Special Prizes
The Karla Jay Prize for Emerging Writers in Gender and Sexuality Studies
The prize recognizes an individual with an emerging career in Gender and Sexuality Studies research, writing, and publication. The winner will receive a cash prize of $1,500.
- “Emerging” is here defined as having authored and published fewer than two (2) substantial works of greater than 40,000 words on the topic or earning less than 20% of annual income from publication, promotions, or speaking engagements on gender studies.
- Applicants will be asked to supply a 1-page personal statement, bio of up to 300 words, and a writing sample.
- 2025 – Nat Rivkin
Karla Jay, PhD (she/they), is Distinguished Professor Emerita of English, Women’s & Gender Studies, and Queer Studies at Pace University in New York City. Her first anthology, Out of the Closets: Voices of Gay Liberation (co-edited by Allen Young in 1972), is still in print. She has written, edited, and translated ten award-winning books, the most recent of which is Tales of the Lavender Menace: a Memoir of Liberation. She edited 24 titles for the series “The Cutting Edge: Lesbian Life and Literature,” published by New York University Press.
The Denneny Award for Editorial Excellence
The Denneny Award for Editorial Excellence is named in honor of Michael Denneny, who founded the first ever LGBTQ+ imprint at a major publishing house, was essential in the publishing of literature dealing with the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and so generously shared his talents with writers right up until the end of his life. The award will go to an editor whose commitment to the publication of LGBTQ+ writers and literature contributes significantly to the advancement of the LGBTQ+ community. The Denneny Award for Editorial Excellence is the only editorial award that not only recognizes the support provided by editors to the literary community, but also the importance of editors in the advancement of a social movement. The winner will receive a cash prize of $2,500.
- The award will go to an editor whose commitment to the publication of LGBTQ+ writers and literature contributes significantly to the advancement of the LGBTQ+ community. Candidates can work in any genre, be at any publication, and be at any stage of their career.
- Nominations for the Denneny Prize may be made by anyone. Submission materials will require that the applicant provide samples of the nominee’s work as well as a personal statement on how the nominee has impacted their work/life and why they should be awarded this prize.
- 2025 – Daniel Garcia
- 2024 – Dr. Remi Recchia
For 35 years as an editor at Macmillan, St. Martin’s Press, and Crown Publishing, Michael Denneny championed LGBTQ writers and stories as one of the first openly gay editors working at major publishing houses. Denneny published a broad range of groundbreaking fiction and nonfiction, including And the Band Played On by Randy Shilts, For Colored Girls by Ntozake Shange, and Critical Path by Buckminster Fuller, and other defining works by writers J. California Cooper, G. Gordon Liddy, Susan Fromberg Schaffer, Edmund White, Holly Woodlawn, and Divine. Denneny was also a founder of, and contributing editor at, the gay literary mag Christopher Street, which was instrumental in publishing gay literature from the 1970s through the 1990s. Denneny was the author of three books: Lovers: The Story of Two Men (Avon Books, 1979); Decent Passions (Alyson Publications, 1984), and On Christopher Street: Life, Sex, and Death After Stonewall (University of Chicago Press, 2023). He also co-edited the anthologies The Christopher Street Reader (Perigee, 1984) and First Love, Last Love (Putnam, 1986).
The Pat Holt Prize for Critical Arts Writing
The Pat Holt Prize for Critical Arts Writing is presented in memory of the celebrated author and long-time SF Chronicle book review editor Patricia Holt and honors LGBTQ Critical Writing on Arts & Literature. The award will go an LGBTQ arts critic or literary reviewer committed to examining queer works of art and culture, as Holt ground-breakingly did for 16 years. This award is made possible by Lesbians for Good, a fund of the Horizons Foundation, and includes a cash prize of $4,000.
- The applicant must identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer.
- Applicants must submit work that is published in a publicly available print or online periodical.
- All materials must be received by the deadline and submitted through our Submittable portal. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Do not submit materials via email.
- 2025 – Tausif Noor
- 2024 – Elizabeth Hoover
Patricia Holt was a founder of the Bay Area Book Reviewers Association, where she originated the idea for an annual BABRA Awards presentation to Northern California authors and publishers (now in its 15th year). In 1990 she became the first nonlibrarian in 40 years to receive the American Library Association’s prestigious Grolier Foundation Award. Elected to the board of directors of the National Book Critics Circle in 1991, she became Vice President in charge of membership in 1992-96. Holt was the author of a biography of San Francisco private detective Hal Lipset called The Bug in the Martini Olive, published in 1991 by Little, Brown and reprinted in 1994 as The Good Detective by Pocket Books.
She was book editor and critic at The San Francisco Chronicle for 16 years (1982-1998) and was named a board member of The Center for the Book at the Library of Congress in 1984. Increasingly concerned about the plight of independent bookstores in their struggle to survive wave after wave of chain bookstores, price clubs, discounters and Internet suppliers, Pat Holt resigned from The Chronicle in 1998 to create “Holt Uncensored,” an email book column launched by the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association.
The Randall Kenan Prize for Black LGBTQ Fiction
The Randall Kenan Prize for Black LGBTQ Fiction, in memory of the celebrated author Randall Kenan, honors Black LGBTQ writers of fiction. The award will go to a Black LGBTQ writer whose fiction explores themes of Black LGBTQ life, culture, and/or history. To be eligible, the winner of the prize must have published at least one book and show promise in continuing to produce groundbreaking work. The award includes a cash prize of $3,000.
This award was founded by sponsors Cedric Brown, Darnell Moore, Dr. L. Lamar Wilson, and Steven Petrow.
The 2025 prize is offered by Cedric Brown and Steven Petrow and Julie Petrow-Cohen Family Fund of Triangle Community Foundation.
- The applicant must self-identify as LGBTQ and Black.
- The applicant must have written and published (self-published or traditionally published) at least one book of fiction that captures the depth and complexity of Black LGBTQ life, culture, and/or history.
- Applicants must submit a sample from an already published book of fiction of no more than 20 pages.
- All materials must be received by the deadline and submitted through our Submittable portal. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Do not submit materials via email.
- 2021 – Ana-Maurine Lara
- 2022 – Kalynn Bayron
- 2023 – Eboni J. Dunbar
- 2024 – Liv Little
- 2025 – Allen R. Wells
Writer, teacher, and former Lambda Literary Emerging LGBTQ Voices faculty member Randall Kenan was the author of a novel, A Visitation of Spirits; two works of non-fiction, Walking on Water: Black American Lives at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century and The Fire This Time; and two collections of stories, Let the Dead Bury Their Dead and the recently released If I Had Two Wings. In his work, he explored how desire, community, and generational trauma can both uplift and warp the Black gay rural experience. He also edited and wrote the introduction for The Cross of Redemption: The Uncollected Writings of James Baldwin. Among his awards are a Guggenheim Fellowship, the North Carolina Award, the American Academy of Arts and Letters’ Rome Prize, and a Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction.
Jeanne Córdova Prize for Lesbian/Queer Nonfiction
Lambda Literary’s Jeanne Córdova Prize for Lesbian/Queer Nonfiction, in memory of the beloved activist and author, honors lesbian/queer-identified women and trans/gender non-conforming nonfiction authors. The award will go to a writer committed to nonfiction work that captures the depth and complexity of lesbian/queer life, culture, and/or history. The winner of the prize will have published at least one book and show promise in continuing to produce groundbreaking and challenging work. The award was introduced in 2018 and includes a cash prize of $2,500.
- The award is for a writer, not a book. The application must therefore focus on prior and ongoing writings, showing the author’s commitment to lesbian/queer nonfiction (including, but not limited to: memoir, biography, history, philosophy, and social justice genres and themes).
- Applicants must submit a sample from an already published book of no more than 20 pages, as well as a sample from (or outline of) ongoing work. (Maximum 10 pages.)
- All materials must be received by the deadline and submitted through our Submittable portal. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Do not submit materials via email.
- 2025 – D/Annie Liontas
- 2024 – Stephanie Davies
- 2023 – Jaquira Diaz
- 2022 – Aisha Sabatini Sloan
- 2021 – Nancy Agabian
- 2020 – Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
- 2019 – Karen Tongson
- 2018 – Melissa Febos
Jeanne Córdova, author, activist & publisher, was a pioneer of the West Coast LGBTQ Movement. Her writing and journalism included the Lammy award-winning memoir When We Were Outlaws: A Memoir of Love & Revolution. Her work also appeared in numerous award-winning anthologies including Persistent Desire: a Femme-Butch Reader and Lesbian Nuns: Breaking the Silence. In addition, she was a columnist for many publications, among them the L.A. Free Press and The Advocate. Córdova also founded and published The Lesbian Tide, the national newsmagazine of the lesbian feminist 1970’s, and she created the Community Yellow Pages, the nation’s largest LGBTQ business directory. Her long life of activism included founding many key LGBTQ rights organizations including the LA Gay Press Association, and serving as President of Stonewall Democratic Club and as Media Director for the campaigns to defeat anti-LGBTQ Propositions 6 & 64 in California. Major conferences she organized ranged from the first National Lesbian Conference in 1973 to Butch Voices LA in 2010. More recently her band of guerilla activists-LEX (the Lesbian Exploratory)-created political, art and history events, including “GenderPlay in Lesbian Culture” and the Lesbian Legacy Wall at ONE Archives.
Jim Duggins, PhD Outstanding Mid-Career Novelist Prize
Dedicated to the memory of author and journalist Jim Duggins, this prize honors LGBTQ-identified authors who have published multiple novels, built a strong reputation and following, and show promise to continue publishing high quality work for years to come.
This award is made possible by the James Duggins, PhD Fund for Outstanding Mid-Career LGBTQ Novelists, a fund of the Horizons Foundation, and includes a cash prize of $5,000.
- Applicants must have published at least three novels, or two novels and a substantial additional literary work (including poems, short stories, and/or essays).
- Awards shall be made to authors of demonstrated ability and with promise for growth in their writing.
- Candidates’ contributions to the LGBT literary field beyond their writings and publications shall also be considered.
- Applicants must submit a sample from an already published book, no more than 20 pages, as well as a sample from (or outline of) ongoing work. (Maximum 10 pages.)
- All materials must be received by the deadline and submitted through our Submittable portal. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Do not submit materials via email.
- 2025 – Carter Sickels & R. O. Kwon
- 2024 – K.M. Soehnlein & Dr. Zelda Lockhart
- 2023 – Ryka Aoki & Aaron Hamburger
- 2022 – Vi Khi Nao & Silas House
- 2021 – Brontez Purnell & Sarah Gerard
- 2020 – Larissa Lai
- 2017 – James Earl Hardy & Shani Mootoo
- 2014 – Michael Thomas Ford & Radclyffe
- 2013 – Trebor Healey & Nicola Griffith
- 2012 – Brian Leung & Stacey D’Erasmo
- 2011 – Alex Sanchez & Susan Stinson
- 2010 – Noel Alumit & Lee Lynch
- 2009 – Michael Lowenthal & Elana Dykewomon
- 2008 – Ronald L. Donaghe & Michelle Tea
- 2007 – Jim Grimsley & Dorothy Allison
This prize was not awarded in 2015-2016 and 2018-2019.
A U.S. Navy Journalist in the Pacific (Korean War), Jim studied with James Michener and Bill Lederer. He graduated from San Francisco State, and received his PhD from UC Berkeley. He taught English and Speech at high school and community college, and retired as a professor from San Francisco State. He co-authored Hooked on Books (Berkley Books), compiled Teaching Reading for Human Values (Charles Merrill), and wrote many articles for academic journals (The English Journal, The Journal of Reading, Wilson Library Journal). Jim’s memoir piece, “A Rock and a Hard Place,” appeared in Love, Castro Street: Reflections of San Francisco (Alyson Press, 2007). Jim Duggins was a member of the Original Palm Springs Writers Guild (Palm Springs, CA), The Authors Guild (New York) and the Historical Novel Society.
The J. Michael Samuel Prize for Emerging Writers Over 50
The J. Michael Samuel Prize honors emerging LGBTQ writers over the age of 50. This award is made possible by writer and philanthropist Chuck Forester, who created it out of the firmly held belief that “Writers who start late are just as good as other writers, it just took the buggers more time.” The prize will go to an unpublished LGBTQ writer over 50 working in any genre.
The award includes a cash prize of $5,000.
- Requires a 1-page personal statement (up to 500 words) and 10-page writing sample
- Applicants must be unpublished and have no works under contract or forthcoming from a publisher. (Up to 1 self-published book is acceptable). “Unpublished” here is in regard to books. Writers with bylines for short stories, poetry, and essays are still eligible.
- All materials must be received by the deadline and submitted through our Submittable portal. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Do not submit materials via email.
- 2025- Amy Beth Sisson
- 2024 – Paul Festa
- 2023 – Christopher Tradowsky
- 2022 – Jobert Abueva
Michael founded and then served on the board of Directors of Golden Gate Performing Arts, the parent organization of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and numerous other San Francisco-based gay musical groups. He has served as a facilitator and group leader for the University of California AIDS Health Project for eighteen years, and was a Shanti volunteer for four years. Michael splits his time between San Francisco and Occidental, California, with his husband, Chris, of fifty years.
Congratulations to the winners of our 2025 Special Prizes!
ALLEN R. WELLS
2025 Randall Kenan Prize
D/ANNIE LIONTAS
2025 Córdova Prize
AMY BETH SISSON
2025 Samuel Prize
DANIEL GARCIA
2025 Denneny Prize
TAUSIF NOOR
2025 Holt Prize
EMET NORTH
2025 Markowitz Prize
AARON A. ACEVES
2025 Markowitz Prize
CARTER SICKELS
2025 Duggins Prize
R. O. KWON
2025 Duggins Prize
Past Awards
The Judith A. Markowitz Award for Exceptional New LGBTQ Writers
The Judith A. Markowitz Award for Exceptional New LGBTQ Writers recognized LGBTQ-identified writers whose work demonstrated their strong potential for promising careers.
Recipients
- 2025 – Aaron H. Aceves & Emet North
- 2024 – River 瑩瑩 Dandelion & Federico Erebia
- 2023 – Maya Salameh & Naseem Jamnia
- 2022 – Ching-In Chen & Morgan Thomas
- 2021 – T Kira Madden & Taylor Johnson
- 2020 – Xandria Phillips & Calvin Gimpelevich
- 2019 – Robert Fieseler & Hannah Ensor
- 2018 – Mecca Jamilah Sullivan & Jeanne Thornton
- 2017 – H Melt & Victor Yates
- 2016 – JP Howard & Bryan Borland
- 2015 – Anne Balay & Daisy Hernandez
- 2014 – Imogen Binnie & Charles Rice-Gonzalez
- 2013 – Carter Sickels & Sassafras Lowrey
Trustee Award
Lambda Literary bestows its Trustee Award on individuals who have broken new ground in the field of LGBTQ literature, publishing, filmmaking, journalism, playwriting, etc.
Established in 2013, the Award honors those who, through their achievements and passionate commitment, have contributed to the LGBT literature and arts community in significant and tangible ways: through works of literature, film, and other media or by establishing publishing houses, publications, archives, bookstores, or further institutions.
Trustee Award recipients are determined by Lambda Literary’s Board of Trustees.
Recipients
- Maia Kobabe (2023)
- Jericho Brown (2020)
- Alexander Chee (2019)
- Roxane Gay (2018)
- Jeanette Winterson (2017)
- Hilton Als (2016)
- John Waters (2015)
- Alison Bechdel (2014)
- Augusten Burroughs (2013)
Visionary Award
Lambda Literary bestows its Visionary Award on individuals who have broken new ground in the field of LGBTQ literature and publishing. Established in 1995, the Award honors those who, through their achievements and passionate commitment, have contributed to the LGBTQ literary community in significant and tangible ways: through works of literature, or by establishing publishing houses, publications, archives, bookstores, or other institutions.
Visionary Award (previously the Pioneer Award) recipients are determined by Lambda Literary’s Board of Trustees.
Recipients
- Lily Wachowski (2023)
- Jane Wagner (2020)
- Masha Gessen (2019)
- Edmund White (2018)
- Jacqueline Woodson (2017)
- Eileen Myles (2016)
- Rita Mae Brown (2015)
- Kate Bornstein (2014)
- Malcolm Boyd, Lillian Faderman, Katherine V. Forrest, John Rechy, Patricia Nell Warren (2013)
- Cherrie Moraga (2013 – New York)
- Armistead Maupin (2012)
- Kate Millett (2012)
- Edward Albee (2011)
- Val McDermid (2011)
- Larry Kramer (2010)
- Kate Clinton (2010)
- Leslie Feinberg (2009)
- The Violet Quill, featuring Andrew Holleran, Felice Picano & Edmund White (2009)
- Ann Bannon (2008)
- Malcolm Boyd (2008)
- Mark Thompson (2008)
- Martin Duberman (2007)
- Marijane Meaker (2007)
- Samuel R. Delany (2004)
- Blanche Wiesen Cook (2004)
- Amazon Bookstore Cooperative (2003)
- Barbara Grier, Naiad Press (2003)
- Judy Shepard, The Mathew Shepard Foundation (2003)
- Astraea Foundation (2001)
- Katherine V. Forrest (1999)
- Ron Hanby, Bookazine (1998)
- Helaine Harris, Daedalus Books (1997)
- L. Page “Deacon” Maccubbin, Lambda Rising (1996)
Publishing Professional Award
The Lambda Literary Publishing Professional Award honors a distinguished individual in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community whose innovative work in the publishing industry promotes and promulgates LGBTQ literature.
Recipients
- Charis Books (2023)
- Brian Lam (2020)
- Barbara Smith (2019)
- Bluestockings Bookstore, Feminist Bookstore Collective (2018)
- Michele Karlsberg, publicist and founder and editor of Amethyst Press (2017)
- Lisa C. Moore, founder and editor or RedBone Press (2016)
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