Winners

Awards by Year

2012

  • Lifetime Achievement
    Joyce Carol Oates
  • Award of Honor
    Morgan Entrekin
  • Freedom to Write
    Lara Logan
  • First Amendment
    Robert Scheer
  • Fiction
    Siobhan Fallon , You Know When The Men Are Gone
  • Creative Nonfiction
    Eavan Boland , A Journey with Two Maps: Becoming a Woman Poet
  • Research Nonfiction
    Candice Millard , Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President
  • Poetry
    Anne Waldman , The Iovis Trilogy: Colors in the Mechanism of Concealment
  • Children's and Young Adult Literature
    Matthew J. Kirby , Icefall
  • Translation
    Suzanne Jill Levine , The Lizard's Tale: A Novel
  • Journalism
    Ben Ehrenreich , Drip, Jordan: Israel's water war with Palestine (Harper's)
  • Drama
    Michelle Carter , How to Pray
  • Teleplay
    Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, and Gideon Raff , Homeland: Pilot Episode (Showtime)
  • Screenplay
    Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig , Bridesmaids (Universal Pictures)
  • UC Press Exceptional First Book Award
    Beth Levy , Frontier Figures: American Music and the Mythology of the American West
  • Graphic Literature
    Outstanding Body of Work , Joe Sacco

2011

  • Lifetime Achievement
    Robert Pinsky
  • Award of Honor
    Dave Eggers
  • Freedom to Write
    Ellie Herman
  • First Amendment
    Charles Bowdon
  • Fiction
    James Fleming , Tengo Sed
  • Creative Nonfiction
    Gregory Boyle , Tattoos on the Heart
  • Research Nonfiction
    Ian Morris , Why the West Rules - For Now
  • Poetry
    Craig Santos Perez , From unincorporated territory [saina]
  • Children's and Young Adult Literature
    Pam Muñoz Ryan , The Dreamer
  • Translation
    Damion Searls , John Fosse's Aliss at the Fire
  • Journalism
    Po Bronson and Ashley Merriman , The Creativity Crisis (Newsweek)
  • Drama
    Tom Jacobson , The Twentieth Century Way
  • Teleplay
    David Simon and Eric Overmyer , Treme: Pilot Episode (HBO)
  • Screenplay
    Nicole Holofcener , Please Give
  • UC Press Exceptional First Book Award
    Sebouh David Aslanian , From the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean: The Global Trade Networks of Armenian Mechants from New Julfa
  • Graphic Literature
    Outstanding Body of Work , Daniel Clowes

2010

  • Lifetime Achievement
    James Salter
  • Award of Honor
    Hugh Hefner
  • Freedom to Write
    Sisay Agena: Ethiopian Free Journalists Association
  • First Amendment
    Hugh Hefner
  • Award of Merit
    Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver
  • Fiction
    Victor Lodato , Mathilda Savitch
  • Creative Nonfiction
    Vicki Forman , This Lovely Life
  • Research Nonfiction
    Minal Hajratwala , Leaving India: My Family's Journey from Five Villages to Five Countries
  • Poetry
    Amy Catanzano , Multiversal
  • Children's and Young Adult Literature
    Paul Fleischman , The Dunderheads
  • Translation
    Fady Joudah , Mahmoud Darwish's If I Were Another
  • Journalism
    Mary Melton , Julius Shulman in 36 Exposures (Los Angeles Magazine)
  • Drama
    Julie Hébert , Tree
  • Teleplay
    Peter Blake , House: The Tyrant
  • Screenplay
    Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner , Up in the Air
  • UC Press Exceptional First Book Award
    Angela Garcia , The Pastoral Clinic: Addiction and Dispossession Along the Rio Grande
  • Graphic Literature
    Outstanding Body of Work , Matt Fraction

2009

  • Lifetime Achievement
    Elmore Leonard
  • Award of Honor
    Ben Goldhirsch , GOOD Magazine
  • First Amendment
    Liz Garbus and Sheila Nevins
  • Fiction
    Kim Barnes , A Country Called Home
  • Creative Nonfiction
    Steve Lopez , The Soloist
  • Research Nonfiction
    Leslie T. Chang , Factory Girls
  • Poetry
    Seido Ray Ronci , Skeleton of the Crow - New and Selected Poems 1978-2008
  • Children's and Young Adult Literature
    Kathi Appelt , The Underneath
  • Translation
    Maxine Chernoff & Paul Hoover , Selected Poems of Friedrich Holderlin
  • Journalism
    Karen Olsson , Before and After (Texas Monthly)
  • Drama
    Marisela Treviño Orta , Braided Sorrow
  • Teleplay
    George Mastras , Breaking Bad: Crazy Handful of Nothin' (AMC)
  • Screenplay
    Dustin Lance Black , Milk

2008

  • Lifetime Achievement
    Larry Gelbart
  • Award of Honor
    Michael Wright , TNT
  • Freedom to Write
    U Win Tin (Myanmar)
  • First Amendment
    Writers Guild of America West
  • Fiction
    Daniel Alarcon , Lost City Radio
  • Creative Nonfiction
    Julia Whitty , The Fragile Edge
  • Research Nonfiction
    William by T. Vollman , Poor People
  • Poetry
    Juan Felipe Herrera , 187 Reasons Mexicanos Can't Cross the Border
  • Children's and Young Adult Literature
    Ron Koertge , Strays
  • Translation
    Donald Revell , A Season in Hell by Arthur Rimbaud
  • Journalism
    Jesse Katz , The Test of Their Lives (Los Angeles Magazine)
  • Drama
    Shem Bitterman , Harm's Way
  • Teleplay
    Terence Winter , The Sopranos: The Second Coming (HBO)
  • Screenplay
    Paul Thomas Anderson , Paul Thomas Anderson

2007

  • Lifetime Achievement
    Clancy Sigal
  • Award of Honor
    Attorneys for the Defense of the First Amendment: Martin Garbus Esq.; Laura R. Handman Esq.; Thomas R. Julin Esq.; Charles D. Tobin Esq.
  • Freedom to Write
    Sahal Abdulle
  • First Amendment
    Jerry Roberts
  • Fiction
    Kevin Brockmeier , The Brief History of the Dead
  • Creative Nonfiction
    Debra Marquart , The Horizontal World
  • Research Nonfiction
    Lawrence Wright , The Looming Tower
  • Poetry
    Ralph Angel , Exceptions and Melancholies: Poems 1986-2006
  • Children's and Young Adult Literature
    Cynthia Kadohata , Weedflower
  • Translation
    Mary M. Y. Fung and David Lunde , The Carving of Insects by Bian Zhilin
  • Journalism
    Jake Silverstein , Highway Run (Harper's)
  • Drama
    Craig Volk , Mayakovsky Takes the Stage
  • Teleplay
    Phyllis Nagy , Mrs. Harris (HBO)
  • Screenplay
    Zach Helm , Stranger Than Fiction

2006

  • Lifetime Achievement
    Jane Smiley
  • Award of Honor
    Bob Shaye
  • Freedom to Write
    Iraqi journalists
  • First Amendment
    Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams
  • Fiction
    Percival Everett , Wounded
  • Creative Nonfiction
    Michael Chorost , Rebuilt: How Becoming Part Computer Made Me More Human
  • Research Nonfiction
    Adam Hochschild , Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire's Slaves
  • Poetry
    Brian Turner , Here Bullet
  • Children's and Young Adult Literature
    Viola Canales , The Tequila Worm
  • Translation
    Lucia Re and Paul Vangelisti , War Variations by Amelia Rosselli
  • Journalism
    Heidi Benson , The Life and Death of Iris Chang (San Francisco Chronicle)
  • Drama
    Donald Freed , Devil's Advocate
  • Teleplay
    Alex Tse , Sucker Free City (Showtime)
  • Screenplay
    George Clooney and Grant Heslov , Goodnight and Good Luck

2005

  • Lifetime Achievement
    Gore Vidal
  • Award of Honor
    HBO
  • Freedom to Write
    Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury (Bangladesh)
  • First Amendment
    Sam Hamill
  • Fiction
    Micheline Aharonian Marcom , The Daydreaming
  • Creative Nonfiction
    Andrew Todhunter , A Meal Observed
  • Research Nonfiction
    Evan Wright , Generation Kill: Devil Dogs Iceman Captain America and the New Face of American War
  • Poetry
    Martha Ronk , In A Landscape of Having to Repeat
  • Children's and Young Adult Literature
    Ursula K. Le Guin , Gifts
  • Translation
    Robert Alter , The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary
  • Journalism
    Meredith May , Operation Lionheart (San Francisco Chronicle)
  • Drama
    Sarah Ruhl , The Clean House
  • Teleplay
    Sally Robinson Eugenia Bostwick Singer Raymond Singer and Jennifer Friedes , Iron Jawed Angels (HBO)
  • Screenplay
    Charlie Kaufman , Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

2004

  • Lifetime Achievement
    Walter Mosley
  • Award of Honor
    Jeffrey P. Bezos
  • Freedom to Write
    Ruslan Sharipov (Uzbekistan)
  • First Amendment
    Charles Lewis
  • Fiction
    Diana Abu-Jaber , Crescent
  • Creative Nonfiction
    Floyd Skloot , In the Shadow of Memory
  • Research Nonfiction
    Floyd Skloot , In the Shadow of Memory
  • Poetry
    Gabriel Spera , The Standing Wave
  • Children's and Young Adult Literature
    Laura and Tom McNeal , Zipped
  • Translation
    Cole Swenson , Island of the Dead by Jean Frémon
  • Journalism
    Kira Salak , Places of Darkness (National Geographic Adventure)
  • Drama
    Luis Alfaro , Body of Faith
  • Teleplay
    Anne Meredith , Out of Ashes (Showtime)
  • Screenplay
    Brian Helgeland , Mystic River

2003

  • Lifetime Achievement
    Kevin Starr
  • Award of Honor
    Gordon Davidson
  • Freedom to Write
    Raúl Rivero Casta_eda (Cuba) and Sierra Leone PEN Centre
  • First Amendment
    Danny Goldberg , Danny Goldberg
  • Fiction
    Lydia Millet , My Happy Life
  • Creative Nonfiction
    Daniel Ellsberg , Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers
  • Research Nonfiction
    Timothy Ferris , Seeing in the Dark: How Backyard Stargazers are Probing Deep Space and Guarding Earth from Interplanetary Peril
  • Poetry
    Donald Revell , Arcady
  • Children's and Young Adult Literature
    Ron Koertge , Stoner & Spaz
  • Translation
    Geoffrey Brock , Disaffections: Complete Poems 1930-1950
  • Journalism
    Sonia Nazario , Enrique's Journey (Los Angeles Times)
  • Drama
    Michelle Carter , Ted Kaczynski Killed People with Bombs
  • Teleplay
    Cyrus Nowrasteh , 10000 Black Men Named George (Paramount/Showtime)
  • Screenplay
    Charlie and Donald Kaufman , Adaptation

2002

  • Lifetime Achievement
    Lawrence Ferlinghetti
  • Award of Honor
    Gloria Steinem
  • Freedom to Write
    Anna Politkovskaya (Russia) and Ethiopian Free Journalists Association
  • First Amendment
    Joyce Meskis
  • Fiction
    Laura Pritchett , Hell's Bottom Colorado
  • Creative Nonfiction
    Albert Goldbarth , Many Circles: New and Selected Essays
  • Research Nonfiction
    Hampton Sides , Ghost Soldiers: The Forgotten Epic Story of World War II's Most Dramatic Mission
  • Poetry
    Norman Dubie , The Mercy Seat: Collected and New Poems 1967-2001
  • Children's and Young Adult Literature
    Mildred D. Taylor , The Land
  • Translation
    Jerome Rothenberg and Milos Sovak , Antilyrik and Other Poems by Vítezslav Nezval
  • Journalism
    Peter Ritter , Jeanette Kamman's Library for Orphans (City Pages)
  • Drama
    Cheryldee Huddleston , Who Loves You Jimmie Orrio?
  • Teleplay
    Cyrus Nowrasteh , The Day Reagan Was Shot (Showtime)
  • Screenplay
    Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff , Ghost World

2001

  • Lifetime Achievement
    Eric Lax (Special Honoree)
  • Award of Honor
    Otis Chandler
  • Freedom to Write
    Chris Abani (Nigeria) and Xu Wenli (People's Republic of China)
  • Fiction
    Diana Wagman , Spontaneous
  • Creative Nonfiction
    Miles Corwin , And Still We Rise: The Trials and Triumphs of Twelve Gifted Inner City High School Students
  • Research Nonfiction
    A. J. Langguth , Our Vietnam: The War 1954-1975
  • Poetry
    Susan Rich , The Cartographer's Tongue
  • Children's and Young Adult Literature
    Elissa Haden Guest , Iris and Walter
  • Translation
    John Felstiner , Selected Poems and Prose of Paul Celan
  • Journalism
    Erin Aubry Kaplan , Blue Like Me (LA Weekly)
  • Drama
    Prince Gomolvilas , The Theory of Everything
  • Teleplay
    David W. Rintels , Nuremberg (TNT)
  • Screenplay
    Susannah Grant , Erin Brockovich

2000

  • Lifetime Achievement
    Octavia Estelle Butler
  • Award of Honor
    University of California Press
  • Freedom to Write
    Brigadier General José Francisco Gallaardo Rodriguez (Mexico) and Bei Ling (China)
  • Fiction
    Ian Macmillan , Village of A Million Spirits: A Novel of the Treblinka Uprising
  • Creative Nonfiction
    Dan Savage , The Kid (What Happened After My Boyfriend and I Decided to Get Pregnant): An Adoption Story
  • Research Nonfiction
    Eileen Welsome , The Plutonium Files: America's Secret Medical Experiments in the Cold War
  • Poetry
    Aleida Rodriguez , Garden of Exile
  • Children's and Young Adult Literature
    Paul Fleischman , Weslandia
  • Translation
    Jennifer Green Krupala , The Diary of Nickolay Punin 1904-1953
  • Journalism
    Berry Siegal , A Legal Way Out (Los Angeles Times)
  • Drama
    Michelle Carter , Hillary and Soon-Yi Shop for Ties
  • Teleplay
    Jacob Epstein , Strange Justice (Showtime)
  • Screenplay
    David O. Russell , Three Kings

Awards by Type

Lifetime Achievement

  • 2012
    Joyce Carol Oates
  • 2011
    Robert Pinsky
  • 2010
    James Salter
  • 2009
    Elmore Leonard
  • 2008
    Larry Gelbart
  • 2007
    Clancy Sigal
  • 2006
    Jane Smiley
  • 2005
    Gore Vidal
  • 2004
    Walter Mosley
  • 2003
    Kevin Starr
  • 2002
    Lawrence Ferlinghetti
  • 2001
    Eric Lax (Special Honoree)
  • 2000
    Octavia Estelle Butler

Award of Honor

  • 2012
    Morgan Entrekin
  • 2011
    Dave Eggers
  • 2010
    Hugh Hefner
  • 2009
    Ben Goldhirsch
  • 2008
    Michael Wright
  • 2007
    Attorneys for the Defense of the First Amendment: Martin Garbus Esq.; Laura R. Handman Esq.; Thomas R. Julin Esq.; Charles D. Tobin Esq.
  • 2006
    Bob Shaye
  • 2005
    HBO
  • 2004
    Jeffrey P. Bezos
  • 2003
    Gordon Davidson
  • 2002
    Gloria Steinem
  • 2001
    Otis Chandler
  • 2000
    University of California Press

Freedom to Write

  • 2012
    Lara Logan
  • 2011
    Ellie Herman
  • 2010
    Sisay Agena: Ethiopian Free Journalists Association
  • 2008
    U Win Tin (Myanmar)
  • 2007
    Sahal Abdulle
  • 2006
    Iraqi journalists
  • 2005
    Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury (Bangladesh)
  • 2004
    Ruslan Sharipov (Uzbekistan)
  • 2003
    Raúl Rivero Casta_eda (Cuba) and Sierra Leone PEN Centre
  • 2002
    Anna Politkovskaya (Russia) and Ethiopian Free Journalists Association
  • 2001
    Chris Abani (Nigeria) and Xu Wenli (People's Republic of China)
  • 2000
    Brigadier General José Francisco Gallaardo Rodriguez (Mexico) and Bei Ling (China)

First Amendment

  • 2012
    Robert Scheer
  • 2011
    Charles Bowdon
  • 2010
    Hugh Hefner
  • 2009
    Liz Garbus and Sheila Nevins
  • 2008
    Writers Guild of America West
  • 2007
    Jerry Roberts
  • 2006
    Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams
  • 2005
    Sam Hamill
  • 2004
    Charles Lewis
  • 2003
    Danny Goldberg
  • 2002
    Joyce Meskis

Fiction

  • 2012
    Siobhan Fallon
  • 2011
    James Fleming
  • 2010
    Victor Lodato
  • 2009
    Kim Barnes
  • 2008
    Daniel Alarcon
  • 2007
    Kevin Brockmeier
  • 2006
    Percival Everett
  • 2005
    Micheline Aharonian Marcom
  • 2004
    Diana Abu-Jaber
  • 2003
    Lydia Millet
  • 2002
    Laura Pritchett
  • 2001
    Diana Wagman
  • 2000
    Ian Macmillan

Creative Nonfiction

  • 2012
    Eavan Boland
  • 2011
    Gregory Boyle
  • 2010
    Vicki Forman
  • 2009
    Steve Lopez
  • 2008
    Julia Whitty
  • 2007
    Debra Marquart
  • 2006
    Michael Chorost
  • 2005
    Andrew Todhunter
  • 2004
    Floyd Skloot
  • 2003
    Daniel Ellsberg
  • 2002
    Albert Goldbarth
  • 2001
    Miles Corwin
  • 2000
    Dan Savage

Research Nonfiction

  • 2012
    Candice Millard
  • 2011
    Ian Morris
  • 2010
    Minal Hajratwala
  • 2009
    Leslie T. Chang
  • 2008
    William by T. Vollman
  • 2007
    Lawrence Wright
  • 2006
    Adam Hochschild
  • 2005
    Evan Wright
  • 2004
    Floyd Skloot
  • 2003
    Timothy Ferris
  • 2002
    Hampton Sides
  • 2001
    A. J. Langguth
  • 2000
    Eileen Welsome

Poetry

  • 2012
    Anne Waldman
  • 2011
    Craig Santos Perez
  • 2010
    Amy Catanzano
  • 2009
    Seido Ray Ronci
  • 2008
    Juan Felipe Herrera
  • 2007
    Ralph Angel
  • 2006
    Brian Turner
  • 2005
    Martha Ronk
  • 2004
    Gabriel Spera
  • 2003
    Donald Revell
  • 2002
    Norman Dubie
  • 2001
    Susan Rich
  • 2000
    Aleida Rodriguez

Children's and Young Adult Literature

  • 2012
    Matthew J. Kirby
  • 2011
    Pam Muñoz Ryan
  • 2010
    Paul Fleischman
  • 2009
    Kathi Appelt
  • 2008
    Ron Koertge
  • 2007
    Cynthia Kadohata
  • 2006
    Viola Canales
  • 2005
    Ursula K. Le Guin
  • 2004
    Laura and Tom McNeal
  • 2003
    Ron Koertge
  • 2002
    Mildred D. Taylor
  • 2001
    Elissa Haden Guest
  • 2000
    Paul Fleischman

Translation

  • 2012
    Suzanne Jill Levine
  • 2011
    Damion Searls
  • 2010
    Fady Joudah
  • 2009
    Maxine Chernoff & Paul Hoover
  • 2008
    Donald Revell
  • 2007
    Mary M. Y. Fung and David Lunde
  • 2006
    Lucia Re and Paul Vangelisti
  • 2005
    Robert Alter
  • 2004
    Cole Swenson
  • 2003
    Geoffrey Brock
  • 2002
    Jerome Rothenberg and Milos Sovak
  • 2001
    John Felstiner
  • 2000
    Jennifer Green Krupala

Journalism

  • 2012
    Ben Ehrenreich
  • 2011
    Po Bronson and Ashley Merriman
  • 2010
    Mary Melton
  • 2009
    Karen Olsson
  • 2008
    Jesse Katz
  • 2007
    Jake Silverstein
  • 2006
    Heidi Benson
  • 2005
    Meredith May
  • 2004
    Kira Salak
  • 2003
    Sonia Nazario
  • 2002
    Peter Ritter
  • 2001
    Erin Aubry Kaplan
  • 2000
    Berry Siegal

Drama

  • 2012
    Michelle Carter
  • 2011
    Tom Jacobson
  • 2010
    Julie Hébert
  • 2009
    Marisela Treviño Orta
  • 2008
    Shem Bitterman
  • 2007
    Craig Volk
  • 2006
    Donald Freed
  • 2005
    Sarah Ruhl
  • 2004
    Luis Alfaro
  • 2003
    Michelle Carter
  • 2002
    Cheryldee Huddleston
  • 2001
    Prince Gomolvilas
  • 2000
    Michelle Carter

Teleplay

  • 2012
    Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, and Gideon Raff
  • 2011
    David Simon and Eric Overmyer
  • 2010
    Peter Blake
  • 2009
    George Mastras
  • 2008
    Terence Winter
  • 2007
    Phyllis Nagy
  • 2006
    Alex Tse
  • 2005
    Sally Robinson Eugenia Bostwick Singer Raymond Singer and Jennifer Friedes
  • 2004
    Anne Meredith
  • 2003
    Cyrus Nowrasteh
  • 2002
    Cyrus Nowrasteh
  • 2001
    David W. Rintels
  • 2000
    Jacob Epstein

Screenplay

  • 2012
    Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
  • 2011
    Nicole Holofcener
  • 2010
    Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner
  • 2009
    Dustin Lance Black
  • 2008
    Paul Thomas Anderson
  • 2007
    Zach Helm
  • 2006
    George Clooney and Grant Heslov
  • 2005
    Charlie Kaufman
  • 2004
    Brian Helgeland
  • 2003
    Charlie and Donald Kaufman
  • 2002
    Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff
  • 2001
    Susannah Grant
  • 2000
    David O. Russell

UC Press Exceptional First Book Award

  • 2012
    Beth Levy
  • 2011
    Sebouh David Aslanian
  • 2010
    Angela Garcia

Graphic Literature

  • 2012
    Outstanding Body of Work
  • 2011
    Outstanding Body of Work
  • 2010
    Outstanding Body of Work

Award of Merit

  • 2010
    Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver