Romance Writers of America® Awards — Coveted Awards for the Romance Industry

Romance Writers of America® present a number of awards each year to romance writers, both published and unpublished, as well as to booksellers, librarians and volunteers who support the romance novel writing industry and the RWA organization.

Awards for Romance Writers

The Romance Writers of America® (RWA) sponsors a number of awards specifically for romance writers, including:

• The RITA® Awards — The RWA recognizes outstanding published romance fiction with the RITA® Awards.

• The Golden Heart Awards — The Golden Heart Awards are presented by the RWA in recognition of outstanding unpublished romance fiction.

• RWA Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award — The RWA Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award is presented annually in recognition for significant lifetime contributions to the romance genre.

• RWA Hall of Fame — In addition to single awards, the RWA maintains a Hall of Fame for those rare romance authors who have won multiple awards in the same category.

Awards for RWA Support and Service

In addition to excellence in romance writing, the Romance Writers of America® also recognizes support of the romance book industry and service to the RWA organization with awards such as:

• The RWA Emma Merritt Service Award — In recognitions for outstanding volunteer service to the RWA organization.

• Bookseller of the Year

• Librarian of the Year

Occasionally, the RWA also recognizes other supporters of the genre with its Industry Award and those who have contributed to the profile of the Romance industry in the media with the Media Award.

These awards are presented at the Romance Writers of America Annual Conference.