The AOS Brewster Award is given annually to the author or co-authors of the most meritorious body of work (book, monograph, or series of related papers) on birds of the Western Hemisphere published during the past ten years. The award consists of a medal and an honorarium provided through the endowed William Brewster Memorial Fund. It is named in honor of William Brewster, one of the founding members of the American Ornithologists’ Union.

Brewster Award Nomination Guidelines

Before submitting a nomination, please review the lists of previous recipients below. In recognition of the large number of ornithologists making outstanding contributions to our science, the AOS Council recommends that the Brewster Award not be conferred upon the same individual more than once in their lifetime. Generally an individual is expected to receive only one senior Award. However, since the Miller Award recognizes lifetime achievement in ornithological research, it is possible for an individual to receive a Miller Award after receiving a Brewster or one of the other AOS senior awards, ideally only after an extended period of time since receiving one of the other Senior Awards. Note that nominees for the Brewster Award need not be members of AOS at the time of their nomination. All award nominees are expected to have a high standard of ethical and social behavior that is strongly aligned with the AOS Code of Conduct & Ethics.

Submit a Nomination

Nominations must be submitted through our online Member Portal.

  • The page linked above will direct you to a login screen. If you have previously created an account in our Member Portal, enter your user name and password. After logging in, you will be redirected to the Senior Professional Award nomination page.
  • If you have not previously created an account, click Register Now on the lower right to set up your profile.

To submit a nomination for the Brewster Award, you will need to upload 1) a written summary (no more than 2 pages) describing the nominee’s contributions to ornithology and why they should be recognized with the award, and 2) a current CV of the nominee.

Previous Brewster Award Winners

2024 Juan Carlos Reboreda & Renée Duckworth
2023 Cristina Yumi Miyaki & Maren Vitousek
2022 Amanda Rodewald & Roxana Torres
2021 Marty Leonard & Kathy Martin
2020 Regina Macedo & John Rotenberry
2019 Helen James & Craig Benkman
2018 Bette A. Loiselle
2017 James D Nichols
2016 Patricia Parker
2015 Rosemary Grant
2014 Geoffrey E. Hill
2013 J. V. Remsen, Jr.
2012 Robert C. Fleischer
2011 Sandra L. Vehrencamp
2010 Steven R. Beissinger
2009 Joanna Burger
2008 Spencer Sealy
2007 Allan J. Baker
2006 Sidney A. Gauthreaux, Jr.
2005 Robert M. Zink
2004 Russell P. Balda and Alan C. Kamil
2003 Douglas W. Mock
2002 James N. M. Smith
2001 Stephen I. Rothstein
2000 Cynthia Carey
1999 Walter D. Koenig
1998 Frank B. Gill
1997 John C. Avise
1996 Kenneth P. Able
1995 Eugene S. Morton
1994 D. Frank McKinney
1993 Richard T. Holmes
1992 Ned K. Johnson
1991 Lewis W. Oring
1990 Fred Cooke
1989 Noel F.R. Snyder
1988 Robert B. Payne
1987 Jerram L. Brown
1986 Val Nolan Jr.
1985 John W. Fitzpatrick
and Glen E. Woolfenden
1984 Stephen Thompson Emlen
1983 Peter R. Grant
1982 Robert E. Ricklefs
1981 William T. Keeton
1980 Frank A. Pitelka
1979 William R. Dawson
1978 Pierce Brodkorb
1977 Rudolphe Meyer de Schauensee

1976 Gordon H. Orians
1975 Jürgen Haffer
1974 James R. King
1973 Rodulfo Amando Philippi Bañados and Alfred W. Johnson
1972 David W. Snow and Barbara K. Snow
1971 Charles G. Sibley
1970 No Award
1969 No Award
1968 Wesley E. Lanyon
1967 W. E. Clyde Todd
1966 George A. Bartholomew
1965 Ernst Mayr
1964 Herbert Friedmann
1963 Ralph S. Palmer
1962 Albert Wolfson
1961 Harold F. Mayfield
1960 Donald S. Farner
1959 Alexander Wetmore
1958 Arlie William Schorger
1957 Robert P. Allen
1956 George H. Lowery, Jr.
1955 William H. Phelps
1954 James Bond
1953 Hildegarde Howard
1952 John T. Zimmer
1951 S. Charles Kendeigh
1950 Alexander F. Skutch
1949 No Award
1948 David Lack
1947 Francis H. Kortright
1946 No Award
1945 H. Albert Hochbaum
1944 Roger Tory Peterson
1943 Alden H. Miller
1942 Margaret M. Nice
1941 Donald R. Dickey and A.J. van Rossem
1940 James Lee Peters
1939 Witmer Stone
1938 Thomas S. Roberts
1937 Robert Cushman Murphy
1935 Herbert L. Stoddard
1933 Frank M. Chapman
1931 Florence Merriam Bailey
1929 Carl E. Hellmayr
1927 John C. Phillips
1925 W.E. Clyde Todd and M.A. Carriker
1923 Arthur Cleveland Bent
1921 Robert Ridgway

Nominate yourself or a colleague for recognition

Must be an AOS Member to submit