{{Short description|American poetry award}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2020}} The '''Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize''' is awarded annually by [[The Poetry Foundation]], which also publishes [[Poetry (magazine)|''Poetry'']] magazine. The prize was established in 1986 by [[Ruth Lilly]]. It honors a living U.S. poet whose "lifetime accomplishments warrant extraordinary recognition"; its value is $100,000<ref>[https://www.poetryfoundation.org/foundation/prizes-lilly "Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize"], ''The Poetry Foundation''. Retrieved October 23, 2018.</ref><ref>Kinzer, Stephen (2004). [https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/07/books/07poet.html "Poetry Starts to Wear $100 Million Crown"], ''The New York Times'' October 7, 2004. Online version retrieved May 22, 2008.</ref> making it one of the [[List of the world's richest literary prizes|richest literary prizes in the world]]. Mary Carole McCauley, writing for the ''Los Angeles Times'', called it "among the most prestigious awards that can be won by an American poet".<ref>{{cite news |work=The Los Angeles Times |title=Poet turns a page in poetry prize history |last=Mccauley |first=Mary Carole |date=May 9, 2007 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-may-09-et-clifton9-story.html |access-date=April 6, 2009}}</ref>
==Winners== The following list is based on the listing by the Poetry Foundation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/foundation/awards|title=Foundation Awards|first=Poetry|last=Foundation|date=February 24, 2020|website=Poetry Foundation}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/foundation/prizes-lilly|title=Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize|first=Poetry|last=Foundation|date=February 24, 2020|website=Poetry Foundation}}</ref> {{div col|colwidth=20em}} * 1986: [[Adrienne Rich]] * 1987: [[Philip Levine (poet)|Philip Levine]] * 1988: [[Anthony Hecht]] * 1989: [[Mona Van Duyn]] * 1990: [[Hayden Carruth]] * 1991: [[David Wagoner]] * 1992: [[John Ashbery]] * 1993: [[Charles Wright (poet)|Charles Wright]] * 1994: [[Donald Hall]] * 1995: [[A. R. Ammons]] * 1996: [[Gerald Stern]] * 1997: [[William Matthews (poet)|William Matthews]] * 1998: [[W. S. Merwin]] * 1999: [[Maxine Kumin]] * 2000: [[Carl Dennis]] * 2001: [[Yusef Komunyakaa]] * 2002: [[Lisel Mueller]] * 2003: [[Linda Pastan]] * 2004: [[Kay Ryan]] * 2005: [[C. K. Williams]] * 2006: [[Richard Wilbur]] * 2007: [[Lucille Clifton]] * 2008: [[Gary Snyder]] * 2009: [[Fanny Howe]] * 2010: [[Eleanor Ross Taylor]] * 2011: [[David Ferry (poet)|David Ferry]]<ref>{{cite news |work=Poetry Foundation |title=David Ferry Awarded 2011 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize |date=April 12, 2011 |url=http://www.poetryfoundation.org/foundation/announcement/186278 |access-date=April 16, 2011}}</ref> * 2012: [[W. S. Di Piero]]<ref>{{cite news |work=Poetry Foundation |title=W.S. Di Piero Awarded 2012 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize |date=April 17, 2012 |url=http://www.poetryfoundation.org/foundation/press/2012/186338 |access-date=April 10, 2013}}</ref> * 2013: [[Marie Ponsot]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pw.org/content/marie_ponsot_wins_ruth_lilly_poetry_prize|title=Marie Ponsot Wins Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize|date=March 20, 2013|website=Poets & Writers}}</ref> * 2014: [[Nathaniel Mackey]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/nathaniel-mackey|title=Nathaniel Mackey|first=Poetry|last=Foundation|date=February 24, 2020|website=Poetry Foundation}}</ref> * 2015: [[Alice Notley]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/harriet/2015/05/alice-notley-awarded-2015-ruth-lilly-poetry-prize|title=Alice Notley Awarded 2015 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize by Harriet Staff|first=Poetry|last=Foundation|date=February 24, 2020|website=Poetry Foundation}}</ref> * 2016: [[Ed Roberson]] * 2017: [[Joy Harjo]] * 2018: [[Martín Espada]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/foundation/press/146607/martin-espada-awarded-2018-ruth-lilly-poetry-prize|title=Martín Espada Awarded 2018 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize|first=Poetry|last=Foundation|date=February 24, 2020|website=Poetry Foundation}}</ref> * 2019: [[Marilyn Nelson]] * 2020: [[Marilyn Chin]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=September 7, 2020|title=Poetry Foundation Announces 2020 Pegasus Awards Winners, Marilyn Chin Awarded Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize|url=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/foundation/press/154094/poetry-foundation-announces-2020-pegasus-awards-winners-marilyn-chin-awarded-ruth-lilly-poetry-prize|access-date=September 7, 2020|website=Poetry Foundation|language=en}}</ref> * 2021: [[Patricia Smith (poet)|Patricia Smith]] * 2022: [[Sandra Cisneros]], [[CAConrad]], [[Rita Dove]], [[Nikki Giovanni]], [[Juan Felipe Herrera]], [[Angela Jackson]], [[Haki R. Madhubuti]], [[Sharon Olds]], [[Sonia Sanchez]], [[Patti Smith]] and [[Arthur Sze]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Poetry Foundation Makes History Honoring 2022 Pegasus Awardees |url=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/foundation/press/158595/poetry-foundation-makes-history-honoring-2022-pegasus-awardees |website=Poetry Foundation |access-date=December 8, 2022 |date=September 8, 2022}}</ref> * 2023: [[Kimiko Hahn]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Poetry |date=2023-12-25 |title=Poetry Foundation Announces 2023 Pegasus Awards Winners and a New Pegasus Award for Service in Poetry |url=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/foundation/press/161095/poetry-foundation-announces-2023-pegasus-awards-winners-and-a-new-pegasus-award-for-service-in-poetry |access-date=2023-12-25 |website=Poetry Foundation |language=en}}</ref> * 2024: [[Li-Young Lee]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Poetry Foundation Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the Pegasus Awards and Announces 2024 Recipients |url=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/1599852/poetry-foundation-celebrates-the-20th-anniversary-of-the-pegasus-awards-and-announces-2024-recipients |website=Poetry Foundation |publisher=Poetry Foundation |access-date=1 April 2025}}</ref> * 2025: [[Rigoberto González]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Rigoberto González |url=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/rigoberto-gonzalez |website=Poetry Foundation |access-date=7 November 2025}}</ref> {{div col end}}
==See also== *[[American poetry]] *[[List of poetry awards]] *[[List of literary awards]] *[[List of years in poetry]] *[[List of years in literature]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/articles/160085/eleven-legends "Eleven Legends {{!}} Tributes to the winners of the 2022 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize"], ''Poetry'' magazine, April 2023.
[[Category:American poetry awards]] [[Category:Literary awards honoring lifetime achievement]] [[Category:Poetry Foundation]]
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