Nigerian-American science fiction writer Nnedi Okorafor has been announced as the winner of the Outstanding Literary Work for Fiction award at the 57th NAACP Image Awards for Death of the Author (William Morrow).
The win was announced on 23 February 2026 during the first night of the ceremony’s virtual pre-show. The NAACP Image Awards, often called the “Black Oscars,” recognize artists and entertainers of color whose work resonates within the Black community. The awards are voted on by NAACP members only.
Death of the Author centers around the character of Zelunjo “Zelu,” a Nigerian-American author who writes a science fiction novel called Rusted Robots, which suddenly thrusts her into literary stardom. This sets off a sequence of events that dramatically upends Zelu’s life and puts her directly in conflict with her parents and siblings. Okorafor’s story explores the perils of fame, the challenges of navigating challenging family dynamics, and the agency of people with disabilities.
In 2008, Okorafor’s The Shadow Speaker was shortlisted in the Youth/Teen category; nearly two decades later, she won with her second nomination. Okorafor’s writings explore Nigerian mythology, African futurism, and Black diaspora experiences, and this award testifies to the mastery of her craft. Death of the Author triumphed, beating a strong list of nominees to take home the prize.
A hearty congratulations, Nnedi!
Sarah Adeyemo
Sarah Adeyemo is a poet, writer, editor, and spoken word artiste from Nigeria. She is a fellow of the SprinNG Writing Fellowship. Sarah has work published or forthcoming work in ANMLY Lit, D’Iit Review, The Fiery Scribe Review, Con-Scio Magazine, Sevhage Review, Okiti Literary, Synchronized Chaos Magazine, Pepper Coast Magazine, The Weeds Review, Akpata Magazine, The Shallow Tales Review, The Muse Journal, The Weganda Review, Everscribe Magazine, Afrillhill Press, TV-63 Magazine, Poems for Persons Interest, Northern Writers Forum Journal, Eboquills, Rinna Lit. Anthologies, and elsewhere. Her works have been shortlisted for the 2025 Labari Prize for Poetry and longlisted for the 2025 Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize. She serves as the Managing Editor at Words-Empire Magazine, a Poetry Editor at Yarnz Magazine, PFPOI, and a News & Feature writer at the Journal of African Youth Literature (JAY Lit). She was a writing resident of the Rongo Artist Residency in 2026 and is currently a writing resident at the Ebedi International Writers Residency. She is a member of The Swan Collective. A dramatic poet who tweets @sarahinkspires.
