The Western Writers of America (WWA) recently recognized the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum with its Lariat Award, bestowed annually upon an individual or organization for demonstrating exceptional support of the WWA and the literature of the American West.
The Lariat Award was presented to the National Cowboy Museum during the WWA’s 2026 annual convention, held June 17–20 in St. Louis, Missouri. Established in 2006, the Lariat Award has been given to an array of publishers, university presses, booksellers and other notable names in Western literature, including the University of Oklahoma Press (2009), the Denver Public Library Western History Collections (2021) and True West magazine (2009).
In addition to the Lariat, the WWA presents several other awards each year during its convention, including the Owen Wister Award and the Spur Awards. The Owen Wister Award is given annually for “outstanding contributions to the American West,” while the Spur Awards — much like the National Cowboy Museum’s very own Western Heritage Awards — honor various categories of writing focused on the American West, including fiction, biography, nonfiction, short articles, drama, poetry and songwriting.
Not only do The Cowboy and WWA both honor exceptional Western writing, but these Western-focused institutions are also kindred spirits in another way: Both were established in the mid-1950s — the National Cowboy Museum was established in 1955, while the WWA was founded in 1953. Today, both continue to grow and evolve while remaining committed to founding missions that are closely aligned.
“Telling the stories of the American West is the mission of the Western Writers of America, obviously. Yet this is also the mission of the National Cowboy Museum,” Blaine Smith, director of publications at the Museum and WWA member, said when accepting the Lariat Award on behalf of The Cowboy. “By collecting, preserving and sharing the West’s stories, we ensure they are available for future generations. Thank you, Western Writers of America, for allowing the National Cowboy Museum to join you in this important mission, and thank you for recognizing the work The Cowboy does with this award.”
