Kirkus Prize (Fiction)

The Kirkus Prize for Fiction is one of the largest monetary literary awards in the United States, offering a $50,000 prize to the winner in each of three annual categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Young Readers' Literature. Founded in 2014 by Kirkus Reviews, which has been providing pre-publication book reviews to the publishing industry since 1933, the prize celebrates exceptional books that have received a coveted Kirkus starred review during the eligibility period. This automatic nomination mechanism means that any book deemed outstanding by Kirkus's editorial team is eligible, creating a prize that is discovered organically through the review process rather than through publisher submissions. The Fiction category recognizes novels, short story collections, and other works of literary fiction that have earned a starred Kirkus review. The prize has quickly established itself as a significant force in American literary culture, with past fiction winners including Lily King, Hanya Yanagihara, Colson Whitehead, Hernan Diaz, James McBride, and Percival Everett. The annual ceremony, held each October in New York City, celebrates all three categories simultaneously and has become a fixture on the literary awards calendar. What sets the Kirkus Prize apart is the scale of its financial recognition and the breadth of its eligibility—thousands of starred reviews generate a large pool of nominees each year, and six finalists per category are announced in late August before winners are revealed in early October. The prize is jointly administered by Kirkus Reviews editorial staff and independent judging panels, ensuring both professional rigor and literary breadth.