Wisconsin Writers Awards Ceremony

media release: Join us on Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 6 PM to celebrate the best published work from 2025 by Wisconsin writers. The award ceremony includes brief readings by first place winners and will be followed by a reception and book signing by the authors. 

Don't miss the opportunity to hear some of Wisconsin's best writers reading from their work. This event is free and open to the public. 

The Wisconsin Writers Awards was established in 1964 and is Wisconsin’s longest-running literary award for published work. The eight awards include four awards for books; three awards for short form works including short stories, poetry, and nonfiction; and one special prize for writing by a Wisconsin high school student. The awards celebrate works published in 2023 by writers currently residing in or having lived for a significant period of time in Wisconsin (entries for the Wisconsin Young Writers Award need not have been previously published). This year the first place award for books prize was increased to $1000.

In addition to cash prizes, first-place winners of the Wisconsin Writers Awards (except for the Young Writers Award) each receive a five-day writing residency at Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts in Mineral Point. Honorable mentions receive a cash prize and five-day residency at Ernest Hüpeden's Painted Forest in Wonewoc, WI. Out-of-state judges made the decisions for each award.