Career Honors and Awards
For a book awards list click here.
2025
The Women’s National Book Association (WNBA) presented it’s 2025 WNBA Award to Judy Blume on May 31, 2025.
In recognition of her many books for adolescents, candidly addressing sex, menstruation, and other body issues;
For co-founding a bookstore and studio space congenial to readers and creative workers;
For using her name recognition as a force in defense of libraries and librarians;
For speaking out against censorship, book banning, and the resulting harm to freedom of speech and thought;
WNBA is proud to honor this exceptional book woman, whose actions continue to enrich the community of the book through her work and by her example.
2025
Florida International University (FIU) 2025 Sanders Award in Fiction was awarded to Judy Blume on March 20, 2025. Established in 2010, this award is given annually by the FIU Creative Writing Program to honor a writer of fiction whose work embodies wide appeal and literary excellence. Click for a video of the event, including Judy’s onstage reading and chat with Les Standiford (Judy appears at 16:33).
2025
The City of Miami Beach and the Commission for Women, selected Judy Blume as a recipient of the “2025 Miami Beach Exemplary Woman Award.” In recognition of your incredible achievements and contributions, an outdoor museum exhibition celebrating you was located on Ocean Drive as part of our Women’s History Month celebration. Oversized framed placards of all ten honorees were displayed and seen by over half a million people from around the world.
2024
The National Book Critics Circle announce that Judy Blume is the recipient of its Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award for exemplifying how literacy and literary access lead to liberation.
2024
Judy Blume Forever, a Peabody Award-winning documentary on the life and work of Judy, directed by Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok.
2024
The Eleanor Roosevelt Center announce that Blume is the first-ever recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Lifetime Achievement Award for Bravery in Literature. This is the inaugural Roosevelt awards for “authors and books that advance human rights in the face of an alarming rise in book banning and censorship.” This award recognizes the influence of Judy’s voice in fighting for intellectual freedom and honors the impact she has had on a generation of readers.
2023
2023
TIME100: The 100 Most Influential People Of 2023 included Judy with an introduction by Molly Ringwald.
2023
Judy was an honoree at Variety’s Power of Women 2023 Awards.
2021
National Coalition Against Censorship’s Free Speech Defender Lifetime Achievement. Moving forward the NCAC’s award will be named the Judy Blume Free Speech Defender Lifetime Achievement Award. Click here to watch NCAC’s Gala evening.
Presentation of Judy’s award starts at 1:04:20. Click here to read about Judy’s award.
2021
Yale University honorary Doctor of Letters. In awarding the 2021 honorary degrees, President Peter Salovey read the following personalized citation about Judy’s Doctor of Letters.
“Gifted storyteller, nothing is off limits and no taboo is too great for your uncensored and honest voice. Treasured by readers young and old, you push past shame and convention to help us understand the world and our place in it. For championing the freedom to imagine while encouraging us to love ourselves, Yale is forever proud to award you this Doctor of Letters degree.”
Click here to read more about Judy’s Doctor of Letters.
View the conferral of this year’s honorary degrees. Judy’s Doctor of Letters conferral is at 5:59.
2021
New Jersey’s Garden State Parkway named it Monmouth rest stop after Judy who was born about an hour’s drive away in Elizabeth, NJ.
2020
Authors Guild Foundation’s Honoree for Distinguished Service to the Literary Community.
2020
Humanitarian of the Year was presented by the American Red Cross, the Greater Miami & The Keys Chapter, to Judy and her husband George Cooper. The Florence Spottswood Humanitarian of the Year “honors community members who demonstrate leadership and compassion through community service.”
2020
NYU Changemakers of the Year: Vison. Perseverance. Belief. A NYU alumna (Steinhardt ’61), Judy was honored for having “Revolutionized the young adult genre by tackling controversial themes in her coming-of-age classics.” Click here for brief video or click here for award summary.
2018
Carl Sandburg Literary Award presented by the Chicago Public Library Foundation for literary works that have shaped generations and made indelible contributions to literature. Click here to view NPR’s Scott Simon’s introduction of Judy or click here to watch Judy and Neil deGrasse Tyson in conversation with NPR Saturday Host Scott Simon.
2017
American Academy of Arts and Letters E.B. White Award for lifetime achievement in children’s literature.
2015
Catholic Library Association: Regina Award
2013
National Coalition of Teachers of English (NCTE): NCTE/SLATE National Intellectual Freedom Award
2013
ALAN (Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE): ALAN Award
2013
New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA): The NAIBA Carla Cohen Free Speech Award
2013
New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA): NAIBA Legacy Award
2013
Chicago Tribune: Young Adult Literary Prize
2011
Smithsonian Associates: The McGovern Award
2010
Rutgers: The State University of New Jersey: Honorary Doctor of Letters
2010
Inducted into Harvard Lampoon
2010
New Jersey Hall of Fame Inductee
2009
National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) honored and paid tribute to Blume’s longstanding defense of free speech and her courageous battles against all kinds of censorship.
2009
University of Southern Mississippi Medallion for her lifelong contributions to the field of children’s literature.
2004
National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters
2003
Mount Holyoke College – Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts
2000
Library of Congress Living Legends Award
1996
Margaret Alexander Edwards Award was presented to Judy for Forever in recognition that she broke new ground in her frank portrayal of Michael and Katherine, high school seniors who are in love for the first time. Their love and sexuality are described in an open, realistic manner and with great compassion.
1993
Columbian University College of Physicans and Surgeons Dean’s Award
1992
National Hero Award, Big Brothers/Big Sisters
1989-91
Favorite Author, Children’s Choice Award, Harris County, Texas
1989
“Most Admired Author,” Heroes of Young America Poll, World Almanac
Children’s Choice Award, New Jersey Region III
1988
South Australian Youth Media Award for Best Author
1987
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, Kean College, Union, New Jersey
Children’s Choice Award, Harris County, Texas
Excellence in the Field of Literature Award, New Jersey Education Association
1986
Civil Liberties Award, Atlanta Civil Liberties Union
John Rock Award, Center for Population Options, Los Angeles
1984
Carl Sandberg Freedom to Read Award, Chicago Public Library
1983
Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award