Calendar and Requirements
Nominations for the 2023 Prize will open on May 1, 2023 and will close July 15, 2023 at 11:59 PM. Nominations are submitted via email and should include the following:
• A 1 to 2 page cover letter describing the nominee
• A CV or resume of the nominee
• Work samples from the nominee (1 to 2 short writing samples; samples of activist work; or, if appropriate, samples of artwork. If you submit a video, include a few-sentence introduction & a link). Please include a maximum of 20 pages total for all work sample materials combined.
• Submissions must be in English. We welcome submissions from Puerto Rico or for nominees who work in the U.S. but do so primarily in a language other than English. However, to give them a fair chance with the jury, please translate and/or subtitle all submitted materials into English.
Submit your nomination with a cover letter, CV, and work samples as attachments to nominate@annsnitowprize.com. Acceptable file formats are .doc, .txt, and .pdf. If you submit a link please make sure it is to an easily accessible video channel such as YouTube or Vimeo. Please use no smaller than 12 point font in submitted materials.
FAQ
Eligibility
What kind of person is the ideal candidate for the Prize?
The ideal candidate for the Ann Snitow Prize is a feminist intellectual and activist, living and working in the United States, who has consistently exhibited the qualities that led Ann to be so admired and cherished. The awardee is:
• A feminist, broadly defined: someone for whom feminism goes beyond a movement for rights and equality to a vision of a world without social domination or economic exploitation, a world of security, freedom, and pleasure.
• An intellectual and/or artist who thinks with rigor, flexibility, and originality, and who inspires and nurtures the intellectual and creative best in others.
• A radical social justice activist who practices generosity, integrity, and perseverance—and is effective, whether in instigating new formations; mobilizing and connecting people; and/or sustaining and growing campaigns, projects, groups, and institutions.
Prizewinners may be academics, independent scholars, educators, writers or artists, full- or part-time volunteer or paid organizers—or currently engaged in any combination of intellectual and activist feminist work.
Is the Prize only for women?
No; people of any gender can be nominated for the Prize.
Is the Prize a need-based or project-based award?
The Prize is neither need-based nor project-based. The award of $12,500 may be used however the recipient wishes.
Is this a lifetime achievement award?
The Prize is not a lifetime achievement award. Anyone who is currently engaged in feminist intellectual-activist work is eligible, regardless of age or past recognition, although we do have a general preference for candidates at the mid-career level.
Is this an international award?
At this time the Prize committee is only considering nominees living and working in the United States and Puerto Rico.
Can I resubmit a nomination if my nominee was not selected in a previous year?
Yes, you can certainly nominate the same person for consideration if they have not been selected before. Please make sure your nomination letter and materials are updated when you resubmit.
Who can nominate someone for the Ann Snitow Prize?
Anyone is welcome to nominate someone for the Ann Snitow Prize. However, the committee will only consider one nominee per nominator each year. Please do not nominate more than one individual.
Can I nominate myself?
No, nominees cannot nominate themselves. If you would like to be considered for the Prize, you must find someone to nominate you on your behalf. Please do not submit mutual nominations—that is, two people nominating one another.
Can I nominate more than one person?
No, you can only nominate one person per year.
If I am nominating someone, what should my cover letter say?
Your cover letter should give an introduction to the nominee, their work, and why you think they are qualified to receive the Prize. It should describe how the nominee exemplifies the two parts of the prize: intellectual originality and excellence, and effective feminist activism/organizing. A compelling letter should contain a cogent narrative of the nominee’s intellectual/artistic and activist development and how these two aspects of the person’s work complement each other. It should also describe why and how their work is feminist. The letter should be no longer than two pages and use an easily legible font (preferably 12 pt).
What counts as a work sample, and how much should I include? What file formats do you accept?
Work samples should be attached in a single file and not exceed 20 pages total, including written work. There is no minimum page count as long as the samples included sufficiently represent the activities of your nominee.
Links are encouraged to show us a personal website for a nominee, or video/audio performances that cannot be scanned into document form. For anything else, work sample materials should be compiled into one single document. Please do not submit links in lieu of written materials.
Please send files as .pdf or .doc, where applicable. If you would like to submit video or audio files as work samples, please include links to works hosted online (on Vimeo, YouTube, Soundcloud, Dropbox, etc) rather than sending raw footage via email.
Examples of work samples include but are not limited to:
• Fliers, handouts, pamphlets, video/audio footage, and other records of groups, projects, or events the nominee has organized
• Syllabi for courses taught inside or outside an institution
• Links to a personal website of the nominee, or to relevant audio/video work
• Published or unpublished writing (under the maximum 20 pages total for all work samples; excerpts are acceptable)
• Images of artwork or performances
Who selects the winner?
Each year the Organizing Committee invites a different group of judges to read the nominations and select the winner. In assembling a jury, we seek to represent the diversity of feminism and the many movements with which it intersects—in terms of age, race, gender, sexual identity, geography; locations inside and outside the academy; intellectual and artistic pursuits and disciplines; political and organizing experiences; and self-definition as feminists and activists beyond feminism.
When will the Prize be awarded?
The Prize is awarded in December of each year.
Visit the About Us page for information about members of the Nomination Committee.
Have more questions? Email us at info@annsnitowprize.com