Vivian Award (Best Romance Novel)
Complete History
About the Vivian Award (Best Romance Novel)
The Vivian Award is presented by Romance Writers of America (RWA), the largest trade association for romance novelists, and represents the highest honor in English-language romance fiction. Originally known as the RITA Award from 1990 to 2019 (named for RWA's first president, Rita Clay Estrada) and preceded by the Golden Medallion Award (1982–1989), the prize was renamed the Vivian in 2021 in honor of Vivian Stephens, a Black author and publishing pioneer who co-founded RWA and created romance lines at Dell and Harlequin in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The award is given in numerous sub-categories reflecting the breadth of romance fiction, including contemporary, historical, paranormal, romantic suspense, mainstream fiction with a central romance, and more. Winners are selected through a multi-stage judging process involving romance authors, editors, reviewers, and other industry professionals. The RITA/Vivian program was not awarded in 2020 due to organizational controversies within RWA, and the 2022 and 2023 cycles were also suspended as RWA undertook structural reforms. The award resumed in a revised form from 2024 onward. Past winners include Loretta Chase, Sarah MacLean, Tessa Dare, Kennedy Ryan, and many others who represent the bestselling voices of the genre.
Frequently Asked Questions
- The Vivian Award, formerly the RITA Award, is the highest honor in romance fiction, presented by Romance Writers of America across multiple sub-categories of the romance genre.
- In 2021, RWA renamed the award from RITA (named for Rita Clay Estrada) to Vivian in honor of Vivian Stephens, a Black author and co-founder of RWA who created groundbreaking romance imprints at Dell and Harlequin in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
- No. The award was not given in 2020 due to organizational upheaval within RWA following discrimination controversies. The Vivian Award was given once in 2021, then suspended again in 2022 and 2023 during further reform efforts.
- Categories include Contemporary Romance (in multiple length sub-categories), Historical Romance, Paranormal/Speculative Romance, Romantic Suspense, Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance, Erotic Romance, Romance with Religious/Spiritual Elements, and Young Adult Romance.
- Entries are judged in preliminary rounds by industry professionals and advance through multiple rounds before finalists are selected. Final winners are determined by a panel of expert judges.
- The Golden Medallion was the precursor to the RITA Award, given by RWA from 1982 to 1989 before being renamed RITA in 1990.
- The Vivian Award carries no monetary prize. Winners receive a statuette.