Lambda Literary Awards – Winner, Nomination Process, History

The Lambda Literary Awards, sometimes referred to as the “Lammys,” are given out annually by Lambda Literary to celebrate the significant impact LGBTQ writers have on society. The Lammy Awards honour the best LGBTQ literature. The prizes were established in 1989.

How Lambda Awards Took Place - History

L. Page (Deacon) Maccubbin, the proprietor of Lambda Rising Bookstore in Washington, DC, released the inaugural Lambda Book Report in 1987, which helped LGBTQ novels gain critical acclaim. This was the beginning of Lambda Literary Awards.

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In 1989, the Lambda Literary Awards were established. At that first gala, notable authors including Paul Monette (Borrowed Time), Dorothy Allison (Trash), Allan Hollinghurst (The Swimming Pool Library), and Edmund White were recognised (The Beautiful Room is Empty). Early on, the Awards’ goal was to recognise and honour the greatest lesbian and gay publications that year they were published.

Through a network of vibrant lesbian and gay publishers and bookshops that were springing up all over America, the Awards brought national prominence to a body of writing that had already made a strong but still-emerging beachhead. The Lambda Literary Awards ceremony has routinely drew attendees from all areas of publishing since it first began. 

Since the very first year, the Lambda Literary Awards have made it clear that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender stories are a part of the literature of the country by spanning a wide variety of categories and reflecting the diversity of LGBTQ novels. The first time the awards were livestreamed globally was in 2021.

How to get nominated for Lambda Literary Awards.

Lambda uses the phrase “LGBTQ+” to refer to a wide range of identities, including two-spirit, intersex, pansexual, aro/ace, and others. This means that works that reflect identities other than lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning are also acceptable.

Judges for the Lammy Awards are appointed in the autumn. With certain exceptions based on the anticipated volume of submissions, these panels normally have three judges per prize category. Interest, availability, affinity for the designated category, and familiarity with the industry are some of the criteria used to choose judges. 

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The Lammy Award nominees are announced in the spring of the award year, and they are honoured in June at the award ceremony. The prized Lambda Literary Award sticker for the covers of the winning book is given to the winners, together with a certificate and a place in Lambda’s long tradition of recognising LGBTQ literary greatness.

Lambda Literary Awards Winners

Lambda Literary announced the winners of the 34th Annual Lambda Literary Awards on June 11 at a live virtual ceremony hosted by Raquel Willis.

Winners include Brian Broome, for Punch Me Up to the Gods (Mariner)Lee Lai, for Stone Fruit (Fantagraphics)Aurielle Marie, for Gumbo Ya Ya (University of Pittsburgh Press)Brontez Purnell for 100 Boyfriends (MCD)Sarah Schulman for Let the Record Show (FSG); and Jeanne Thornton for Summer Fun (Soho Press).

The Lambda Literary Awards (also known as “Lammys”) have proudly celebrated colourful, dynamic LGBTQ stories for more than 30 years. The Lammy Awards, which recognise more than 150 LGBTQ authors in 24 categories, offer a number of monetary awards to writers at various stages of their careers.

Lambda Literary Award Winner - Brian Broome

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BlueRose Publishers have an award called BlueRose Awards for the authors who publish with us. Regardless of their genre, language, or geographic location, the prize aspires to recognise significant literary luminaries in the world of literature. The goal of the BlueRose Book Awards is to honour authors who have consistently worked to improve society. 

The goal of BlueRoseONE is to bring together under one roof the many true stories of well-known and up-and-coming authors. This area will provide readers and writers with a platform to explain and investigate the various shades of an author’s journey.

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