The Editorial Board of the Journal of Spanish Cultural Studies is pleased to present the Jo Labanyi Essay Prize, an annual award for the best article published in the journal each year, with the first winner to be named in 2027 for the 2026 calendar year.
Each year a judging panel will award “The Jo Labanyi Essay Prize” winner with $750. In addition to the prize, a letter of commendation, announcement of the award in the JSCS and a complimentary one-year subscription to the JSCS will be given to the winner.
The judging panel will be drawn from the JSCS Advisory Board. The criteria for selection include consideration of the scope and aims of the journal, with the winning essay chosen based on originality, scholarly contribution and potential impact of the published essay on the field. Priority will be given to junior scholars or scholars who are publishing in the JSCS for the first time. All articles from the previous calendar year/volume, except for book reviews and commissioned contributions, will be automatically considered.
“The Jo Labanyi Essay Prize” was created in 2026 to recognize the contributions of Jo Labanyi, one of the journal’s founding editors and long-serving deputy editor. Over decades, as a scholar and editor, Labanyi helped shape the journal and the field of Spanish cultural studies. As a mentor, she placed priority on supporting scholars from across the globe, and at different stages of their professional development, to advance new and innovative ways of approaching Spanish cultural studies with the highest standards of rigor in research and writing.
