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AWP Small Press Publisher Award

AWP’s Small Press Publisher Award is an annual prize for nonprofit presses and literary journals that recognizes the important role such organizations play in publishing creative works and introducing new authors to the reading public. The award acknowledges the hard work, creativity, and innovation of these presses and journals, and honors their contributions to the literary landscape through their publication of consistently excellent work. Letters of nomination are accepted September 1–October 31 annually via our online submission portal.

The award includes a $2,000 honorarium and a complimentary exhibit booth, including two complimentary conference registrations, at the AWP Conference & Bookfair in the year following the recipient’s recognition. In even years, the award is given to a journal, and, in odd years, to a press.

Submit nominations September 1–October 31 via our online submission portal

2026 Winner

Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora

Obsidian cultivates, through publication and critical inquiry, Black imagination and innovation—supporting Black, African, and African Diaspora creatives globally. In 1975 Alvin Aubert founded the journal as Obsidian: Black Literature in Review. Through the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, the journal was published under the names Obsidian II: Black Literature in Review and Obsidian III: Literature in the African Diaspora. In 2014, current editor Duriel E. Harris expanded the journal to a full publishing platform and exhibited a new subtitle, Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora. Obsidian is now celebrating over fifty years of continuous publication.

2026 Finalists

The Adroit Journal

The Adroit Journal showcases emerging and established writers and artists globally through its acclaimed literary journal, dedicated youth programming, free and accessible content, diverse engagement opportunities, and community building initiatives. After fifteen years and fifty-five issues, The Adroit Journal has become known as the stage where the next generation of literary voices appears. In 2026, The Adroit Journal will continue to publish emerging writers alongside Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners and expand its mentorship program through an all-new scholarship fund.

Massachusetts Review

In these uncertain times, the Massachusetts Review promotes social justice and equality, along with great art. Founded in 1959 by a group of professors from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst College, Mount Holyoke, and Smith, the Massachusetts Review is one of the nation’s leading literary magazines, distinctive in joining the highest level of artistic concern with pressing public issues. Recent special issues include “Disability Justice,” “The View from Gaza,” and “Incarceration & Family.”

Criteria

The AWP Small Press Publisher Award is for presses or journals that have consistently demonstrated excellence in the following categories: quality and discernment in curatorship of published work, quality of content, quality of editing, and skill and innovation in design. Nominees will be committed to nurturing the talents of their published authors, supporting their literary communities, and actively engaging in consistent and effective public engagement and outreach.

Eligibility

The AWP Small Press Publisher award will be given to a press or journal that has made significant contributions to contemporary literature.

The nominee will be a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
The nominee will have participated in at least three previous AWP bookfairs, which may include the bookfair held in the year in which they are nominated.
The nominee will have been in operation for five years or more at the time of its nomination.
The winner must travel to the AWP conference to receive the award.

Letters of Nomination

Letters of nomination should include an explanation of how the nonprofit press or literary journal fulfills the criteria above and a detailed explanation of how the nominated organization has contributed to the literary landscape, demonstrated consistent excellence in the criteria above, and demonstrated commitment to nurturing authors.

Letters should be no longer than two single-spaced pages. Letters should include the name, return address, and signature of the nominating person as well as contact information for a representative of the organization nominated who can accept the award on behalf of the organization. All nominations should be in PDF format and submitted through AWP's submission portal. Postal submissions will not be considered. An employee, board member, or volunteer of an organization may not nominate their own organization for the award.

Duration of Active Nominations

Nominations will be considered for three years, including the year the nomination is submitted.

Award

All letters of nomination submitted before the deadline will be reviewed by a small committee who will select three finalists and determine a winner. The recipient will be announced during the Wednesday night Literary Awards Reception at the AWP Conference & Bookfair. The winner will receive a complimentary booth, including two conference registrations, at the bookfair following the year the award was presented. (For example, the winner of the 2026 award will be announced at the #AWP26 Conference & Bookfair and receive a booth at the #AWP27 Conference & Bookfair.) The winner will also receive a $2,000 honorarium. Booths are not transferrable; winners who choose not to exhibit at the following year’s bookfair will forfeit their complimentary exhibit space.

All finalists will be announced on AWP’s website and social media accounts and featured in The Writer’s Chronicle.

Autumn House Press

Autumn House Press is an independent publisher based in Pittsburgh, PA. We specialize in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, supporting thought-provoking work and championing emerging and established authors, including Ada Limón, Gerald Stern, Danusha Lameris, Michael X. Wang, Clifford Thompson, Chana Bloch, and many more. Autumn House believes literature affirms the deep and elemental range of our human experience, and our goal is to create beautifully crafted books that resonate with readers, ensuring that literature remains a vital force in the world.
Finalists: Alice James Books, Tia Chucha Press

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