Michael L. Printz Award 2020: Complete list of winners

The 2020 Michael L. Printz Award, one of the most prestigious honors for young adult literature, recognized A. S. King’s Dig as its Young Adult winner, cementing King’s place among the most innovative voices writing for teen readers today. The Printz Award, administered by the American Library Association’s Young Adult Library Services Association, has long been known for championing literary excellence in YA fiction—prioritizing craft, originality, and authentic engagement with the concerns of adolescent readers over commercial success. King’s sprawling, genre-defying novel earned particular praise for its ambitious narrative structure and unflinching exploration of family secrets, grief, and resilience, themes that resonate deeply with the award’s legacy of recognizing emotionally intelligent storytelling.

Dig stands out as the kind of ambitious, formally experimental work the Printz Award tends to favor. Rather than a straightforward coming-of-age narrative, King weaves together multiple timelines and perspectives, creating a rich tapestry that rewards close reading while remaining viscerally engaging for its teen audience. This year’s selection reinforces the award’s commitment to recognizing YA literature that refuses to talk down to young readers, instead trusting them with complex narratives and moral ambiguity. For anyone tracking the evolution of young adult literature through major awards, the 2020 Printz Award serves as a clear signal of where contemporary YA fiction is headed: toward increasingly sophisticated storytelling that honors both literary merit and the authentic experiences of its readers.

Young Adult

• Dig by A. S. King