The Hurston/Wright Legacy Awards program in the United States honors published Black writers worldwide for literary achievement. Introduced in 2001, the Legacy Award was the first national award presented to Black writers by a national organization of Black writers."Hurston/Wright Legacy Award" , Hurston/Wright Foundation., James Murua's Literature Blog, July 4, 2018. It is granted for fiction, nonfiction and poetry, selected in a juried competition.
Each fall, writers and publishers are invited to submit fiction, nonfiction and poetry books published that year. Panels of acclaimed writers serve as judges to select nominees, finalists and winners. A number of merit awards are also presented."Merit Awards" , Hurston Wright Foundation. Nominees are honored at the Legacy Awards ceremony, held the third Friday in October. The awards ceremony is hosted and organized by the Hurston/Wright Foundation.
Merit awards In addition to the Legacy Awards, the Hurston/Wright board of directors may present Merit awards during the annual Legacy Award ceremony.
The North Star Award pays homage to the significance of the North Star for enslaved Africans, who looked to it as a guide to gaining freedom in the North. It is awarded to individuals whose writing and/or service to the writing community serve as a beacon of brilliant accomplishment and as an inspiration to others.
The Ella Baker Award, named for the heroic civil rights activist, recognizes writers and arts activists for exceptional work that advances social justice.
The Madam C.J. Walker Award, named for the pioneering entrepreneur and philanthropist, recognizes exceptional innovation in supporting and sustaining Black literature.
Legacy Award winners
Fiction
Contemplative fiction +Contemplative fiction winnersYearAuthorWork 2005Tracy Price-ThompsonA Woman's Worth2006Clyde W. FordThe Long Mile: The Shango Mysteries
Debut fiction +Debut fiction winnersYearAuthorWork 2002David Anthony DurhamGabriel's Story2003Tayari JonesLeaving Atlanta2004Chimamanda Ngozi AdichiePurple Hibiscus2005Chris AbaniGraceLand2006Denise NicholasFreshwater Road2007Aminatta FornaAncestor Stones2008Kwame DawesShe's Gone2016Sanderia FayeMourner's Bench2017JJ Amaworo WilsonDamnificados2018Ladee HubbardThe Talented Ribkins2020Jeffrey ColvinAfricaville2021Rita WoodsRemembrance2022This Life20232024Soraya PalmerThe Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts
General fiction +General fiction winnersYearAuthorWork 2002Percival EverettErasure2003Zakes MdaThe Heart of Redness2004Mat JohnsonHunting in Harlem2005Maryse CondéWho Slashed Celanire's Throat?2006Nancy RawlesMy Jim2007Edward P. JonesAll Aunt Hagar's Children2008Junot DíazThe Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao2009Uwem AkpanSay You're One of Them2010Percival EverettI Am Not Sidney Poitier2011Danielle EvansBefore You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self2012Helen OyeyemiMr. Fox2013Esi EdugyanHalf-Blood Blues2014NoViolet BulawayoWe Need New Names2015Laila LalamiThe Moor's Account2016James HannahamDelicious Foods2017Colson WhiteheadThe Underground Railroad2018Alain MabanckouBlack Moses2019Nafissa Thompson-SpiresHeads of the Colored People2020Curdella ForbesA Tall History of Sugar2021Percival EverettTelephone20222023Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta2024Mihret SibhatThe History of a Difficult Child
Speculative fiction +Speculative fiction winnersYearAuthorWork 2023Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments
Nonfiction
General nonfiction +General nonfiction winnersYearAuthorWork 2002Ken WiwaIn the Shadow of a Saint: A Son's Journey to Understand His Father's Legacy2003Elizabeth McHenryForgotten Readers: Recovering the Lost History of African American Literary Societies2004Wil HaygoodIn Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis, Jr.2005Alexis De VeauxWarrior Poet: A Biography of Audre Lorde2006John Hope FranklinMirror to America: The Autobiography of John Hope Franklin2007Wangari MaathaiUnbowed: A Memoir2008Edwige DanticatBrother, I'm Dying2009Frank B. WildersonIncognegro: A Memoir of Exile and Apartheid2010Robin KelleyThelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original2011Isabel WilkersonThe Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration2012Tomiko Brown-NaginCourage to Dissent: Atlanta and the Long History of the Civil Rights Movement2013Fredrick HarrisThe Price of the Ticket: Barack Obama and Rise and Decline of Black Politics2014Craig WilderEbony & Ivy2015Elizabeth NunezNot For Everyday Use2016Pamela NewkirkSpectacle: The Astonishing Life of Ota Benga2017Kali Nicole GrossHannah Mary Tabbs and the Disembodied Torso: A Tale of Race, Sex, and Violence in America2018Tiya MilesThe Dawn of Detroit: A Chronicle of Slavery and Freedom in the City of the Straits2019Imani PerryMay We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem2020Albert WoodfoxSolitary: My Story of Transformation and Hope2021Marcia ChatelainFranchise: The Golden Arches in Black America
Historical/Social/Political +Historical/Social/Political nonfiction winnersYearAuthorWork 2022Born in Blackness2023By Hands Now Known: Jim Crow's Legal Executioners
Memoir/Biography +Memoir/Biography winnersYearAuthorWork 2022Half in Shadow: The Life and Legacy of Nellie Y. McKay2023Inciting Joy
Poetry +Poetry winnersYearAuthorWork 2007Patricia SmithTeahouse of the Almighty2008Kyle G. DarganBouquet of Hungers2009Myronn HardyThe Headless Saints2010Rita DoveSonata Mulattica: PoemsHaki R. MadhubutiLiberation Narratives: New and Collected Poems2011Elizabeth AlexanderCrave Radiance: New and Selected Poems 1990–20102012Evie Shockleythe new black2013Lucille CliftonThe Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton 1965–20102014Amaud Jamaul JohnsonDarktown Follies2015Claudia RankineCitizen: An American Lyric2016Vievee FrancisForest Primeval2017Donika KellyBestiary2018Evie ShockleySemiautomatic2019Terrance HayesAmerican Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin2020Ladan OsmanExiles of Eden2021Rachel Eliza GriffithsSeeing the Body2022No Ruined Stone2023Concentrate
Winners, finalists, and nominees
Fiction
Contemporary fiction +Contemporary fiction winners, finalists, and nominees Year Author Work Result 2005WinnerBlingNomineeShifting Through NeutralNomineeLove on the Dotted LineNominee2006WinnerWho Does She Think She Is?Nominee
Debut fiction +Debut fiction winners, finalists, and nominees Year Author Work Result 2002Gabriel's StoryWinnerFinalistGreenwichtownFinalistBreathing RoomNomineeBreak Any Woman DownNomineeNominee2003Leaving AtlantaWinnerFinalistFifth BornFinalistRiver WomanNomineeGiganticNomineeSong of the Water SaintsNominee2004Purple HibiscusWinnerFinalistKnee-Deep in WonderFinalistDaughterNomineeDrinking Coffee ElsewhereNomineeGetting Mother's BodyNominee2005GraceLandWinnerNomineeNominee2006Freshwater RoadWinnerTropical Fish: Tales from EntebbeNomineeUpstateNominee2007Ancestor StonesWinnerUnburnableNomineeGet Down: StoriesNominee2008She's GoneWinnerLike Trees, WalkingNomineeThemNominee2016Mourner's BenchWinnerNomineeNominee2017DamnificadosWinnerBlackassNomineeBorn on a TuesdayNominee2018WinnerWhat We LoseNomineeNominee2020AfricavilleWinnerAvery Colt Is a Snake, a Thief, a LiarNomineeAs a RiverNominee2021RemembranceWinnerBlack SundayNomineeNominee2022This LifeWinnerNomineeYoung BloodNomineeNominee2023WinnerNightcrawlingNomineeFinding La NegritaNominee
General fiction +Fiction winners, finalists, and nominees Year Author Work Result 2002ErasureWinnerOctober SuiteFinalistBombinghamFinalistNomineeHe SleepsNomineeFearless JonesNominee2003WinnerFinalistDouglass' WomenFinalistDiscretionNomineeWithout a Name and Under the TongueNomineeWater StreetNominee2004Hunting in HarlemWinnerFinalistFinalistHottentot VenusNomineeNomineeNominee2005Who Slashed Celanire's Throat?WinnerFinalistFinalistAmerican DesertNomineeLinksNomineeNominee2006My JimWinnerPride of CarthageFinalistFinalistJoplin's GhostNomineeDancing in the DarkNomineeThird Girl from the LeftNominee2007All Aunt Hagar's ChildrenWinnerHalf of a Yellow SunFinalistDominionFinalistNowhere Is a PlaceNomineeJump at the SunNomineeWizard of the CrowNominee2008WinnerFinalistSomeone Knows My NameFinalistNomineeMeasuring TimeNomineeNominee2009Say You're One of ThemWinnerHolding Pattern: StoriesFinalistWhere the Line BleedsFinalistStand the StormNomineeBlood ColonyNomineeSong Yet SungNominee2010I Am Not Sidney PoitierWinnerBlonde RootsFinalistSag HarborFinalistNomineeBig MachineNomineeBlack Water RisingNominee2011Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool SelfWinnerGloriousFinalistWenchFinalistHow to Read the AirNomineeWading Home: A Novel of New OrleansNomineeHow to Escape from a Leper ColonyNominee2012Mr. FoxWinnerSilver SparrowFinalistZone OneFinalistCrossbonesNomineeYou Are FreeNomineeSalvage the BonesNominee2013Half-Blood BluesWinnerNomineeElsewhere, CaliforniaNomineeNomineeNomineeGathering of WatersNominee2014We Need New NamesWinnerFinalistSee Now ThenFinalistEvery Boy Should Have a ManNomineeNomineeNominee2015WinnerFinalistLand of Love and DrowningFinalistNomineeRadiance of TomorrowNomineeNominee2016Delicious FoodsWinnerFinalistFinalistNomineeWelcome to BraggsvilleNomineeUnder the Udala TreesNominee2017WinnerFinalistAnother BrooklynFinalistNomineeNomineeSwing TimeNominee2018Black MosesWinnerFinalistSing, Unburied, SingFinalistWhat It Means When a Man Falls from the SkyNomineeNomineeDance of the JakarandaNominee2019Heads of the Colored PeopleWinnerShe Would Be KingFinalistFinalistFriday BlackNomineeBrotherNomineeWashington BlackNominee2020WinnerFinalistGingerbreadFinalistSpeaking of SummerNomineePatsyNomineeNominee2021TelephoneWinnerFinalistRing ShoutFinalistThese BodiesNomineeBook of the Little AxeNomineeBlack Bottom SaintsNominee2022WinnerRib KingNomineeNomineeNazaréNomineeYellow WifeNomineeReconstruction: StoriesNominee2023Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to CarlottaWinnerTake My Hand NomineeNomineePeople Person NomineeMother CountryNominee
Speculative fiction +Speculative fiction winners and nominees Year Author Work Result 2023Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments WinnerGoliathNomineeNominee
Nonfiction
General nonfiction