Pegasus Award for Service in Poetry
In 2023, the Poetry Foundation introduced a new, annual award bestowed in recognition of commitment and extraordinary work in poetry and the literary arts through administration, advocacy, education, publishing, or service. The Pegasus Award for Service in Poetry recognizes that service to poetry and its communities comes in a variety of forms. The award includes a cash prize of $25,000, to be awarded annually.
2025 Pegasus Award for Service in Poetry RECIPIENT
In 2025, Amy Stolls completed 26 years of distinguished service at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), where she steadfastly championed writers, readers, publishers, translators, and literary institutions. Joining the NEA’s Literature Office in 1998, she oversaw major programs, including NEA fellowships, Poetry Out Loud, the Big Read, and the National Book Festival, advising on thousands of proposals and moderating panels nationwide. A published author herself, Stolls brings deep empathy and insightful leadership to her work, enriching America’s literary ecosystem and earning the lasting gratitude of countless writers.
2024 Pegasus Award for Service in Poetry RECIPIENT
2024Jen BenkaJen Benka has been a tireless advocate for poets and poetry over the course of more than 25 years. Committed to championing and creating new opportunities for poets, writers, publishers, and the organizations that support them, Benka has developed fellowships, residencies, literary grants, and awards. As president and executive director of the Academy of American Poets, Benka simultaneously envisioned and co-launched the Literary Arts Emergency Fund, which provided $7.8 million to hundreds of nonprofit literary arts organizations and publishers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Benka co-organized the Artist Relief Fund, which raised and provided $25 million in emergency grants to 4,682 artists and writers. The Poetry Foundation is proud to honor Jen Benka with the 2024 Pegasus Awards for Service in Poetry.
2023 Pegasus Award for Service in Poetry RECIPIENT
2023Toi DerricotteThe inaugural recipients of the Pegasus Award for Service in Poetry are Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady.
Derricotte and Eady are the founders of Cave Canem, established in 1996 to remedy the underrepresentation and isolation of African-American poets in the literary landscape. That year, Cave Canem welcomed an inaugural cohort of fellows to a residency of intensive poetry workshops and readings, an unparalleled opportunity to join a community of peers and study with a faculty of renowned poets. To date, Cave Canem Fellowships have supported more than 500 poets, many of whom have gone on to distinguished literary careers, including winners of the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize, recipients of the MacArthur Fellowship, and Poets Laureate. Poetry magazine editor, Adrian Matejka is a former Cave Canem fellow.
2023Cornelius EadyThe inaugural recipients of the Pegasus Award for Service in Poetry are Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady.
Derricotte and Eady are the founders of Cave Canem, established in 1996 to remedy the underrepresentation and isolation of African-American poets in the literary landscape. That year, Cave Canem welcomed an inaugural cohort of fellows to a residency of intensive poetry workshops and readings, an unparalleled opportunity to join a community of peers and study with a faculty of renowned poets. To date, Cave Canem Fellowships have supported more than 500 poets, many of whom have gone on to distinguished literary careers, including winners of the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize, recipients of the MacArthur Fellowship, and Poets Laureate. Poetry magazine editor, Adrian Matejka is a former Cave Canem fellow.