Gertrude Claytor Poetry Prize of the Academy of American Poets
Given to a graduate or undergraduate student for the best poem or group of poems.
2024 – Judged by Annie Woodford M.A. 2000
- Rebecca Edgren, MFA ’24 – winner
- Olivia Piper, MFA ’24 – honorable mention
2023 – Judged by Brody Parrish Craig ’13
- Abigail Kahn ’23 – winner
- Erin Comerford MFA ’23 – runner-up
2022 – Judged by Madeleine Gallo MFA ’21
- G.H. Plaag MFA ’22 – winner
- Anne-Sophie Olsen MFA ’22 – runner-up
2021 – Judged by Nancy Naomi Carlson
- Tyler Starks MFA ’21 – winner
- Madeleine Gallo MFA ’21 – runner-up
- Makenzie Hampton ’22 – runner-up
2020 – Judged by Rebecca Morgan Frank
- Margot Rieth ’20 – winner
- Jennifer Sutherland MFA ’20 – honorable mention
2019 – Judged by Dan Vera
- Adriana Rewald MFA ’19 – winner
- Jonathan Pyner MFA ’20 – honorable mention
- Madison Harr ’22 – honorable mention
2018 – Judged by Jim McKean
- Adriana Rewald MFA ’19 – winner
- Reilly Cundiff MFA ’18 – runner-up
- Margot Rieth ’20 – runner-up
2017 – Judged by Rose McLarney
- Brooke McKinney MFA ’18 – winner
- Heather Loudermilk ’17 – runner-up
2016 – Judged by Ansel Elkins
- Shelley Whitaker ’16 – winner
- Mike Good MFA ’16 – runner-up
2015 – Judged by David Roderick
- William Repass MFA ’16 – winner
- Amanda Williams MFA ’16 – winner
2013 – Judged by Andrea Hollander
- Michael Loruss MFA ’13 – winner
- Eve Strillacci MFA ’13 – winner
2012 – Judged by Stacey Brown
- Matthew Bishop MFA ’12 – winner
- Brandon Courtney MFA ’12 – winner
- Elisabeth Aroneau MFA ’13 – honorable mention
2011 – Judged by Tim Seibles
- S.H. Lohmann MFA ’12 – winner
- Jess Quinlan MFA ’11 – runner-up
- Matthew Bishop MFA ’12 – honorable mention
- Lauren Smith MFA ’12 – honorable mention
Andrew James Purdy Prize for Short Fiction
In memory of Andrew James Purdy, a member of the Hollins English faculty from 1968 to 1977, this award is given to a graduate student in the creative writing program who has written a body of fiction of outstanding quality.
2024 – Judged by William Woolfitt
- Kat Humphreys, MFA ’25 – winner
- Nikki Smith, MFA ’24 – runner-up
2023 – Judged by Matthew Denton-Edmundson
- Garth Robinson MFA ’23 – winner
2022 – Judged by Matthew Denton-Edmundson
- G.H. Plaag MFA ’22 – winner
- Erin Comerford MFA ’23 – runner-up
2021 – Judged by Louise Marburg
- Laura Schmitt MFA ’22 – winner
- G.H. Plaag MFA ’22 – runner-up
2020 – Judged by Susan Land
- Alexis Collins MFA ’21 – winner
- Lena Fultz MFA ’21 – runner-up
- Nicholas Shahbaz MFA ’20 – runner-up
2019 – Judged by Anne Sanow
- Amy Tomasso MFA ’19 – winner
- Jordan Humphrey MFA ’19 – runner-up
2018 – Judged by Anne Sanow
- Lucy Marcus MFA ’19 – winner
- Victoria Garayalde MFA ’18 – runner-up
2017 – Judged by Mark Powell
- Julie Upshur MFA ’17 – winner
- Ellie Paolini MFA ’17 – runner-up
2016 – Judged by Matthew Vollmer
- Whitney Watson MFA ’16 – winner
- Taylor Kobran MFA ’16 – runner-up
2015 – Judged by Mariflo Stephens
- Elisabeth Booze MFA ’16 – winner
- Ellen Ray MFA ’16 – runner-up
2014 – Judged by Elizabeth Denton
- Colin Lee MFA ’14 – winner
- Elise Burke MFA ’15 – runner-up
2013 – Judged by Daniel Mueller
- Eric Thompson MFA ’13 – winner
- Annie Mountcastle MFA ’13 – runner-up
- Amanda Pauley MFA ’14 – runner-up
2012 – Judged by R.T. Smith
- David Gauly MFA ’12 – winner
2011 – Judged by Jean McGarry
- David Gauly MFA ’12 – winner
- Meighan Sharp MFA ’11 – runner-up
- Lauren Smith MFA ’11 – runner-up
Melanie Hook Rice Award in Creative Nonfiction
In memory of Melanie Hook Rice, Class of 1975, this award is given to a graduate or undergraduate student in the creative writing program who has demonstrated considerable writing skills and has either completed or made substantial progress toward writing a book-length work of nonfiction.
2024 – Judged by Holly Haworth MFA ’16
- Marta Regn, MFA ’24 – winner
- Rebecca Edgren, MFA ’24 – runner-up
- Kyra Gail Lisse, MFA ’24 – runner-up
2023 – Judged by Gretchen VanWormer MFA ’11
- Rebecca Edgren MFA ’24 – winner
- Kyra Lisse MFA ’24 – runner-up
- Nikki Smith MFA ’24 – runner-up
2022 – Judged by Sydney Tammarine MFA ’18
- G.H. Plaag MFA ’22 – winner
- Emily Davis-Fletcher MFA ’23 – runner-up
- Meghana Mysore MFA ’22 – runner-up
2021 – Judged by Inara Verzemnieks
- Winner: Jen Lazar MFA ’21 – winner
- Runner-up: Sharon Christner MFA ’21 – runner-up
- Runner-up: Meghana Mysore MFA ’22 – runner-up
2020 – Judged by Michaele Weissman
- Sharon Christner MFA ’21 – winner
2019 – Judged by Anne Valente
- Lucy Marcus MFA ’19 – winner
- Lisa Archer MFA ’19 – runner-up
- Hännah Ettinger MFA ’19 – runner-up
2018 – Judged by Colin Rafferty
- Sydney Tammarine MFA ’18 – winner
- Lucy Marcus MFA ’19 – runner-up
- Rachael Walker ’18 – runner-up
2017 – Judged by Peter Trachtenberg
- Sydney Tammarine MFA ’18 – winner
- Josalyn Knapic MFA ’17 – runner-up
- Abigail Tippin MFA ’17 – runner-up
2016 – Judged by Susan Fox Rogers
- Mallory Jones MFA ’16 – winner
- Miranda Jenkins MFA ’16 – runner-up
- Ericka Kelly ’16 – runner-up
2015 – Judged by Scott McClanahan
- Elizabeth Caldwell MFA ’15 – winner
- Mallory Jones MFA ’16 – runner-up
- Martha Park MFA ’15 – runner-up
2014 – Judged by Lia Purpura
- Martha Park MFA ’15 – winner
2012 – Judged by Paul Lisicky
- S.H. Lohmann MFA ’12 – winner
- Lorie Imsdahl MFA ’13 – runner-up
2011 – Judged by Jenny Boully, MFA ’99
- Alys Sink ’11 – winner
Melanie Hook Rice Award in the Novel
In memory of Melanie Hook Rice, Class of 1975, this award is given to a graduate or undergraduate student in the creative writing program who has demonstrated considerable writing skills and has either completed or made substantial progress toward writing a novel.
2024 – Judged by Aljandro Heredia
- Rachel Edwards ’26 – winner
- Nikki” Smith, MFA ’24 – runner-up
2023 – Judged by Anna Caritj MFA ’16
- Patrick Jameson MFA ’23 – winner
- Erin Comerford MFA ’23 – runner-up
- Rachel Edwards ’26 – runner-up
2022 – Judged by Anna Caritj MFA ’16
- Jamie Hudalla MFA ’22 – winner
- Meghana Mysore MFA ’22 – runner-up
- Cameron Vanderwerf MFA ’22 – runner-up
2021 – Judged by Ellen Prentiss Campbell
- Cory Crouser MFA ’21 – winner
- Zoe Wright MFA ’21 – runner-up
2020 – Judged by Anne Sanow
- Brooke Shamblin ’20 – winner
- Celeste Leeds-Laliberte ’22 – runner-up
- Katherine Nuwayser ’20 – runner-up
2019 – Judged by Susan Coll
- Lucy Marcus ’19 – winner
- Kelly Stephenson MFA ’20 – runner-up
- Cassidy Trudeau ’19 – runner-up
2018 – Judged by Paula Whyman
- Lucy Marcus MFA ’19 – winner
- Victoria Garayalde MFA ’18 – runner-up
2017 – Judged by Robert Siegel
- Tessa Cheek MFA ’17 – winner
- Elizabeth Reitzell MFA ’17 – runner-up
- Ellie Paolini MFA ’17 – runner-up
2016 – Judged by Jon Pineda
- Ellen Ray MFA ’16 – winner
- Elizabeth Booze MFA ’16 – runner-up
- Tessa Cheek MFA ’17 – runner-up
2015 – Judged by Ravi Howard
- Elisabeth Booze MFA ’16 – winner
- Marissa Mazek MFA ’15 – runner-up
2014 – Judged by Drew Perry
- Virginia Wood MFA ’14 – winner
- Emma Bohmann MFA ’14 – runner-up
- Colin Lee MFA ’14 – runner-up
2013 – Judged by Adam Ross
- Colin Lee MFA ’14 – winner
- Annie Mountcastle MFA ’14 – runner-up
2012 – Judged by Jessica Anya Blau
- Courtney Cullinan Robb MFA ’12 – winner
- Mary Catherine Curley MFA ’12 – runner-up
2011 – Judged by Ed Falco
- Courtney Cullinan Robb MFA ’12 – winner