T.J. Stiles, noted author of bestselling books about historical American figures, has been chosen to receive the 2026 BIO Award from Biographers International Organization (BIO). Established in 2010, the annual award honors an individual who has advanced the art and craft of biography. The award will be presented on May 29, 2026, at BIO’s annual conference in New York City.

“The BIO Awards Committee is excited to present this award to T.J. Stiles,” said Kathleen Stone, chair of the committee. “As an author, he is dedicated to exploring history through the stories of individual lives. His innovative choice of subjects covers a wide range, from General George Custer to Jesse James to Cornelius Vanderbilt, thereby enlarging our understanding of our history. ”

T.J. has previously received many honors for his work. Custer’s Trials: A Life on the Frontier of a New America was awarded the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for History, the Spur Award for Best Western Biography, and the William H. Seward Award for Excellence in Civil War Biography. The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt was honored with the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Biography and the 2009 National Book Award for Nonfiction. Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War received the 2003 Ambassador Book Award.

Stiles is a member of BIO’s Advisory Council. A past Guggenheim Fellow, NEH Public Scholar, and Gilder Lehrman Fellow in American History at the Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library, he also practices and teaches traditional karate with the Japan Karate Association. A native of rural Minnesota, he now lives in Berkeley, California, with his wife and two children. He is currently working on a biography of Theodore Roosevelt.

The BIO Award recognizes a colleague who has made distinguished contributions to the art and craft of biography. Previous honorees are, in alphabetical order, Kai Bird, Taylor Branch, Robert Caro, Ron Chernow, Richard Holmes, Kitty Kelley, Hermione Lee, David Levering Lewis, Megan Marshall, Candice Millard, James McGrath Morris, Dawn Porter, Arnold Rampersad, Stacy Schiff, Jean Strouse, and Claire Tomalin.

Stiles will deliver the keynote address at the 2026 BIO Conference on Friday, May 29, at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City.