General Book Awards
National Book Awards – the National Book Foundation showcases the year's best in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated literature and literature for young people.
Nobel Prize in Literature – The Swedish Academy awards the Nobel Prize in Literature to authors for outstanding contributions in the field of literature.
Notable Books List – Each year, the Notable Books Council recommends a list of 25 important books for adult readers. The list encompasses fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
Pulitzer Prizes – Columbia University awards Pulitzers each year for excellence in "journalism, arts and letters," including categories for biography, fiction, nonfiction, poetry and more.
Awards for Mysteries
Agatha Award – Since 1989, supporters of the Malice Domestic fan convention have voted for the best "Traditional Mystery" title of the year. Traditional Mystery, according to Malice Domestic, is a tale in the style of Agatha Christie – that is, mysteries and crime fiction books that contain no explicit sex, excessive gore or gratuitous violence.
Edgar Award – The Mystery Writers of America award the Edgar Award (named for author Edgar Allen Poe) to the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction, television, film, theater and short stories produced in the previous year.
Awards for Science Fiction and Fantasy
Hugo Award – The year's best science fiction and fantasy in a variety of mediums, as voted by members of the World Science Fiction Convention, aka Worldcon.
Nebula Award – Organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, the Nebulas showcase the best in sci-fi/fantasy writing in books, short stories and drama, as well as in scripts for television and video games.
Awards for Graphic Novels
Eisner Award – Awarded each year at San Diego Comic-Con and voted on by comic book professionals and experts, the Eisners celebrate the best in the comics industry, including graphic memoir, nonfiction titles about comics and webcomics.