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W I L L R O G E R S M E D A L L I O N A W A R D
®
2026 WRMA WINNERS
WRMA 2026 Golden Lariat Award: Clint Black
WRMA 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award: Barry Corbin & Bruce Boxleitner
The 2026 Banquet & Award Ceremony will be held October 31, 2026,
at the River Spirit Resort in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Winners are listed below in alphabetical order of the authors' last names.
Final rankings will be revealed at WRMA's Banquet and Award Ceremony in October.
Award winners listed below should receive a letter later this month officially recognizing their win, as well as award weekend information and instructions for reserving your banquet tickets. If you are unable to attend the ceremony in the fall, your medallion will be shipped to you following the award weekend.
WESTERN BIOGRAPHIES/MEMOIRS
The Reel Thrilling Events of Bank Robber Henry Starr by Mark Archuleta (University of North Texas Press)
The Sharpshooter and the Showman: May Lillie, Pawnee Bill, and the Wild West Show by Chris Enss (Farcountry Press)
The Life and Times of Jim Bridger by Bill Markley (Farcountry Press)
WESTERN NON-FICTION
The Undiscovered Country: Triumph, Tragedy, and the Shaping of the American West by Paul Andrew Hutton (Dutton)
In the Days of Billy the Kid: The Lives and Times of Jose Chavez y Chavez, Juan Patron, Martin Chavez, and Yginio Salazar by James B. Mills (University of North Texas Press)
Colorado Outlaws and Lawmen by Nancy K. Williams (Arcadia)
WESTERN TRADITIONAL FICTION
The Reckoning of Men by Chris Mullen (Wolfpack)
Cold Powder Vengeance by D.N. Sample
Dismal Trail by Ron Schwab (Leafcutter Publishing)
WESTERN SHORT NON-FICTION
"Dr. Sofie Herzog: The Gunfighter's Physician" by Chris Enss
(National Library of Medicine)
"A Man of Two Worlds" by Michael Norman (Saddlebag Dispatches)
"In Search of the Night Herder" by W.K. Stratton (Texas Monthly)
WESTERN MODERN FICTION
Elmer Kelton's The Blessing by John Bradshaw (Devil's Claw Press)
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
(Simon & Schuster)
Narrow the Road by James Wade (Blackstone Publishing)
WESTERN COOKBOOKS
I'll Have the Chicken Fried Steak by Mike Cox (Blue Hole Press)
The Route 66 Cookbook: The Best Recipes from Every Stop Along the Way by Linda Ly (Harvard Common Press)
Culinary Treasures: Dude and Guest Ranches of America
by Sherry Monahan (Otterford)
WESTERN ROMANCE
Iron Horse Claim: On the Dakota Frontier by C.K. Van Dam
(Pasque Publishing)
Love's Healing Path by Lacy Williams (Lacy Williams Books LLC)
To Love a Beast by Karen Witemeyer (Hope & Light Publishing)
WESTERN MYSTERY
The Blue Horse: A Porter Beck Mystery by Bruce Borgos (Minotaur)
Shadow of the Solstice by Anne Hillerman (HarperCollins)
Return to Sender by Craig Johnson (Viking)
Darkness Rising by Chris Mullen (Wolfpack)
WESTERN PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAYS
100 Years of Dude Ranching: Celebrating the Centennial of the Dude Ranchers' Association by Lynn Downey & Scott T. Baxter (Jaye H. Wells & Ranch Preservation Foundation)
Edward S. Curtis: Unpublished Southwest by Edward S. Curtis, John Graybill, and Coleen Graybill (Curtis Legacy Foundation)
At the Edge of Out There: A Sublime but Difficult Life by Caroline Joy Hadley & Cindy Monroe (RANGE Conservation Foundation)
WESTERN INSPIRATIONAL
On a Midnight Clear by Misty M. Beller, Tracie Peterson,
& Karen Witemeyer (Baker Publishing)
A Secret Heart by Wendy Klopfenstein (Sunrise Publishing)
Crossing Paths by Andrew Roth (Elk Lake Publishing)
WESTERN FICTION SHORT STORIES
"Shadows in the Firelight" by Michelle Ferrer,
from She Rode West (Saddlebag Dispatches)
"Banner" by Sharon Frame Gay, from She Rode West
(Saddlebag Dispatches)
"Sailor's Wisdom" by Rik "Yonder" Goodell,
from Wanna Cowboy Do Ya? (Yonderin' Tales Press)
"Come Necessary" by Michael Knost,
from Four Guns & Sixteen Trails (Lawless Trails)
WESTERN MAVERICK BOOK
Common Horse Sense from Will Rogers by Jennifer Rogers & Randall Reeder (Tremendous Leadership)
COWBOY WRITTEN POETRY
Ponderin's by Rik "Yonder" Goodell (Yonderin' Tales Press)
Pensive and Playful byMark Munzert (Poppa Mac Inc.)
Authentic, or Something Like That by Kye Rieff (Kye Rieff)
COWBOY RECORDED POETRY
Wonder of the West by Sherl Cederburg
(Ridgetop Recording Studio)
WESTERN WRITTEN POETRY
The Solace of Wild Places by Kathryn Jones
(Lamar University Literary Press)
Santa Fe Trail: Chasing the Big West by karla k. morton & Alan Birkelbach (Madville Publishing)
At the Ranch by John D. Nesbitt (John D. Nesbitt)
WESTERN RECORDED POETRY
Dimestore Cowgirl by KC LaCourse (Aarom Meador)
WESTERN YOUNG READER/FICTION/ILLUSTRATED
Winston's First Rodeo by Linda Apple; illustrated by Dylan Hale
(Solander Press)
Rosie's Ranch Rescue: Taking Care of Each Other by Paige Murray; illustrated by Kristen Humphrey (Zonderkidz)
A Home for Steamboat by Casey Rislov; illustrated by Zachary Pullen (Book Bridge Press)
WESTERN YOUNG READER/NON-FICTION/ILLUSTRATED
Badger Clark: Poetry Wrangler by Nancy B. Floor; illustrated by Jeanne Bowman (South Dakota Historical Society Press)
Will Rogers and His Great Inspiration by Bart Taylor;
illustrated by Greg White (Yorkshire)
Our Friend the Cowboy: A Wild West Hero by Susan Polk Van Dusen; illustrated by John S. Polk (Van Dusen Books)
WRMA 2026 ILLUSTRATOR OF THE YEAR
Greg White
*Note: Young Reader Fiction has been split into two separate categories: Young Reader (7-12 yrs) and Young Adult (13-18)
WESTERN YOUNG READER/FICTION (7-12 yrs.)
Halloween on the Butterfield Trail by Patrick Dearen (TCU Press)
Fire, Friendship & Fear by Nancy Oswald (Burro Books)
Just Call Me Pardner by Sherry Roberts (Solander Press)
WESTERN YOUNG ADULT FICTION (13-18 yrs.)
Never Curse the Rain by S.J. Dahlstrom (Paul Dry Books)
When the Sky Turned to Dust by Catherine Matthias (Moon Glow)
Destined to Ride Alone by R.G. Yoho (Speaking Volumes)
WESTERN YOUNG READERS/NON-FICTION
Pintsized Pioneers at Play: Homemade Frontier Fun and Danger by Preston Lewis and Harriet Kocher Lewis (Bariso Press)
The 1896 Leadville Ice Palace by Afton Rorvik (Filter Press)
Carrie Ingalls: The Forgotten Sister by Clarissa Willis
(Solander Press)
WESTERN FILM - DRAMA SHORT
Elkhorn: A Fine Welcome Written by Will Ilgen; produced by Gary Tarpinian, Paninee Theeranuntawat, Craig Miller, Doug Butts, Dale Ardizzone, & David Cerullo (INSP Network)
Elkhorn: War Written by Will Ilgen: produced by Gary Tarpinian, Paninee Theeranuntawat, Craig Miller, Doug Butts, Dale Ardizzone, & David Cerullo (INSP Network)
Out Here in the Sticks Written and produced by Carol Markstrom (Carol Markstrom Music)
WESTERN FILM - DOCUMENTARY SHORT FORM
Today's Wild West, Episode 704: Western Creativity in the Spotlight Written and produced by Mark Bedor
(Today's Wild West LLC)
Nita: Hotbed in Deadwood Written by Justin Koehler
(Nowlin Town Productions)
Clayton Moore is My Father, the Lone Ranger! He Was Fired and Robbed! Written by Rob Word and Dawn Moore; produced by Rob Word (Word in Entertainment)
WESTERN FILM - DOCUMENTARY LONG FORM
The Moccasin Speaks Written by Debra Goodrich; produced by Jayne Humphrey Pearce (J. Morse Knox Media Group)
Little House Homecoming Written by Jonathan Parker; produced by Jonathan Parker and Rebecca Parker (Prairie Girl Film LLC)
Kevin Costner's The West: Oregon Trails Produced by
Kevin Costner, Rod Lake, Howard Kaplan, Doris Kearns Goodwin, & Beth Laski (Radical Media), (Pastime Productions), (Territory Pictures), (The HISTORY Channel), & (APX Content Ventures)
WESTERN FILM - DRAMA FEATURE
Broke Written by Carlyle Eubank; produced by Peter Billingsley
(Wild West Productions)
Wild Faith Christmas Written by DJ Perry; produced by DJ Perry (Collective Development)
Where the Wild Wind Blows Written by John Schimke; produced by John Schimke (AE Productions Inc.)
WESTERN HISTORICAL FICTION
Tough Luck by Sandra Dallas (St. Martin's Press)
The Apache Kid: Army Apache Scout by W. Michael Farmer
(Roan & Weatherford)
Too Much the Lion: A Novel of the Battle of Franklin
by Preston Lewis (Bariso Press)
COWBOY SONGWRITING
"My Good Horse" by The Arizona Wildflowers
"As Cowboy as They Come" by Aspen Black (Nashville Music Factory)
"5 A.M." by Joel White and Randy Palmer (Merel Bregante)
WESTERN SONGWRITING
"Nevermore" by Shane Clouse (Shane Clouse Enterprises)
"Ghost of Charlie Glass" by Doug Figgs and Terry Nash
(Peter Renfree)
"Sequoyah" by David "Eli" Grimes (Blue Shark Entertainment)
"Roads & Barbwire" by Joel White (Merel Bregante)
MAVERICK - WESTERN FILM
The Seamstress Written by Manuela Schneider; produced by Manuela Schneider and Chris Ferrarelli (Lone Rider Productions)
WESTERN HUMOR
How to Test Negative for Stupid: And Why Washington Never Will by Senator John Kennedy (HarperCollins)
"Directions" short story by Reavis Z. Wortham (Saddlebag Dispatches)
The More the Merrier: Laughing at Life When Everyone Thinks You're Over the Hill by Jerry Zezima (iUniverse)
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