The Cat Writers’ Association (CWA) Contest Special Awards stand apart: they include cash prizes rather than Muse Medallions. Most celebrate our collaborations with sponsoring companies committed to improving the lives of cats through their products and services. Several are named in honor of past CWA leaders whose lifelong contributions have made a lasting difference for felines.
Below are the 2026 Special Award categories, recognizing work published or produced between January 1 and December 31, 2025.
The submission portal opens April 22, 2026, and closes at midnight (Eastern Time) on May 31, 2026.
CWA’s A.I. Policy for the 2026 Communications Contest
Work written or generated by computer software and/or artificial intelligence is ineligible for entry in the CWA’s communications contest. Only human-created work is eligible. Acceptable uses of AI include:
- Brainstorming ideas for stories or artwork
- Refining story ideas
- Finding correct information for citations of quotes
- Finding sources to be interviewed for a story
- Spellchecking or editing
- Assistive software for those with vision, hearing, or mobility impairment
If an AI assistant (e.g., ChatGPT, Perplexity AI, Jasper AI, Quillbot, Elicit, Ryter, etc.) was used to generate ideas or gather information for the entry, the participant must include that information in their reference list. In the art and photography categories, no generative AI content will be eligible to win an award.
We thank you in advance for abiding by this policy.
2026 Special Awards Category Descriptions
GOODNEWSFORPETS.COM HUMAN-ANIMAL BOND AWARD
This award is presented for the entry written by a CWA member that best reflects and promotes the strengthening of the human-animal bond and highlights the bond between a cat and human. Entries will be judged for exceptional quality and ability to convey this concept and connect with the audience. See more at the GoodNewsForPets website.
Only CWA members are eligible to win this award. Additionally, only those who have not previously won are eligible for this award. Previous recipients include:
- 2025 Deborah Barnes “Peach Fuzz – 2024 Pantone Color of the Year and Why it’s Connected to Cats and Your Health”
- 2024 Sassafras Patterdale (Lowery) “Claw This Journal: An Activity Book for Cats and Their Humans“
- 2023 Dusty Rainbolt “Ghost Cats 2: More Afterlife Encounters with Feline Spirits”
- 2022 Jen Reeder “Meditating cat offers Zen-like support to kids affected by trauma” on TODAY.com
- 2021 Kristin Avery “Second-Chance Cats, True Stories of the Cats We Rescue and the Cats Who Rescue Us”
- 2020 Katherine Kern “Imperfectly perfect … together: The power of one cat’s love”
- 2019 Katherine Kern “Do Cats Need Human Interaction or Are They Completely Fine on Their Own?”
- 2018 Deborah Camp “Pets Are Part of the Family – Vets Are Too”
- 2017 Deborah Barnes “The Strength of the Human-Animal Bond”
- 2016 Ramona Marek “The Strength of the Human-Animal Bond”
Qualifying entries: Qualified entries include single articles (print or digital), features, columns, short stories, books, and poetry.
Award: $500 and a commemorative certificate. The winning entrant is also featured on Goodnewsforpets.com and their social media.
About the Award Sponsor: GoodNewsForPets.com is a digital news platform that curates information for pet parents, the veterinary industry, and the pet industry. Visit them here.
TICA KARI WINTERS RESCUE AND
REHABILITATION AWARD
The TICA Kari Winters Rescue and Rehabilitation award is named in honor of Kari Winters, an award-winning author who was responsible for the Siamese Cat Rescue in Southern California and helped with rescue of Siamese cats throughout the United States. As a volunteer for the Amanda Foundation, she helped rehabilitate and home countless cats and dogs, with a special gift for rehabbing special needs animals. Even in retirement, Kari raised funds for the Mayor’s Dog Ball in Albuquerque and volunteered with Kennel Kompadres.
This award is presented for the best written work on rescuing and rehabilitating cats or kittens from shelters or rescue groups for the purpose of adoption to forever homes. Entries are judged on compelling personal accounts and the education of readers on the need for rescue.
Qualifying entries: Entries include written work, including articles (published in a print or digital newspaper, magazine, newsletter, or professional blog/website, or single radio or television broadcast), books, columns, and videos.
Award: tbd amount and a commemorative item.
About the Award Sponsor: The International Cat Association, TICA, is the world’s foremost genetic registry of both pedigreed cats and household pet cats. Their inclusive environment allows pet cats to compete alongside pedigreed cats for titles and honors. Visit them here.
NANCY MARANO SENIOR CAT
WELL-BEING AWARD
The Nancy Marano Senior Cat Well-Being Award is named in honor of longtime CWA member Nancy Marano, who served in many leadership roles with the organization during her lifetime. Nancy was the award winning editor of the PETroglyphs regional animal welfare magazine in New Mexico and a journalist who joined the CWA in 1997 and was a recipient of both the Shojai Mentor Award and the Michael Brim Distinguished Service Award.
Sponsored by Fran Pennock Shaw and Ray Shaw, this award is presented for the highest-quality entry on the topic of older, aging, and senior cats. Topics can include but are not limited to adoption, health, innovative and compassionate care, and senior-for senior programs.
Qualifying entries: Written and pictorial pieces from all media (print or digital) are acceptable, including articles, books, columns, and video broadcasts.
Award: $750
About the Award Sponsors: A past president and treasurer of the Cat Writers’ Association, Fran Pennock Shaw is a retired journalist. Her husband is a retired newspaper editor. Nancy Marano was a special friend of theirs, and they sponsor this award in her honor.
PIONEER PET BEHAVIORAL
TRAINING AWARD
This award is presented for the best entry on cat training techniques. Entries should have a “how-to” focus on topics such as (but not limited to) litter box training, tips and techniques for teaching cats not to scratch on furniture or other inappropriate places (focusing on providing them with alternative options to scratch), leash training, callback training, trick training, or training cats to stay off countertops, tables, or other forbidden places.
Qualifying entries: Appropriate entries are series or single articles (print or digital media) published from columns, blogs, websites, magazines, or newsletters; books with a singular focus on a particular training topic; or television, radio broadcast, or video presentations.
Award: $500 and a commemorative certificate.
About the Award Sponsor: Founded in the 1990s, Pioneer Pet makes SmartCat Litter, the best selection of healthier clumping cat litter. They also make fountains, feeders, toys, scratchers, and Sticky Paws, to train your cats not to scratch furniture. Visit them here.
SLEEPYPOD® CAT SAFETY AWARD
This award is presented for the best entry on cat safety. The entry should take a positive approach to inform and educate the readership about feline safety issues, including, but not limited to, safety in the home (such as foods and plants poisonous to cats), preparedness and training for natural disasters, moving, safe travel with cats, and general cat safety.
Qualifying entries: Written, audio, and pictorial works in all media, such as from print or digital columns or blogs, newsletter
Award: $750
About the Award Sponsor: Sleepypod offers a line of thoughtfully designed products to keep your cats safe and happy at home, while traveling, or even while out for a walk. Their carriers, harnesses, and leashes are all tested for tensile strength and durability in a vehicle crash. Visit them here.
WORLD’S BEST® CAT LITTER-ARY AWARD
This award is presented for an outstanding work of fiction portraying cats and cat ownership in a positive way. The highest consideration goes to those entries that include cats as an intrinsic part of the plot. Works will be judged for the exceptional, individual quality (“voice” or “vision”) of the writer/creator.
Qualifying entries: Eligible books, short stories, poems, or radio/ television dramatic scripts may be published in print or electronic media; any scripts or videos must also provide proof of production. All fiction genres are eligible.
Award: $500 and an award plaque.
About the Award Sponsor: The #1-selling brand of natural cat litter, World’s Best uses a patented process to compress corn into super-absorbent granules that trap odor and form tight clumps on contact. Available in several formulas to suit every cat, they also have litter additives for attracting cats, fighting odor, or monitoring your kitty’s health. Visit them here.
MICHAEL BRIM DISTINGUISHED
SERVICE AWARD
Michael Brim was a co-founder of the Cat Writers’ Association and served as the organization’s first vice president. He played a key role in guiding its early development into a respected professional community for cat writers and media professionals. Through his leadership, he helped shape its mission, promote its visibility and set the standard for excellence that continues to define CWA today.
The Michael Brim Distinguished Service Award, sponsored by the Cat Writers’ Association (CWA), honors extraordinary service to the organization. It recognizes the individual whose contributions, leadership and professional excellence have significantly benefited and strengthened CWA and, subsequently, its mission.
Contributions to cats and/or the broader cat-writing community may also be noted; however, precedence is given to service, leadership and volunteer efforts that directly benefit CWA. Entries should include a detailed description of the nominee’s service or accomplishments, whether a single outstanding achievement or a record of activities over time.
There is no entry fee to nominate someone for the Michael Brim Distinguished Service Award.
Qualifying nominees: Nominees must be current CWA members. Nominations may be made by anyone, even if they are not a CWA member. Self-nominations are not permitted. Nominees may include any individual whose service, leadership or volunteer contributions have had a significant and positive impact on the Cat Writers’ Association.
Award: $500 and a commemorative item.
About the Award Sponsor: This is us! Founded in 1992, the Cat Writers’ Association is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization of communications professionals whose work focuses on cats. Our mission is to foster and recognize excellence in feline-focused communications in written, visual, and audio media. For information on becoming a member, visit us here. For information on spotlighting your brand to our members, visit us here.
SHOJAI MENTOR AWARD
Amy Shojai is the co-founder and past president of Cat Writers’ Association. When CWA’s objectives were defined, she promoted mentoring as fundamental to the organization’s mission.
Sponsored by CWA, the Amy Shojai Award recognizes the CWA member who has offered guidance, encouraging counsel, support, or other help that has had a direct and positive influence on another’s professional success. The recipient shall exemplify the highest ideals of the CWA vision, promoting communal support, networking, and mutual respect between colleagues. Nominations may be submitted by any individual (member or nonmember). The “Submitter” must be the direct beneficiary in the mentor relationship. The “Nominee” contribution must go beyond that individual’s required duties as defined by his/her employment — in other words, the mentoring must reach above and beyond the “normal or routine” business relationship one would expect the agent, book doctor, editor, or other professional to extend to any of his/her other clients. The CWA Council reviews nominations and selects a recipient.
There is no entry fee to nominate someone for the Shojai Mentor Award.
Qualifying nominees: Nominees must be current CWA members. You may not nominate yourself. It should be noted that the award is for activities that promote another’s success in their career, not in their volunteer capacity with the CWA.
Award: $500 and a commemorative item.
About the Award Sponsor: Founded in 1992, the Cat Writers’ Association is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization of communications professionals whose work focuses on cats. Our mission is to foster and recognize excellence in feline-focused communications in written, visual, and audio media. For information on becoming a member, visit us here. For information on spotlighting your brand to our members, visit us here.
If you have questions not answered by this material, please email contest@catwriters.com.
