For the John Donne Society Award for Distinguished Publication: 

Each year in the past, the awards committee has considered all Donne criticism and scholarship (except scholarly editions of Donne's work) listed in the most recently issued print version of the MLA Bibliography.  Now that the print edition no longer exists, there is a cut-off date by which pieces to be considered must appear in the electronic edition.  There is no other selection criterion but scholarly/critical distinction; the award is granted only when the committee determines that a particular piece of scholarship or criticism is distinguished: it is not a "best of the year" award.  The award is normally announced each year at the February meeting of the John Donne Society and in the _John Donne Journal_.

For more on this award, see the link to the Summer 2008 issue of the Society's Newsletter on the Donne Society website, as well as the complete list of past winners on that site.

The Donne society now also bestows an award for the best graduate student paper presented at its annual conference.  For more on the graduate student award, check with Executive Director Sean McDowell.