Journal of Popular Culture Awards

Russel B. Nye Award for the Outstanding Article

Russel B. Nye Award for the Outstanding Article published in the Journal of Popular Culture in a specific year. Russel Nye was one of the founders of the Popular Culture Association. A committee is established to determine the winner of this award each year.

• Rated on a 1-4 scale, the criteria are:

• Provocative and persuasive argument
• Substantive research and sound methodology
• Effective prose style
• Meaningful contribution to the study of Popular Culture

William E. Brigman Award for the Outstanding Graduate Student Paper

William E. Brigman Award for the Outstanding Graduate Student Paper presented at the National Conference in a specific year. Please use the Journal of Popular Culture’s online submissions site to upload your paper and other documents. Your paper must include “Brigman Submission” in the title.  You must also upload a MS or PDF photocopy of your student identification card in the “file upload” section of the submissions process. Those concerned for their privacy may obscure the Social Security number should it appear on the card. Please also upload a copy of the acceptance letter/email from the PCA area chair who accepted the paper for presentation in the national conference. Papers should address popular culture and be accepted for a PCA panel. The winning paper must be presented at the upcoming PCA meeting in the year it is accepted. Should the winning paper not be presented in person, the award will be forfeited. The winning author is invited to submit the essay to The Journal of Popular Culture and work with the editor toward its publication. This award is selected by a panel chosen by the editor of the journal. 

Please use the Journal of Popular Culture’s online submissions site to upload your paper and other documents. 

Journal of American Culture Awards

Carl Bode Award for the Outstanding Article

Carl Bode Award for the Outstanding Article published by the Journal of American Culture in a specific year. Carl Bode was professor, author, poet, commentator, and a strong advocate for the Popular Culture Association. A committee is established to determine the winner of this award.

William M. Jones Award for the Outstanding Graduate Student Paper

The William M. Jones Award honors an outstanding graduate student paper presented at the National Conference in the award year. The award recognizes excellence in research, writing, and interdisciplinary engagement with American Culture Studies. Applications must be submitted by February 20, and completed papers are due two weeks prior to the start of the conference. All submitted papers will be reviewed by the awards committee before the conference, with the recipient announced following the conference.

Eligibility and Requirements: Applicants must be registered for and attend the conference in order to be considered. The recipient of the William M. Jones Award will receive publication in the next issue of JAC Magazine.

Eligibility

• Open to current graduate students
• Paper must have been accepted for and presented at the National Conference (award year)
• Paper must be authored solely by the student/s

Evaluation Criteria

Submissions will be evaluated on:

• Quality of research: Submissions should demonstrate advanced engagement with relevant primary and secondary sources, reflecting depth, discernment, and awareness of current scholarly debates.
• Quality of writing: Submissions should exhibit graduate-level clarity, organization, and analytical sophistication, with a polished academic style and well-developed arguments.
• Relevance to American Culture Studies: Submissions should clearly situate their interventions within American Culture Studies, demonstrating familiarity with its interdisciplinary frameworks and scholarly conversations.
• Appropriate documentation: Submissions should use accurate, consistent, and discipline-appropriate citation practices, reflecting professional standards of academic integrity.
• Overall scholarly quality and substance: Submissions should present a coherent, original, and substantive contribution appropriate to graduate-level scholarship.

Submission Materials (PDF format required)

• Conference paper
• Conference acceptance letter
• Brief statement explaining why the paper merits the award

Submission Instructions
Applications must be submitted by February 20. Completed papers must be submitted as PDF files two weeks prior to the start of the conference; applications will not be considered complete without a paper submission. All materials should be uploaded as PDF files through this portal.

For questions, please contact the Editor, The Journal of American Culture at JAC.awards@pcaaca.org.