Kirkus Prize 2015: Complete list of winners

The 2015 Kirkus Prize selections represent some of the most compelling voices in contemporary publishing, showcasing the breadth and depth of literature that resonated with readers and critics alike that year. The Kirkus Prize, one of the most prestigious and well-respected literary awards in the United States, celebrates excellence across three categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Young Readers’ Literature. With a substantial monetary award attached to each category, the prize has become a bellwether for books that achieve both critical acclaim and cultural significance.

This year’s winners demonstrate the prize’s commitment to recognizing literary achievement at its highest level. In fiction, Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life claimed the top honor—a sprawling, emotionally devastating novel that explores friendship, trauma, and the human capacity for both suffering and connection. Ta-Nehisi Coates dominated the nonfiction category with Between the World and Me, his powerful meditation on race, identity, and citizenship written as a letter to his son. The young readers’ category honored Pam Muñoz Ryan’s Echo, illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova, a beautifully rendered story that weaves together multiple timelines and voices.

Below is the complete list of 2015 Kirkus Prize winners and finalists across all categories:

Fiction

• A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Nonfiction

• Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Young Readers’ Literature

• Echo by Pam Muñoz RyanDinara Mirtalipova(ill.)