Today, the DAG Foundation announced the winners of its second annual DAG Prizes, which award $20,000 each to a visual artist, a writer, and a musician “whose work expands the possibilities for American art.”
In particular, the DAG Prize for Literature “aims to support writing that offers significant innovation—for example, at the level of form, content, or genre—and is meant to support the second book-length prose project of a writer whose work has not yet received prominent literary recognition.”
Its 2026 winner is Tegan Nia Swanson, whose second novel-in-progress, We Do Not Dream of Salt Plagues “is a climate gothic love letter to queer and trans community.” In a press release, the DAG judges praised Swanson for the “uniqueness and audacity of her vision,” and her work for its “purposeful” politics. Swanson was chosen from a shortlist of seven announced earlier this year, itself winnowed down from 220 applicants.
“In our second year of the DAG Prize, it was so important to us to continue honoring new work that speaks to a new generation of artists and a new world we find ourselves living in, one that threatens the survival of art funding and innovation,” said Alyssa Graham, who founded the prize with her husband Douglas Graham, in a statement. “The winners help us to see a bright future in the arts—one in which artists can continue to explore new territory and push boundaries, ultimately paving the way for new dialogue and a more collective experience.”
The other two winners are Erick Alejandro Hernández (DAG Prize for Visual Art) and Luz Elena Mendoza (DAG Prize for Music). Each winner will be awarded $20,000.
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