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The Robert Motherwell Book Award is given annually and carries a prize of $10,000 awarded to the author of an outstanding publication in the history and criticism of modernism in the arts – including the visual arts, literature, music and the performing arts. Nominations are made by publishers, and the winner is chosen by a jury of distinguished scholars and writers.
We accept nominations from November 1 through December 16.

Nomination Criteria

To qualify for the 2025 Robert Motherwell Book Award, a book must have been first published in 2024, in English. (Our definition of modernism is broad and we will consider books that deal with art created between the mid-nineteenth century and the present.) Typically, an eligible book will have been written by a single author; but a volume with co-authors would be eligible if the tenor of the book is that of a coherent work with a recognizably unified voice. Anthologies and collections of essays are therefore not eligible.

Nomination Timeline & Procedure

Publishers may nominate any books on their 2024 list that they believe merit the jury’s consideration. Nominations may be submitted starting November 1, 2024 and will be accepted until December 16, 2024.

Publishers of books that the jury wishes to consider further will be contacted in February 2025, and asked to ship review copies directly to each of the three members of the jury.

Inquiries may be sent to bookaward@dedalusfoundation.org.

Submit Nominations