Best Paper Prizes awarded by Economics Journals

• Journal of Finance: Smith Breeden Prizes Started in 1990 'The Smith Breeden Prizes are awarded annually for outstanding papers published in the Journal of Finance. These prizes, in the amounts of $5000, $2000 and $1000, are funded through a generous grant from Smith Breeden Associates to promote excellence in research in financial economics. The papers published in the December 1988, March, June, and September 1989 issues of the Journal were eligible for the prizes. Associate Editors of the journal nominated papers for the prizes. The members of the Board of Directors of the Association voted to select the prizewinners and congratulate them for their achievement (JoF, 1990, p. 1)' From 1991 onwards, the associate editors will vote rather than the Board of Directors and next to the first prize, there will be 2 or 3 'Distinguished Papers'. In 1997, the prize is increased to $10000 for the first and to $3000 for two distinguished papers. Moreover, in 1997, there are two 'first prize' papers and only one distinguished paper. Recently, an additional prize, the Brattle Prize, has been installed to award the best paper on corporate finance and the prize money for distinguished papers has been increased to $5000.
• Journal of Economic History: Arthur H. Cole Prize The Economic History Association awards each year several prizes for books, dissertations, teaching and research. The 'Best Article Published in the Journal of Economic History' gets, since 1966, the Arthur H. Cole Prize.
• Journal of Banking and Finance: Iddo Sarnat Annual Memorial Award . 'Since 1986, in order to stimulate and honor the work of scholars within the field of banking and finance, the Journal of Banking and Finance, in cooperation with the European Finance Association, each year grants the Iddo Sarnat Annual Memorial award to the author(s) of the best paper published in the JBF during the preceding volume. In recent years junior authors with the position of Associate Professor or the equivalent non-academic position have been given preference. Each year the prize of $2000, partially financed by EFA, is awarded during the European Finance Association annual Meeting (JBF, 1997, p. 1201).' For this price, there's a 'selection committee' but it is not clear exactly who is on it. Note that the prize started at $1500 then was increased to $2000 but now is back at $1500. Recently, besides a winning paper, there is also an 'honorable mention' for another paper.
• Economic Journal: The Royal Economic Society Prize The Royal Economic Society Prize (£250) was originally awarded for the best monograph published by somebody under 30 that didn't publish a book before. In 1990, it was decided that a prize of £1000 would be given to the best paper (excluding commissioned papers) published in the Economic journal over a two year period. A committee consisting of the president of the Royal Economic Society, the editor of the Economic Journal and third person would decide about the prize. In 1996, the price was increased to £3000 and in 1997, the price was awarded each year rather than bi-annual.
• European Economic Review: Hicks-Tinbergen Medal In 1992, the European Economic Association created the Hicks-Tinbergen medal which should be awarded biannually to an 'outstanding' article published in the European Economic Review during the preceding 5 years. From 1996 onwards, the period under consideration is shortened from 5 to 2 years.
• Economic Inquiry Economic Inquiry started awarding prices in 1984
• Public Choice: Duncan Black Prize Worth $500.
• Canadian Journal of Economics: the Harry Johnson Prize 'The Canadian Economics Association awards the Harry G. Johnson Prize each year to the author or authors of the paper judged to be the best paper published in the Canadian Journal of Economics in the preceding calendar year… The Prize is awarded at the annual meetings of the Canadian Economics Association and is selected by a committee of three, who normally serve for three years each in overlapping terms'. Awarded since 1977.
• Journal of Labor Economics: H. Gregg Lewis Prize In 1992, the Journal of Labor Economics established the H. Gregg Lewis Prize. This prize consists of a plaque and $2500, and is awarded biannually for the 'best article' published in the JOLE during the two previous years. Each year the editor of the journal appoints a small selection committee.
• Journal of Financial Economics: Jensen Prize and Fama-DFA Prize The JFE prizes are different from the others because the winners are selected by the subscribers of the journal. After the last volume of a year has been sent out, the JFE gives the subscribers the opportunity to vote for the best paper in two categories, Corporate Finance and Organization (Jensen) and Capital Markets and Asset Pricing (Fama-DFA). Since 1997, a first prize ($5000) and a second prize ($2000) have been awarded.
• Econometrica: The Frisch Medal. Awarded since 1978. 'has been established to encourage the creation of good applied work and its submission to Econometrica. It is given every two years for an applied article (empirical or theoretical) published in Econometrica during the past five years '. 'The journal attracts some of the highest quality work in applied economics by awarding the biennial Frisch medal for the best applied paper published in the journal during the previous five years '.
• Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis: The William F. Sharpe Award. 'The William F. Sharpe Award for Scholarship in Financial Research recognizes researchers who, through their articles published in the JFQA, have most contributed to our understanding of important areas of financial economics. The winner of the Sharpe Award is selected by a vote of JFQA subscribers and receives a $5000 cash prize '. Awarded by the JFQA since 1999.
• Econometric Theory: The Tjalling Koopmans Prize. Awarded since 1998, $ 1000 prize money, three year period of articles .
• Labour Economics: EALE Labour Economics Prize. 'The editors of Labour Economics are pleased to announce the "EALE Labour Economics Prize" for the best paper published in Labour Economics during the period 2000-2001. The prize will be awarded biannually thereafter. The prize, funded by the European Association of Labour Economists, will be one-thousand Euro (€ 1,000). The prize committee will comprise the editors of the journal.
• Journal of Economic Integration: The Daeyang Prize. Awarded since 1986, $3000 prize money .
• Journal of Financial Research: JFR Outstanding Article Awards. Has two prizes for 'outstanding' articles ($ 5000 and $2500), chosen by the associate editors, since 1995 .
• Journal of Applied Econometrics: Richard Stone Prize. Established in 1991, the $ 2000 Richard Stone Prize is awarded bi-annually for the best paper in the preceding two volumes of the JAE. The editorial committee of the journal selects the winner. Some papers are not taken into account for the prize .
• Review of Economic Design: Koç University Prize Awarded annually since 1995, with $ 5000 prize money.
• European Review of Agricultural Economics Prize money of €1250, author under 35.
• The Energy Journal 'In 1989, the IAEE's Energy Economics Education Foundation instituted a "Best Paper" award for the paper designated as the most outstanding of the papers published in The Energy Journal the previous year'
• Economic Record 'To encourage excellence in research in economics the Economic Society of Australia annually provides the Best Paper Prize for the author(s) of the paper judged to be the best contribution to economics published in the Economic Record during the preceding year.'
• Review of Industrial Organization.
• Review of Financial Studies. Also a lot of marketing journals have prizes.
• Journal of International Marketing: Hans B. Thorelli Best Paper Award ($1.000) .
• Marketing Science and Management Science: John D.C. Little Best Paper Award .
• Journal of Marketing Research: William F. O'Dell Award . 'for the article published in 19XX that has made the most significant long-term contribution to marketing theory, and/or methodology, and/or practice'. Since 1979.
• Paul E. Green Award. 'for the Journal of Marketing Research article that shows or demonstrates the most potential to contribute significantly to the practice of marketing research and research in marketing'. Since 1996.
• Journal of Marketing (Harold H. Maynard Award, MSI/H. Paul Root Award)
• Strategic Management Journal The Prize awarded by the Strategic Management Journal refrains from judging the quality of a paper a priori. It has created an award to '…honor outstanding papers. The awarded papers are selected for their impact over a significant period of time. The eligible set of papers consists of all those that have been published in the SMJ more than five years earlier… The recipient receives a $5000 prize and a commemorative plaque. Perhaps, more importantly, they receive the hearty recognition of the community of strategic management scholars for an important job well done (SMJ, vol. 17, p. 503)'