The Association for Africanist Anthropology requests submissions for three annual awards. The 2023 submission deadlines for the awards are listed below. The awards are presented during the AfAA reception at the annual meetings of the American Anthropological Association (AAA). For information on past AfAA Award winners, click here.

Elliott P. Skinner Book Award

Association for Africanist Anthropology (AfAA) sponsors the annual Elliott P. Skinner Book Award. The prize is to the book that best furthers both the global community of Africanist scholars and the wider interests of the African continent as exemplified in the work of Elliott P. Skinner. Contributions from all sub-fields of anthropology are welcome, with special consideration given to works drawing upon extensive research in the field or those advancing new methodologies for fieldwork in Africa. Inquiries about the 2024 award cycle should be sent to Laurian Bowles (labowles [@] davidson.edu)

Awards are selected based on the following criteria:

  • Originality of scholarship, creativity of insight, and quality of writing.
  • Advancements to both field-based data and theoretical scholarship, with a focus upon contributions in the realms of fieldwork or service to Africa.
  • Visibility of the book in the fields of African studies and Africanist anthropology, or the clear potential of the book to become visible to these constituencies.
  • Clear potential for the book to reach an audience beyond the Africanist scholarly community or to promote the further understanding of sub-Saharan Africa for a broader audience.
  • The deadline for submission is May 1. Submissions should include a letter of nomination by a scholar other than the author, a copy of the nominated book, and a full C.V. of the author.
  • The year of publication for the nominated book will be the year preceding the award year.
  • Typically, all award recipients must be members of the AfAA. However in recognition of the financial difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, for the 2021 competition this requirement to be a member of AfAA has been waived.
  • The Award consists of a $1,000 prize. Awardees will be recognized and receive their prize at the AfAA reception during the annual meetings of the AAA.

Bennetta Jules-Rosette Graduate Essay Award

The Association for Africanist Anthropology (AfAA) sponsors the annual Bennetta Jules-Rosette Graduate Student Essay Award. The prize is awarded to the best graduate student essay in Africanist anthropology. Contributions from all sub-fields of anthropology are welcome. Special emphasis seeks to highlight emerging perspectives with promise to develop as a major contribution to the fields of Africanist anthropology, African studies, or African diaspora studies. Submissions should be sent to Bennetta Jules-Rosette (bjulesrosette[@]ucsd.edu). In determining the award, the following criteria will be applied:

  • Originality of scholarship, creativity of insight, and quality of writing.
  • Clear potential for contribution to the fields of Africanist anthropology, African studies, or African diaspora studies. Special consideration will be given to work that incorporates emerging perspectives or interdisciplinary methodologies, which promote the further understanding of sub-Saharan Africa and the African diaspora by a broader audience.
  • Clear potential for continued innovative research, leading toward a dissertation or major publication on the part of the author.
  • The deadline for submission is June 30 of each year. Submissions should include a letter of nomination by a scholar other than the author, a copy of the nominated paper, and a full C.V. of the author.
  • Candidates must not have completed their PhD at the time of nomination.
  • All award recipients must be members of the AfAA.
  • The Award consists of a $500 prize. Awardees will be recognized and receive their prize at the AfAA reception during the annual meetings of the AAA.

Nancy “Penny” Schwartz Undergraduate Student Essay Award

The Association for Africanist Anthropology (AfAA) sponsors the annual Nancy “Penny” Schwartz Undergraduate Paper Award. The prize is awarded to the best undergraduate paper in Africanist anthropology. Submissions should be sent to Bennetta Jules-Rosette (bjulesrosette[@]ucsd.edu). In determining the award, the following criteria will be applied:

  • Originality of scholarship, creativity of insight, and quality of writing. A well-argued and innovative perspective on a current issue of concern to Africanist and African diaspora scholarship or to the issues facing Africa more generally.
  • Clear potential for supporting future research at the graduate level or beyond. Special consideration will be given to undergraduates planning to pursue a career in anthropology or in service and education on the African continent.
  • Original research involving primary materials or fieldwork is useful, but not essential for consideration.
  • Note: We do not accept multi-chapter undergraduate theses. Thesis submissions should select a strong representative chapter and submit that along with an abstract of the full project.
  • The deadline for submission is June 30 of each year. Submissions should include a letter of nomination by an academic mentor and a copy of the student paper.
  • Candidates must not have completed their undergraduate studies earlier than the year of nomination (e.g., if a student graduates in May of the year of nomination, that is acceptable).
  • Candidates for the Undergraduate Paper Award do not need to be members of the AfAA.
  • The Award consists of a $100 cash prize plus registration for the Annual Meetings of the AAA. Awardees will be recognized and receive their prize at the AfAA reception during the annual meetings of the AAA.