Nominations are now open for the 2027 Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of Virginia Hamilton's exemplary contributions through her literature and advocacy for children and youth, especially in her focus on African American life, history, and consciousness.
This year, nominations are being accepted for both the Practitioner and Author/Illustrator categories.
Practitioner:
The Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement recognizes a practitioner for substantial contributions through active engagement with youth using award-winning African American literature for children and/or young adults through reading and reading related activities/programs.
Author/Illustrator:
The Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement recognizes authors and/or illustrators whose body of work has made a significant and lasting contribution to, and commands an influential place in, literature by and about African Americans.
The 2027 award recipients will be announced during ALA's Youth Media Awards and honored during the 2027 ALA Annual Conference (June 24–28, 2027) in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Nominations will be accepted through October 30, 2026.
2027 Jury: Dr. Andrea Jamison (Chair), Dr. LaKeshia Darden, Gladys Smiley-Bell, Tamara Steward, and Dr. Cynthia Landrum
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Andrea Jamison, PhD
Assistant Professor of School Librarianship
Illinois State University
[She/Her/Hers]
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