The Owen Wister Award for lifetime achievement in Western literature, first awarded in 1961, is also a Western Writers of America award, distinct from the Spur Awards.
Initially, there were five Spur Awards categories: western novel, historical novel, juvenile, short story, and reviewer. The categories have expanded and changed (or been renamed) over the years. There is no guarantee an award will be made in each category every year.
The 2015 Spur Awards have the following categories:[2]