Premio Cervantes · 2025 · Winner
Premio Cervantes
2025 Winner
Complete History
2020s
About the Premio Cervantes
The Premio Cervantes is the most prestigious literary prize in the Spanish-speaking world, awarded annually since 1976 by the Spanish Ministry of Culture to a writer for their entire body of work in the Spanish language. Named after Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quijote, the prize is a lifetime achievement award that recognizes contributions to the enrichment of the Spanish literary heritage. It alternates between writers from Spain and from Latin America, and the ceremony is held on April 23 — Cervantes's death anniversary — at the University of Alcalá de Henares, with Spain's king presiding. The prize carries €125,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
- It is a lifetime achievement award, recognizing the writer's entire body of work and their total contribution to Spanish-language literature, not any single publication.
- April 23 is World Book Day and is commemorated as the anniversary of the death of Miguel de Cervantes in 1616. The ceremony at Alcalá de Henares — Cervantes's birthplace — honors this connection.
- Traditionally, the prize alternates between a writer from Spain and a writer from Latin America, though this is a convention rather than a strict rule.
- The prize is awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Culture, with nominations submitted by the Royal Spanish Academy and the national language academies of Latin American countries. A selection committee of academics then recommends a winner to the Minister of Culture.
- The Premio Cervantes carries a prize of €125,000 (approximately $136,000 USD), making it one of the most lucrative literary awards in the Spanish-speaking world.
- The prize is specifically for contributions to Spanish-language literature. While some laureates are from Catalonia (Joan Margarit), their prize-winning body of work includes substantial Spanish-language writing.
- The winner is typically announced in November or December of the preceding year, but the ceremony and prize presentation take place on April 23.
- Past laureates include Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel García Márquez, Octavio Paz, Pablo Neruda, Rafael Cadenas, Ida Vitale, and many other giants of Spanish-language literature.
- Yes. Any writer who has made a significant contribution to Spanish-language literature, regardless of their country of origin, is eligible.
- The Premio Cervantes is sometimes described as the Nobel Prize of the Spanish-speaking world. While it lacks the global prestige of the Nobel, it is the highest recognition a Spanish-language writer can receive for their career.