The University of Michigan announced the winners of the 2026 Avery and Jule Hopwood Awards and other writing contests administered by the Hopwood Program.

This year’s contests received 1,165 submissions from students at all three U-M campuses, the highest number of submissions in Hopwood history. The Hopwood Program awarded 175 prizes valued at $306,660 to 104 graduate and undergraduate students.

At the recent awards ceremony, former Hopwood assistant director Andrea Beauchamp was honored with an Avery Award for her outstanding service to the Hopwood Program. Acclaimed writer and cultural critic Roxane Gay gave the Hopwood Lecture and also gave a reading from her work.

The Hopwood Awards were established by a bequest from Avery Hopwood, a 1905 graduate and successful Broadway playwright, and Jule Hopwood, his mother. Former Hopwood winners include Arthur Miller, Robert Hayden, Lawrence Kasdan, Jesmyn Ward and Celeste Ng.

A full list of winners and finalists can be found on the Hopwood website.