Nominations now open for the 2026 Indiana Authors Awards

Indiana Humanities announced nominations are now open for the 2026 Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Awards. Books published between Jan. 1, 2024 and Dec. 31, 2025, are eligible for the awards. Nominations will be accepted until Jan. 9, 2026.

The Indiana Authors Awards are given biennially to authors who self-nominate or have been nominated by other people or organizations. The nominator decides which category is the best fit for their submission.

“These awards are just as much about recognizing homegrown talent as they are about inspiring the next generation of writers to pick up the pen,” said Marianne Glick, chair of the Glick Family Foundation and daughter of Eugene and Marilyn Glick, founders of the Indiana Authors Awards. “Seeing success stories from just down the street can be the proof a child needs to believe that they too can become a published author.”

Awards will be presented in the following categories:

Fiction: This category includes literary fiction, novellas and short story collections written by a single author.

Nonfiction: Biography, memoir, creative nonfiction and nonfiction written for a general, non-specialized audience will be considered in the nonfiction category.

Poetry: Poetry book submissions should be written by a single author and longer than 48 pages.

Children’s: This category includes books for young children (ages 0-6).

Middle Grade: This category includes all genres of books intended for middle grade readers (ages 6-12).

Young Adult: This category includes all genres of books intended for young adult readers (ages 12-19).

Drama: Plays and screenplays that have been published, produced or performed will be considered.

Genre: Science fiction, mystery, fantasy, western, horror, crime and romance should all be nominated in the genre category.

Debut: This award recognizes the best first book by an Indiana author in any category. 

There will be two additional awards given in the categories of Literary Champion and Lifetime Achievement.

Descriptions for each are as follows:

Literary Champion: This award recognizes extraordinary contributions to the community of readers and writers in Indiana by an individual or organization. Literary champions may be writers, but may also include librarians, teachers, arts organizations, writing group organizers and more. This award may be given to an individual or organization. The literary champion is nominated with an explanation of why the individual or organization is a good candidate for this award, along with no fewer than three letters of recommendation.

Lifetime Achievement: This award recognizes an extraordinary body of work by a Hoosier author. Authors do not need to be current Indiana residents to be considered, but they must have significant connections to the Hoosier State, or the subject matter of their works must display significant Indiana influence. This award is not given posthumously. Past winners include Mari Evans, Dan Wakefield and Susan Neville.

“The literary landscape of Indiana is overflowing with talent, and the Indiana Authors Awards are a meaningful way to honor Hoosier writers for their significant contributions,” said Keira Amstutz, president and CEO of Indiana Humanities. “Each Awards cycle is an opportunity to inspire and support the next generation of writers and readers.”

For more information on the award categories, eligibility requirements and selection process, please read the nomination guidelines.

To learn more about the Indiana Authors Awards, visit www.IndianaAuthorsAwards.org.  Information about hosting a speaker or details about writing workshops can also be found on the site.