryan Linkof, with contributions by Jordan Bear, Ken Gonzales-Day, Alexis Bard Johnson, Derek Conrad Murray, and Catherine Opie. J. Paul Getty Museum
- Queers at the Table: An Illustrated Guide to Queer Food (with Recipes) by Alex D. Ketchum and Megan J. Elias (editors). Arsenal Pulp Press
- The New Lesbian Pulp by Sarah Fonseca and Octavia Saenz. The Feminist Press
LGBTQ+ CHILDREN’S BOOKS
- A Year of Pride and Joy by Simon James Green, illustrated by Ruth Burrows. Magic Cat
- Devin’s Gift by Alana Tyson, illustrated by Ebony Glenn. Philomel an Imprint of Penguin Young Readers
- WINNER JIM! Six True Stories about One Great Artist: James Marshall by Jerrold Connors. Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers
- O.K. Is Gay by Vincent X. Kirsch. Abrams Books for Young Readers
- Tales from Beyond the Rainbow by Pete Jordi Wood. Penguin Young Readers
- The Bi Book by A.J. Irving, illustrated by Cynthia Alonso. Random House Children’s Books | Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
LGBTQ+ COMICS
- WINNER Gaysians by Mike Curato. Algonquin Books
- Love, Misha by Askel Aden. First Second
- Precious Rubbish by Kayla E. Fantagraphics
- Soften the Blow by Bread Tarleton. Fieldmouse Press
- Spent by Alison Bechdel. Mariner Books
LGBTQ+ DRAMA
- WINNER Ain’t No Mo’ by Jordan E. Cooper. Theatre Communications Group
- WINNER MERCUTIO LOVES ROMEO LOVES JULIET LOVES by Gina Femia. Original Works Publishing
- Another Kind of Silence by L M Feldman, translated by MoMo Holt. City Theatre Company
- Heartlines: A Love Story by Sarah Waisvisz. Talonbooks
- Prince Faggot by Jordan Tannahill. Playwrights Canada Press
LGBTQ+ MIDDLE GRADE
- A Song for You and I by K.O’Neill. Random House Children’s Books | Random House Graphic
- WINNER Glitch Girl! by Rainie Oet. Penguin Young Readers
- It’s All or Nothing, Vale by Andrea Beatriz Arango. Random House Children’s Books | Random House Books for Young Readers
- Pasta Girls by Taylor Tracy. HarperCollins – Quill Tree Books
- The Queen Bees of Tybee County by Kyle Casey Chu. HarperCollins – Quill Tree Books
LGBTQ+ MYSTERY
- WINNER A Queer Case by Robert Holtom. Titan Books
- Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter by Samantha Crewson. Crooked Lane Books
- Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor. Flatiron Books
- Mirage City by Lev AC Rosen. Minotaur Books
- The Case of the Missing Maid by Rob Osler. Kensington Publishing Corporation
LGBTQ+ NONFICTION
- Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs. Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- WINNER Guest Privileges: Queer Lives and Finding Home in the Middle East by Gaar Adams. Dzanc Books
- Queer Enlightenments: A Hidden History of Lovers, Lawbreakers, and Homemakers by Anthony Delaney. Grove Atlantic
- Thank You for Calling the Lesbian Line by Elizabeth Lovatt. Legacy Lit
- The Hollow Half: A Memoir of Bodies and Borders by Sarah Aziza. Catapult
LGBTQ+ POETRY
- A Real Man Would Have a Gun: Poems by Stacey Waite. University of New Mexico Press
- Non-Prophet by Qurat Dar. icehouse poetry, an imprint of Goose Lane Editions
- Unfurl: Survivals, Sorrows, and Dreaming by Eli Clare. Duke University Press
- Wayward Creatures by heidi andrea restrepo rhodes. Host Publications
- WINNER YEET! by jason b crawford. Omnidawn Publishing
LGBTQ+ ROMANCE AND EROTICA
- WINNER A Gentleman’s Gentleman by TJ Alexander. Vintage Books
- Fanboy in the Falls by J.E. Birk. Maple Mountains Press
- It Had to Be Him by Adib Khorram. Forever | Grand Central Publishing | Hachette Book Group
- Single Player by Tara Tai. Alcove Press
- Strip Me Down by Aj Writer. Self under FWDIO Studios
LGBTQ+ SPECULATIVE FICTION
- WINNER Beings by Ilana Masad. Bloomsbury Publishing
- Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen. Sourcebooks, Poisoned Pen Press
- Cry, Voidbringer by Elaine Ho. Left Unread, an imprint of Bindery Books
- Two Truths and a Lie by Cory O’Brien. Pantheon Books
- Volatile Memory by Seth Haddon. Tordotcom
LGBTQ+ STUDIES
- Abolitionist Intimacies: Queer and Trans Migrants against the Deportation State by Eithne Luibhéid. Duke University Press
- Intersex: A Manifesto Against Medicalization by Iain Morland. Columbia University Press
- Lessons in Drag: A Queer Manual for Academics, Artists, and Aunties by Kareem Khubchandani, with LaWhore Vagistan. Brandeis University Press
- WINNER Queer Lasting: Ecologies of Care for a Dying World by Sarah Ensor. New York University Press
- Sodomy’s Solicitations: A Right to Queerness by Joseph J. Fischel. Temple University Press
LGBTQ+ YOUNG ADULT
- An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys by Rob Costello. Lethe Press
- Camila Núñez’s Year of Disasters by Miriam Zoila Pérez. Page Street Publishing | Page Street YA
- WINNER Come Home to My Heart by Riley Redgate. Union Square & Co.
- He’s So Possessed with Me by Corey Liu. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- The Transition by Logan-Ashley Kisner. Random House Children’s Books | Delacorte Press
TRANSGENDER FICTION
- Make Sure You Die Screaming by Zee Carlstrom. Flatiron Books
- Terry Dactyl by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore. Coffee House Press
- WINNER The Lilac People: A Novel by Milo Todd. Counterpoint Press
- The Uncontinented Stars by Haden Cross. Self-published
- Woodworking by Emily St. James. Zando | Crooked Media Reads
TRANSGENDER NONFICTION
- Both/And by Denne Michele Norris with Electric Literature. HarperOne
- WINNER Cleavage: Men, Women, and the Space Between Us by Jennifer Finney Boylan. Celadon Books, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers
- Gendertrash From Hell: The First Print Collection of the Zine That Changed Everything Edited by Mirha Soleil-Ross. Little Puss Press
- Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson by Tourmaline. Tiny Reparations Press
- Uncanny Valley Girls by Zefyr Lisowski. Harper Perennial
TRANSGENDER POETRY
- a body more tolerable by jaye simpson. Arsenal Pulp Press
- WINNER Algarabía – The Song of Cenex, Natural Son of the Isle Alarabíyya by Roque Raquel Salas Rivera. Graywolf Press
- Death of the First Idea: Poems by Rickey Laurentiis. Alfred A. Knopf
- Local Woman by Jzl Jmz. Nightboat Books
- Reprise: Poems and Photographs by Golden. Haymarket Books
VISIONARY AWARD
Chuck Forester
SPECIAL PRIZES
- Minh Huynh Vu – Winner of the Karla Jay Prize for Emerging Writers in Gender and Sexuality Studies
- Taz Urnov – Winner of the Denneny Award for Editorial Excellence
- Natalie Marlin – Winner of the Pat Holt Prize for Critical Arts Writing
- Ariel Goldberg – Winner of the Córdova Prize for Lesbian/Queer Nonfiction
- Rabih Alameddine and Kristen Arnett – Winners of the Duggin Prize for Outstanding Mid-Career Novelist
- José Enrique Medina – Winner of the Samuel Prize for Emerging Writers Over 50
