Jason Mott Among Recipients of the 2026 North Carolina Award

The State of North Carolina will honor bestselling author Jason Mott ’06, ’08M with the 2026 North Carolina Award for Literature, the state's highest civilian honor.

Mott, an associate professor in UNCW’s Department of Creative Writing, joins a distinguished class of 2026 recipients that includes NASCAR legend Richard Petty, retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Kevin Vereen, and former NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson, all recognized for public service; internationally recognized paleontologist Lindsay Zanno for science; and acclaimed artist Beverly McIver for fine arts.

Gov. Josh Stein announced this year’s recipients on Aug. 20, according to a release.

“It was surreal to pick up the phone and find Governor Stein on the other end delivering the good news personally,” said Mott. “North Carolina has a deep, rich history of literature and the arts, and I feel lucky to be able to contribute to that ongoing tradition in any small way. This is an amazing honor.”

Over the past six decades, the North Carolina Award has been awarded to many remarkable North Carolinians, stated Stein.

“Our 2026 recipients represent the best of our state, and it is a privilege to honor these outstanding individuals,” stated Stein. “I am also honored to focus this year’s awards ceremony on supporting active and former service members. North Carolina’s military and veterans have dedicated their lives to protecting our safety and freedoms, and we will continue doing all we can to support them and their families.”

The 2026 North Carolina Awards will be presented on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Blue Star Families and Camp Corral, two organizations dedicated to supporting veterans, service members, and military families.

A native of Bolton, North Carolina, Mott is the bestselling author of The Returned, The Wonder of All Things, The Crossing, Hell of a Book and People Like Us.  His distinguished career has earned national recognition, including the National Book Award, the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction, and nominations for the NAACP Image Award and Carnegie Medals for Excellence. In 2024, he was a recipient of the Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.  People Like Us is a finalist for the 2026 Zora Award for fiction, presented by the Zora Neale Hurston and Richard Wright Foundation.

Established by the General Assembly in 1961, the North Carolina Award recognizes outstanding achievements in literature, public service, science, and fine arts. More than 300 individuals have received the honor, including Maya Angelou, James Taylor, William Friday, and Branford Marsalis.