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American Library Association · award year

Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence 2020

The 2020 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence went to Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli (Fiction) and Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster by Adam Higginbotham (Nonfiction). 6 books were finalists and 49 books made the longlist across 2 categories.

Winners

Fiction

  1. Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luisellisource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster by Adam Higginbothamsource (opens in a new tab)

Finalists

Fiction

  1. Feast Your Eyes by Myla Goldbergsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coatessource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Figuring by Maria Popovasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present by David Treuersource (opens in a new tab)

Longlist

Fiction

  1. City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbertsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillipssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Dominicana by Angie Cruzsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmannsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Everything Inside by Edwidge Danticatsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Aknersource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Grand Union by Zadie Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Inland by Téa Obrehtsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Lanny by Max Portersource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Memories of the Future by Siri Hustvedtsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Normal People by Sally Rooneysource (opens in a new tab)
  12. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuongsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Prairie Fever by Michael Parkersource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Quichotte by Salman Rushdiesource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  16. The Dutch House by Ann Patchettsource (opens in a new tab)
  17. The Far Field by Madhuri Vijaysource (opens in a new tab)
  18. The Grammarians by Cathleen Schinesource (opens in a new tab)
  19. The Guest Book by Sarah Blakesource (opens in a new tab)
  20. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whiteheadsource (opens in a new tab)
  21. The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffmansource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race by Douglas Brinkleysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. An American Summer: Love and Death in Chicago by Alex Kotlowitzsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Becoming Dr. Seuss: Theodor Geisel and the Making of an American Imagination by Brian Jay Jonessource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life by Louise Aronsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cepsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. In the Country of Women by Susan Straightsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. In the Dream House: A Memoir by Carmen Maria Machadosource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perezsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Janis: Her Life and Music by Holly George-Warrensource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Losing Earth: A Recent History by Nathaniel Richsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Mama's Last Hug: Animal and Human Emotions by Frans de Waalsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Parkland by Dave Cullensource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning by Elliot Ackermansource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefesource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Silver, Sword & Stone: Three Crucibles of the Latin American Story by Marie Aranasource (opens in a new tab)
  16. The Ice at the End of the World: Greenland's Secret Past and Earth's Perilous Future by Jon Gertnersource (opens in a new tab)
  17. The Outlaw Ocean: Journeys across the Last Untamed Frontier by Ian Urbinasource (opens in a new tab)
  18. The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations by Toni Morrisonsource (opens in a new tab)
  19. The Uninhabitable Earth: Life after Warming by David Wallace-Wellssource (opens in a new tab)
  20. The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broomsource (opens in a new tab)
  21. Underland: A Deep Time Journey by Robert Macfarlanesource (opens in a new tab)
  22. What You Have Heard Is True: A Memoir of Witness and Resistance by Carolyn Forchésource (opens in a new tab)

About the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence

Winners, finalists (the shortlist) and longlists from ALA's per-year Carnegie Medals pages. The medals began in 2012. Winners also appear on their year's shortlist; each book is stored once per year at its highest level. No nonfiction medal was awarded in 2018 after Sherman Alexie declined it, so that year has three nonfiction finalists and no winner.

Organization: American Library Association. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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