2026 SWBDA Recipients

Below are the finalists and winners in the 2026 SWBDA competition. Winners will be announced on August 28, 2026 at the NMBA Summer Gala held at The Club at Las Campanas in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The event will include music by Chase Morrison and special guest Arthur Sze. 

Note that SWBDA judges, at their discretion, may re-assign entries to other categories and may award or not award finalist and/or winner honors in any category. Not every category announced will have a winner. Some may have one or more winners and no finalists; some may have one or more finalists and no winner.

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General Fiction

WINNER

• ​Something Out There in the Distance by Grant Faulkner (University of New Mexico Press; Isaac Morris​, designer)

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Mystery / Thriller

WINNER

• Potluck: Home School Murder Mysteries by J.A. St. Thomas (Cat Tales Publishing; J.A. St. Thomas with Tuff Dog Studios, Designers) ​

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Biography / Autobiography / Memoir

WINNER

• The Mountain Knows the Mountain by Philip Connors  (University of New Mexico Press; Isaac Morris, designer) 
• Mac Schweitzer: A Southwest Maverick and her Art by Ann Lane Hedlund (University of Arizona Press; Leigh McDonald, designer) ​​

FINALIST

• In the Swampyland by Joan Brooks Baker (SF Design/Fresco Books)

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History / Political Science

WINNERS

• ​​They Kill People by Kirk Ellis (University of New Mexico Press; Isaac Morris, Designer) 
• Remembering the Future by Mark Klett and William L. Fox (Radius Books; David Chickey, Inga Hendrickson, Nick Larsen, Designers)

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Scholarly / Technical

​​WINNER

• Voces del Pueblo by Ray Hernández-Durán and Irene Vásquez (University of New Mexico Press; Isaac Morris, Designer) 

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Poetry

WINNER

• A Chronology of Blood by Teo Shannon (University of New Mexico; Felicia Cedillos, Designer)​ ​

FINALIST

• The Luminous Between by Madelyn Garner (3: A Taos Press; Michele Braverman, BraveStudio, Inc, Designer) 

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Children's

​WINNER

• Plants of Enchantment by Ashley Hansen-Zappe (Viridian River Books; Dawn Wheat)

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Bilingual

WINNER

• Guatemala Capital de Profundis by Carlotta Boettcher (Plumsock Mesoamerican Studies / Centro de Investigaciones Regionales de Mesoamerica; Guillermo Duran, Carlotta Boettcher and Kathleen Dexter, Designers)

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Art

​​WINNER

• Panûpünüwügai (Living Light) by Cara Romero (Radius Books; David Chickey, Inga Hendrickson, Nick Larsen, Designers)
• tēxēre by Laurie Lambrecht (Radius Books; David Chickey, Inga Hendrickson, Nick Larsen, Designers)
  

FINALISTS

• Resonances by Ashwini Bhat (Radius Books; David Chickey, Inga Hendrickson, and Nick Larsen, Designers)
• Lakota Women's Arts: Quillwork and Beadwork by Marsha C. Bol (Museum of New Mexico Press; Tina Kachele)

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Photography

WINNERS

• Love Pictures by Jess T. Dugan & Charlotte Cotton (Radius Books; David Chickey, Inga Hendrickson, and Nick Larsen, designers)
• tēxēre by Laurie Lambrecht (Radius Books; David Chickey, Inga Hendrickson, Nick Larsen)​
• Panûpünüwügai (Living Light) by Cara Romero (Radius Books; David Chickey, Inga Hendrickson, Nick Larsen, Designers)​

​FINALISTS

• Objects at Hand by Daniel Gordon (Radius Books; David Chickey, Inga Hendrickson, and Nick Larsen, Designers)​​​​
• Tracy Hills by Ryan McIntosh and Yogan Muller (Radius Books, David Chickey, Inga Hendrickson, and Nick Larsen, Designers)
• Seventh and Central by Nathaniel Tetsuro Paolinelli (University of New Mexico Press; Isaac Morris, designer)
• Ore and Empire by Martin Supich (University of New Mexico Press; Felicia Cedillos, designer)
  
  

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