Writing

National Awards

  • Amazon.ca First Novel Award
    The Amazon.ca First Novel Award recognizes the outstanding achievement of a Canadian first-time novelist.
  • Arthur Ellis Awards
    The Arthur Ellis Awards are presented annually by the Crime Writers of Canada for work from the crime fiction genre. They are presented in seven different areas, including short story, non-fiction and juvenile.
  • Barbara Novak Writing Award
    The Professional Writers Association of Canada presents the Novak award annually for Excellence in Humour/ Personal Essay Writing.
  • Book of the Year for Children Award
    The Canadian Library Association presents the Book of the Year for Children Award annually. Nominations can include any act of creative writing (fiction, poetry, narrative, non-fiction, retelling of traditional literature).
  • Canada-Japan Literary Awards
    The Canada-Japan Literary Awards recognize literary excellence by Canadian writers writing on the subject of Japan, or Japanese culture.
  • Canadian Authors Association Literary Awards
    The CAA Literary awards honour works by various Canadian authors that achieve excellence. Awards are offered for best play, poetry, historical non fiction and for emerging writers.
  • Canadian Booksellers Association Libris Awards
    CBA Libris Awards are presented annually in 15 categories, including best fiction book of the Year, best children’s book and best non-fiction book of the year. A call for nominations is sent to CBA Members each spring.
  • Canadian Children's Book Centre Awards
    Awards are administered by the CCBC include the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People, Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction, TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, and Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award.
  • CBC Literary Awards
    The CBC Literary Awards are sponsored by the Canada Council and consist of $6,000 for the first prize and $4,000 for the second. Awards are given in both French and English in the categories of short story, creative nonfiction, and poetry.
  • Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction
    The Charles Taylor Prize celebrates excellence in the field of literary non-fiction in terms of style, language, and subtlety of thought and perception.
  • Cundill History Prize in History
    The Cundill Prize in History is awarded annually to the author of a non-fiction book that is likely to have profound literary, social and academic impact in the area of history.
  • Danuta Gleed Literary Award
    Through the Writers Union of Canada the prize will be awarded to a Canadian writer, for the best first collection of published short fiction in the English language. The award also carries second and third prizes.
  • Gerald Lampert Memorial Award
    The League of Canadian Poets presents this award to the best first book of poetry published by a Canadian in the preceding year.
  • Governor General’s Literary Awards
    The Governor General’s Literary Awards are presented annually by the Canada Council to the best book in each of the seven categories of fiction.
  • Griffin Poetry Prize
    Each year, the Griffin trust recognizes excellence in both Canadian and International poetry.
  • Joseph S. Stauffer Prizes
    The Canada Council awards the Stauffer prizes in the fields of music, visual arts, and literature each year. The award is designed to encourage young Canadians who demonstrate promise or potential.
  • Molson Prizes
    The Molson prizes consist of $50,000 and are awarded annually to distinguished Canadians in the arts. The prize is possible because of an endowment from the Molson family. The Canada Council administers the award and chooses the winner.
  • MOSAID Technologies Inc. Award for Fiction
    This award is presented by the Canadian Authors Association and is given for a full-length novel.
  • National Business Book Award
    The NBBA was established in 1985 to recognize the outstanding talent in Canadian business writing. It is widely considered one of Canada’s most prestigious English-language book awards.
  • National Magazine Awards
    The National Magazine Awards Foundation (NMAF) is a bilingual, not-for-profit institution whose mission is to recognize excellence in the content and creation of Canadian magazines through an annual program of awards.
  • Pat Lowther Memorial Award
    Presented by the League of Canadian poets this award is given for a book of poetry by a Canadian woman published in the preceding year.
  • Periodical Marketers of Canada Aboriginal Literature Award
    The Aboriginal Literature Award is a new award inspired by the goals of the First Nation Communities Read program. It will provide the creators of the First Nation Communities Read 2014-2015 title selection with a $5,000 prize.
  • Prix Aurora Awards
    The Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association present the Aurora annually for excellence in Fantasy and Sci-Fi.
  • ReLit Awards
    The ReLit Awards were founded by author Kenneth J. Harvey and are presented in the areas of short fiction, poetry, and fiction.
  • Scotiabank Giller Prize
    The Giller Prize, sponsored by Scotiabank, are held annually in recognition of the best Canadian novel or short story collection published in English.
  • Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing
    The Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by the Writers’ Trust of Canada to the non-fiction book that best captures a political subject of interest to Canadian readers and enhances understanding.
  • Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour
    The Leacock award is presented annually to the best humour book from a Canadian.
  • Sunburst Award for Canadian Literature of the Fantastic
    The Sunburst Award for Canadian Literature of the Fantastic is a juried award for excellence in works of fantasy. There are two awards: adult and young adult.
  • The Donner Prize
    The Donner Prize annually rewards excellence and innovation in Canadian public policy writing. The aim of this award is to inspire lively debate on public policy issues and to reward provocative and excellent work that speaks to an informed readership.
  • The Word Guild Canadian Christian Writing Awards
    This award is given in recognition for excellence in Christian writing within Canada.
  • Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Awards
    The Canada Council presents the awards, worth $15,000, for outstanding achievement by mid-career artists in a variety of disciplines, including Writing and Publishing.
  • Writers’ Trust Awards
    Through its various initiatives, the Writers’ Trust celebrates and rewards the talents and achievements of Canada’s novelists, short story writers, poets, biographers, and other writers.
  • Young Adult Canadian Book Award
    The Young Adult Canadian Book Award was established by the Canadian Library Association in recognition of a book that appeals to young adults between the ages of 13 and 18. It must be a work of fiction.

Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature
Established by CODE, in collaboration with William (Bill) Burt and the Literary Prizes Foundation, this award aims to provide engaging and culturally-relevant books for young people across Canada by recognizing excellence in English-language literary works for Young Adults by First Nations, Métis and Inuit authors.

Alberta

  • Alberta Literary Awards
    The Alberta Literary Awards were created by the Writers Guild of Alberta in 1982 to recognize excellence in writing by Alberta authors. Entries are judged by an independent jury recruited by the Writers Guild of Alberta.
  • City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize
    The prize is awarded each year for an outstanding book published in the award year and is paid to the winning author by The City of Calgary.

Atlantic Provinces

  • Arts New Brunswick Lieutenant Governor’s Awards
    The Lieutenant-Governor’s Awards for High Achievement in the Arts is a program designed to recognize the outstanding contribution of certain individuals to the arts.
  • Atlantic Book Awards
    Awards are open to native or resident Atlantic Canadians who were either born in Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia or New Brunswick and spent a substantial portion of their lives living in one or a combination of these provinces.
  • Fresh Fish Award for Emerging Writers
    Presented in partnership with the Literary Arts Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, is intended to serve as an incentive for emerging writers in Newfoundland and Labrador by providing them with financial support, recognition, and professional editing
  • Heritage and History Book Awards
    In partnership with the Historic Sites Association, Writers Alliance of Labrador and Newfoundland presents a Heritage and History Book Award for a work of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or young adult/children’s literature.
  • Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards
    Writers Alliance of Labrador and Newfoundland presents the Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards in partnership with the Literary Arts Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador.
  • WFNB Literary Awards
    The Writers Federation of New Brunswick has various writing awards for New Brunswick residents.

British Columbia

  • BC Book Prizes
    The BC Book Prizes are presented in a number of areas, including fiction, poetry, children’s literature, illustrated children’s books, non-fiction, as well as a regional prize. Authors must either live or have lived in B.C. or the Yukon.
  • City of Vancouver Book Award
    The City of Vancouver Book Award has been presented annually since 1989 to authors of books in any genre that demonstrate excellence and contribute to the appreciation and understanding of Vancouver’s history, unique character and achievements.
  • City of Victoria Butler Book Prize
    The City of Victoria Butler Book Prize, honours members of the literary community and awards a $5,000 prize to a Greater Victoria author for the best book published in the preceding year in the categories of poetry, non-fiction, fiction and biography.
  • Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence
    The Lieutenant Governor’s Award is presented as part of the BC Book Prizes, and is used to recognize British Columbia writers who have contributed to the development of literary excellence in the province.
  • Okanagan Literary Arts Award
    The Okanagan Literary Arts Award recognizes works of fiction and non-fiction as well as news and blog writing.
  • Shelagh A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize
    The Egoff prize is awarded to the author of novels, including chapter books, aimed at juveniles and young adults, as well as non-fiction books for children (including biography) which have not been highly illustrated.

Manitoba

  • Manitoba Arts Council Award of Distinction
    The Manitoba Arts Council’s Manitoba Arts Award of Distinction is presented annually to recognize the highest level of artistic excellence and distinguished career achievements by a professional Manitoba artist.
  • Manitoba Book Awards
    The awards presented by the Manitoba Writers’ Guild honour the best writing and publishing talent across a variety of categories.

Ontario

  • James Bartleman Aboriginal Youth Creative Writing Award
    Every year up to six Aboriginal students will receive this award for their creative writing talent. Creative pieces may include, but are not limited to short stories, poems, essays, plays, or songs and must be original work created by the student.
  • Ontario Arts Council
    The Ontario Arts Council provides grants, awards, and services to individual artists and arts organizations in Ontario. It offers more than 50 funding programs as well as awards, prizes, and scholarships for the cultural sector.
  • Ottawa Book Awards
    The Ottawa Book Awards and the Prix du livre d’Ottawa recognize the best in fiction and non-fiction written in English and French, respectively, by a local writer in the previous year.
  • Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts
    The Ontario Arts Council Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts recognizes outstanding achievement and contribution to arts and culture in Ontario, over a significant period of time.
  • Toronto Arts Council Foundation Awards
    The Toronto Arts Council Foundation Awards celebrate artists, cultural professionals and arts supporters from every creative discipline. This award program is designed to highlight the significant contributions made by our city’s cultural leadership.
  • Toronto Book Awards
    Established by Toronto City Council in 1974, The Toronto Book Awards honour authors of books of literary or artistic merit that are evocative of Toronto.
  • Trillium Book Award
    The Trillium Award is open to books in any genre: fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, and poetry from Ontario. Anthologies and translations are not eligible.

Quebec

Saskatchewan

  • Saskatchewan Book Awards
    The Saskatchewan Book Awards are presented annually in a joint effort by the Saskatchewan Writers Guild, Saskatchewan Publishers Group, and Saskatchewan Library Association.

Yukon

  • Advanced Artist Awards
    The Advanced Artist Award assists advanced Yukon visual, literary and performing artists practicing at a senior level with innovative projects, travel or educational pursuits that contribute to their personal artistic development and to their community.

International

  • Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
    The Swedish government founded the Lindgren award and the prize is the largest offered in the field of children and youth literature. The award honours authors, illustrators, storytellers, people, and organizations that promote reading.
  • Commonwealth Writers’ Prize
    The Commonwealth Writers’ Prize is given annually for outstanding fiction from the Commonwealth.
  • Hans Christian Andersen Awards
    IBBY presents the Andersen award annually to an author and an illustrator whose complete works have made lasting contributions to children’s literature.
  • Hugo Awards
    The Hugo is given annually in recognition of excellence in science fiction. They are presented each year at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon).
  • International Griffin Poetry Prize
    Each year, the Griffin trust recognizes excellence in both Canadian and International poetry.
  • International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
    The IMPAC Dublin Award is presented annually in recognition of a work of fiction written in English. Nominations are made by public libraries from cities around the world.
  • Kiriyama Prize
    The Kiriyama prize was established to recognize excellence in works emerging from the Pacific Rim. Two prizes are awarded: one for fiction, and one for non-fiction.
  • Man Booker Prize
    The Man Booker Prize is awarded annually and is given to the best international fiction title by an author from the commonwealth or Ireland. The prize must have been originally written in English.
  • Nobel Prize in Literature
    The Nobel Prize is presented annually to an international author whose work of fiction demonstrates both talent and idealism.
  • The Watty Awards
    The Watty Awards is an annual competition run by Wattpad, where users vote for the best submitted stories in three categories: Most Popular, On the Rise, and Undisovered.