
For over 25 years the Emerald Literati Awards have celebrated and rewarded the outstanding contributions of authors and reviewers, not only to our journals and books, but to the body of knowledge itself.
The 2020 awards are no exception and we’re proud to recognise the work of individuals across the globe. We warmly congratulate all the winners!
You can find details on the 2020 winners and their research on the journal and book homepages.
You can also view the winners gallery on Facebook. Photos are added every #AwardsWednesday.
We have awards for:
- Outstanding Paper Awards
- Highly Commended Paper Awards
- Outstanding Reviewer Awards
- Outstanding Author Contribution Awards

Outstanding and Highly Commended Paper Awards
The Outstanding Paper Awards have been the backbone of the Emerald Literati Awards for Excellence. The winners are chosen by a journal editorial team giving the winning authors confidence in knowing that their paper was one of the most impressive pieces of work from the previous year.
(Photo: Dr. Kim Minjun (right) received an Outstanding Paper Award)
The editor and Editorial Advisory Board (EAB) of each journal is invited to select a winner of the ‘Outstanding Paper’ award and up to three ‘Highly Commended’ awards from the previous year’s volume.
- Research creates impact and generates real change beyond academia
- Contribution of something new to the body of knowledge either in terms of approach or subject matter
- Excellent structure and presentation
- Well-written
- Rigour in terms of argument or analysis
- Relevance – to practice and further research, in most cases
- Up-to-date – demonstrating that the latest/key works in the field have been cited
Ultimately, an outstanding paper should have the ‘x-factor’ – something that makes it stand out from the rest.

Outstanding Reviewer Awards
Reviewers are essential to the scholarly publishing process; academics rely on peer review to verify their research and add value to it through critical engagement before publication.
Reviewers are specialists in a given area of research and are well placed to assess the soundness of an author’s work and share their own knowledge.
(Photo : Dr. Hilmi Atadil (left) received an Outstanding Reviewer Award)
The editor and Editorial Advisory Board (EAB) of each journal select a winner of the ‘Outstanding Reviewer Award’ from the previous year’s volume.
- Timeliness of the reviews
- Quality of the reviews
- The depth of reviews and the amount of detail

Outstanding Author Contribution Awards
The Outstanding Author Contribution Awards reward authors who have contributed something new or of significant value to the body of knowledge, either in terms of approach or subject matter.
(Photo: Wan-Yu Lui received an Outstanding Author Contribution Award)
The chapter is to be nominated by the Series Editor and Volume Editor(s) with input from Editorial Board
Chapters should provide or demonstrate:
- Research creates impact and generates real change beyond academia
- Contribution of something new to the body of knowledge either in terms of approach or subject matter
- Excellent structure and presentation and well-written text
- Rigour in terms of argument or analysis
- Relevance – to practice and further research, in most cases
- Up-to-date – demonstrating that the latest/key works in the field have been cited
- A work which is clearly within the editorial scope and remit of the book series.
An outstanding chapter should be exceptional and stands out from the rest.