Living Canon

Carnegie Medal 2021: Complete list of winners

The 2021 Carnegie Medal recognized two stunning works that captured the hearts of the award’s distinguished judges: James McBride’s Deacon King Kong took home the fiction prize, while Rebecca Giggs’s Fathoms: The World in the Whale claimed the nonfiction award. McBride’s sprawling, exuberant novel set in a Brooklyn housing project showcases his characteristic warmth and humor alongside deeper meditations on faith, community, and redemption. Giggs’s ambitious blend of natural history, oceanography, and personal narrative offers an entirely fresh perspective on whale biology and what these magnificent creatures reveal about our own world.

These selections demonstrate the Carnegie Medal’s continued commitment to honoring works of genuine substance and artistry—books that entertain while also expanding readers’ understanding of themselves and the world around them. The Carnegie Medal, one of the most prestigious honors in English-language publishing, has long championed fiction and nonfiction that combine literary excellence with broad appeal, and this year’s winners are no exception. Both McBride and Giggs bring distinctive voices and unexpected depths to their respective genres, making them worthy additions to the Carnegie Medal’s storied legacy.

Here are the complete 2021 Carnegie Medal winners across both categories:

Fiction

Nonfiction