Past Awards

 PAST AWARD WINNERS

For a full calendar of submission opportunities, click here.
For our annual anthology winners, click here. For more information on that project, click here.

2024 Winter Short Story Award for New Writers:

Judged by Bret Anthony Johnston. Details on our Winter Award page.

Winner:
“Tell Me Who You Walk With” by Gabriella Navas

Second Place Story: 
“El Gallo de Oro” by Juan Fernando Villagómez

Third Place Story:
“The Lack of Noise” by L.J Bowden

Honorable Mention:
“Eat All You Can” by Erin Striff

2024 Novel Excerpt Contest:

Judged by Tania James. Details on our Novel Excerpt Contest page.

Winner:
“Simmer Dim” by Imogen Osborne

Second Place Excerpt:
“The Translated City” by Stephanie Y. Tam

Third Place Excerpt:
“I Trust Her Completely” by Christine Henneberg

Honorable Mention:
“BORN OF A MILLION GIRLS” by Inyene Ekanem

2024 Chapbook Open:

Judged by Rita Bullwinkel. Details on our Chapbook Open page.

Winner:

Tiny Vessels by JR Fenn

Finalists:

Reclamation Days by Jennifer Braunfels

Before the Rain by Jill Widner

2024 Summer Short Story Award for New Writers:

Judged by Colin Barrett. Details on our Winter Award page.

Winner:
“Leaving Paradise” by Kimberly Blaeser

Second Place Story:
“Coup de Grâce” by Blaire Baily

Honorable Mention:
“Remembering Forget” by Sean Macgillicuddy

2024 Reprint Prize:

Judged by The Masters Review staff. Details on our Reprint Prize page.

Winner:
“You Are the Greatest Lake” by Greg Schutz

Honorable Mentions:
“Here We Are” by Robyn Allers
“Catch & Release” by Larry Flynn

2024 Featured Flash Contest:

Judged by The Masters Review staff. Details on our Featured Flash Contest page.

Flash Prose

Winner:
“The Increasingly Unfortunate Circumstances Which Have Led Me to Wave You Off the Highway” by Austin Tucker

Runner-Up:
“The Beak” by Robbie Herbst
ACCEPTED IN BEST SMALL FICTIONS

Sudden Prose

Winner:
“Hurmë” by Melanie Simonich

Runner-Up:
“Define: Business as Usual” by Kim Ravold

2023 Winter Short Story Award for New Writers:

Judged by Kelly Link. Details on our Winter Award page.

Winner:
“The Sisters” by Angie Ellis

Second Place Story:
“Feu Follet” by Rebecca Meredith

Third Place Story:
“Linoleum People” by Eliza Gilbert

Honorable Mention:
“The Two Things Blassie Knows” by Clayton Bradshaw-Mittal

2023 Novel Excerpt Contest:

Judged by Matthew Salesses. Details on our Novel Excerpt Contest page.

Winner:
“Back Line” by Raf Richardson-Carillo

Second Place Excerpt:
“Curious Monster” by S. P. Donohue

Third Place Excerpt:
“A Geology” by Virginia Lee Wood

Honorable Mention:
“California Natives” by Kelly Anne Bonner
“The Natural World” by Amy Stuber

2023 Chapbook Open:

Judged by Michael Martone. Details on our Chapbook Open page.

Winner:

A Most Natural Thing by Lisbeth White

Finalists:

Little Bat Daycare by Michael Giddings

This Road May Flood by Kari Shemwell

2023 Summer Short Story Award for New Writers:

Judged by Jai Chakrabarti. Details on our Summer Award page.

Winner:
“Elbow in Zulu by Dara Kell

Second Place Story:
“Broken Animals” by Aurora Stone Mehlman

Third Place Story:
“Dog Days” by Catherine Carberry

Honorable Mentions:
“That Chookaloski Mare” by Ashley Thorup
“Level of Emergency” by Tanya Nikiforova

2023 Reprint Prize:

Judged by The Masters Review staff. Details on our Reprint Prize page.

Winner:
“The Dowsing of Linus Spalding” by Craig M. Foster

Honorable Mentions:
“Numbers” by Éanlaí P. Cronin
“Don’t Stop Now” by Seth Fischer

2023 Spring Small Fiction Awards:

Judged by K-Ming Chang. Details on our Spring Small Fiction Awards page.

Microfiction

Winner:
“Sandbox” by Colin Bonini

Runner-Up:
“Naz 8 Cinemas” by Aliza Ali Khan

Flash Fiction

Winner:
“Whale Song” by Jeff Martin
ACCEPTED IN BEST SMALL FICTIONS

Runner-Up:
“Hatching Moths” by Emily Pegg
ACCEPTED IN BEST SMALL FICTIONS

Sudden Fiction

Winner:
“Immaculate” by Susanna Cupido

Runner-Up:
“Nectar” by Kerry Anderson

2022 Winter Short Story Award for New Writers:

Judged by Morgan Talty. Details on our Winter Award page.

Winner:
“Advanced Reader” by Donovan Swift

Second Place Story:
“Where They Come From” by Casey Gentry Quinn

Third Place Story:
“The River at the End of the Road” by Hillary Millán

Honorable Mention:
“The Developer” by Sarah Walsh

2022 Novel Excerpt Contest:

Judged by Charmaine Craig. Details on our Novel Excerpt Contest page.

Winner:
“Calling Out” by Robyn Jefferson

Second Place Excerpt:
“Crybaby” by Mariah Adcox

Third Place Excerpt:
“After We Drowned” by Jill Yonit Goldberg

Honorable Mention:
“The Blood Hustle” by Alice Hatcher

2022 Chapbook Open:

Judged by Kim Fu. Details on our Chapbook Open page.

Winner:
Coats by Naomi Telushkin

Finalists:
The Duncan Deal by Rex Adams

What Happened (a Montage) by Victoria Sottosanti

Sleight by David Schwartz

2022 Summer Short Story Award for New Writers:

Judged by Chelsea Bieker. Details on our Summer Award page.

Winner:
“Homeboy” by Nancy Garcia

Second Place Story:
“Leap Year” by Chloe Alberta

Third Place Story:
“The Distant Daughter” by Brenda Salinas Baker

Honorable Mention:
“The Sum of All Amazements” by Lyndsie Manusos

2022 Flash Fiction Contest:

Judged by Kim Chinquee. Details on our Flash Fiction Contest page.

Winner:
“Out, Brief Candle” by Hannah Rose Roberts

Second Place Story:
“The Physiology of Arriving” by Michele Wong

Third Place Story:
“My Sister Versus Tomatoes” by Kate Barss

Honorable Mention:
“Sealskin” by Haley Kennedy

2021 Winter Short Story Award for New Writers:

Judged by Ye Chun. Details on our Winter Award page.

Winner:
“Russian Thistle” by Laura Farnsworth

Second Place Story:
“A Single Mark” by Reena Shah

Third Place Story:
“Creeper” by Taylor Sykes

Honorable Mention:
“The Crown Prince of Koi” by Daniel Abiva Hunt

2021 Novel Excerpt Contest:

Judged by Dan Chaon. Details on our Novel Excerpt Contest page.

Winner:
“Take Warning: The Ballad of Sammy Slug” by Glenn Lester

Second Place Excerpt:
“Hakuri” by Jessica Cavero

Third Place Excerpt:
“The Slapjack” by Alan Sincic

Honorable Mention:
“Red State” by Allie Torgan

2021 Chapbook Open:

Judged by Matt Bell. Details on our Chapbook Open page.

Winner:
Love at the End of the World by Lindy Biller

Finalists:
The Potential of Radio and Rain by Myna Chang

Tiny Creatures by Eliezra Schaffzin

2021 Summer Short Story Award for New Writers:

Judged by Kristen Arnett. Details on our Summer Award page.

Winner:
“Night Stencils” by Sherine Elbanhawy

Second Place Story:
“Wish You Were Here” by Carlee Jensen

Third Place Story:
“All This is Yours to Lose” by Marcus Tan

Honorable Mention:
“Degenerate Matter” by Jennifer Galvão

2021 Flash Fiction Contest:

Judged by Stuart Dybek. Details on our Flash Fiction Contest page.

Winner:
“Agora é Sempre” by Tanya Perkins

Second Place Story:
“Play That Again” by John Glowney

Third Place Story:
“How to Develop (Film)” by Candice May
ACCEPTED IN BEST SMALL FICTIONS

Honorable Mention:
“Everywhere, All at Once” by Emily Roth

2020 Winter Short Story Award for New Writers:

Judged by Helen Oyeyemi. Details on our Winter Award page.

Winner:
“Straight to My Heart” by Dean Jamieson

Second Place:
“Collection of the Artist” by Corey Flintoff

Third Place:
“You’re Not the Only One” by William Hawkins

Honorable Mention:
“Celestial Navigation” by Heather Marshall

2020 Chapbook Contest:

Judged by Steve Almond. Details on our Chapbook Contest page.

Winner:
Masterplans by Nick Almeida

Finalists:
Deep Blue by Jay Allison

Oscillations by Tanya Perkins

2020 Summer Short Story Award for New Writers:

Judged by Kali Fajardo-Anstine. Details on our Summer Award page.

Winner:
“Burning” by Adeline Lovell

Second Place Story:
“Matchbox” by Nancy Ludmerer

Third Place Story:
“Como La Flor” by Dayna Cobarrubias

Honorable Mention:
“Petrified” by Clare Howdle

2020 Flash Fiction Contest:

Judged by Sherrie Flick. Details on our Flash Fiction Contest page.

Winner:
“Crocodile” by Ashleigh Pederson
ACCEPTED IN BEST SMALL FICTIONS

Second Place Story:
“Consider the Shape of Your Fist” by Leah Dawdy
ACCEPTED IN BEST SMALL FICTIONS

Third Place Story:
“Heirlooms” by Amanda Jean Akers

Honorable Mention:
“Fire Season” by Vincent Chavez

2019 Winter Short Story Award for New Writers:

Judged by Kimberly King Parsons. Details on our Winter Award page.

Winner:
“The Driver” by Samantha Xiao Cody

Second Place Story:
“Joe Blake” by Raeden Richardson

Third Place Story:
“The Easiest Thing in the World” by Taylor Grieshober

Honorable Mention:
“Rapture” by Chloe Seim

2019 Fall Fiction Contest:

Judged by Anita Felicelli. Details on our Fall Fiction Contest page.

Winner:
“Salt Sea” by Zeeva Bukai

Second Place Story:
“Shenzhen” by Willa Zhang

Third Place Story:
“It Could Happen to You” by Trent England

Honorable Mention:
“Genealogy” by Nancy London

2019 Summer Short Story Award for New Writers:

Judged by Tope Folarin. Details on our Summer Award page.

Winner:
“Ghost Story” by Becca Anderson

Second Place Story:
“Escape Velocity” by Karisa Tell

Third Place Story:
“Mutts” by Shane Page

Honorable Mention:
“Terraforming Mars” by Emmett Knowlton

2019 Flash Fiction Contest:

Judged by Kathy Fish. Details on our Flash Fiction Contest page.

Winner:
“Homecoming” by Kathryn Phalen

Second Place Story:
“The Remains” by Felicity Fenton

Third Place Story:
“Simple Physics“ by Kevin Leahy

Honorable Mention:
“Observation Tube—McMurdo Station, Antarctica” by Justin Herrmann

2018 Winter Short Story Award for New Writers:

Judged by Aimee Bender. Details on our Winter Award page.

Winner:
“Damico” by Joe Bond
EARNED REPRESENTATION FROM OUR ASSOCIATED AGENCY

Second Place Story:
“Caretaker Needed” by Meghan Daniels

Third Place Story:
“Narada’s Ears” by Sanjena Sathian

Honorable Mention:
“At This Late Hour” by Rebecca Turkewitz

2018 Summer Flash Fiction Contest:

Judged by The Masters Review Staff. Details on our Flash Fiction Contest page.

Winner:
“How to Spot a Whale” by Jacqui Reiko Teruya
ACCEPTED IN BEST SMALL FICTIONS

Second Place Story:
“Two Kinds of Neighborhoods” by Neil Cooney

Third Place Story:
“Rieb Kear (to Marry)” by Adam Nazaroff

2018 Summer Short Story Award for New Writers:

Judged by The Masters Review Staff. Details on our Summer Award page.

Winner:
“Confirmation“ by Alina Grabowski

Second Place Story:
“Portrait of a Virgin” by Rachel Cochran

Third Place Story:
“A Country Where I Am Beautiful“ by Patricia Smith

Honorable Mentions:

“Headshot” by Charles Ullmann
“We Are The Horizon” by Laura Fletcher

2018 Spring Flash Fiction Contest:

Judged by The Masters Review Staff. Details on our Flash Fiction Contest page.

Judged by The Masters Review Staff. Details on our Winter Award page.

Winner:
“Drop Zone Summer” by Nick Fuller Googins
EARNED REPRESENTATION FROM OUR ASSOCIATED AGENCY

Second Place Story:
“A History That Brings Me to You” by Katie M. Flynn

Third Place Story:
“Birth Stories” by Sarah Harris Wallman

Honorable Mentions:
“The Visible Spectrum” by Carlee Jensen
“On My Honor,” by Benjamín Naka-Hasebe Kingsley

2017 Fall Fiction Contest Award:

Judged by Brian Evenson. Details on our Fall Fiction Contest page.

Winner:
“If I Could Have Anything, I’d Only Choose This” by Jill Rosenberg

Second Place Story:
“Lepidomancy” by Maria Lioutaia

Third Place Story:
“Together, Maureen” by Amanda Emil Anderson

Honorable Mentions:
“The Deca-Life Crisis” by Jessi Lewis
“Fog Area” by Ben Sandman

2017 Summer Short Story Award for New Writers:

Judged by The Masters Review Staff. Details on our Summer Award page.

Winner:
“Demonman” by Julialicia Case

Second Place Story:
“The Devil is a Liar” by Nana Nkewti

Third Place Story:
“Iron Boy Kills The Devil” by Sheldon Costa

2017 Flash Fiction Contest:

Judged by The Masters Review Staff. Details on our Flash Fiction Contest page.

Judged by The Masters Review Staff. Details on our Winter Award page.

Winner:
“Operation” by Scott Gloden

Second Place Story:
“White Out” by Caitlin O’Neil
EARNED REPRESENTATION FROM OUR ASSOCIATED AGENCY

Third Place Story:
“Malheur Refuge” by Rick Attig

2016 Fall Fiction Contest:

Judged by Kelly Link. Details on our Fall Fiction Contest page.

Winner:
“Night Beast” by Ruth Joffre

Second Place Story:
“Family, Family” by Jeannine Ouellette

Third Place Story:
“Good Creatures, Small Things” by Cate Fricke

2016 Summer Short Story Award for New Writers:

Judged by The Masters Review Staff. Details on our Summer Award page.

Winner:
“Red” by Katie Knoll
FINALIST FOR THE SHIRLEY JACKSON AWARD FOR BEST SHORT STORY

Second Place Story:
“Ledgers” by Claire Boyles

Third Place Story:
“The First Location” by Molly Reid

2015 Fall Fiction Contest:

Judged by Jeff Vandermeer. Details on our Fall Fiction Contest page.

Winner:
“Linger Longer” by Vincent Masterson
ACCEPTED IN CELEBRATED HORROR ANTHOLOGY EDITED BY ELLEN DATLOW

Second Place Story:
“Pool People” by Jen Neale

Third Place Story:
“Animalizing” by Marisela Navarro