- 2027 Award given to Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee) on Saturday, March 6, 2027
- 2025 Brandon Hobson (Cherokee)
- 2023 Stephen Graham Jones (Blackfeet)
- 2021 Tommy Orange (Cheyenne & Arapaho)
- 2019 Laura Tohe (Navajo)
- 2017 Tim Tingle (Choctaw)
- 2015 Joseph Bruchac (Abenaki)
- 2013 Sterlin Harjo (Seminole)
- 2011 LeAnne Howe (Choctaw)
- 2009 No Award Given
- 2007 Carter Revard (Osage)
- 2005 Leslie Marmon-Silko (Laguna Pueblo)
- 2003 Vine DeLoria, Jr. (Standing Rock Sioux)
- 2001 Joy Harjo (Muscogee)
2027 American Indian Writers Award
Honoring Cynthia Leitich Smith
The 2027 American Indian Writers Award, presented by the American Indian Resource Center, will honor Cynthia Leitich Smith (Mvskoke Nation) on Saturday, March 6, kicking off the annual American Indian Festival of Words.
Smith’s bestselling books for children and young adults have helped expand Native representation in contemporary literature. Her young adult novels include Harvest House, Hearts Unbroken, the Feral series and more. Smith’s works for children include easy picture books such as Firefly Season, Here Come the Aunties! and Jingle Dancer, among others, and chapter books such as Indian Shoes, Sisters of the Neversea, On a Wing and a Tear and more. She is also the author-curator of Heartdrum, a publishing imprint that champions Indigenous stories and creators.
Established in 2001, the biennial American Indian Writers Award is dedicated to recognizing the
achievements of American Indian writers. Recent recipients include Brandon Hobson (2025),
Stephen Graham Jones (2023) and Tommy Orange (2021).
