Ana María Betancourt wins the first Nueva Plumas United States Journalism Award

The Colombian journalist and writer has won the 1st Nuevas Plumas Prize in the United States with her article "The Ugliest Sport on Earth ," a story about Latin American immigrants who manage to practice a sport in New York City that has no space: roller derby. The text was chosen from among dozens of previously unpublished articles written in Spanish from different parts of the country.

It is the first national award dedicated exclusively to Spanish-language writing in the United States, sponsored by Universidad Portatil, the New York International Book Fair (FILNYC), and the CUNY Institute of Mexican Studies. The author will receive a $2,000 prize, an official diploma, and publication of her story in the U.S. edition of EL PAÍS.

The awards ceremony took place this Wednesday at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater in Manhattan, during the opening day of the 7th annual New York City International Film Festival.

“This award is a milestone for Spanish-language journalism in the United States. The presentation of the Nuevas Plumas Award at FILNYC underscores our commitment to narrative journalism and to emerging voices that broaden the cultural landscape ,” said Dejanira Álvarez Cárdenas, the fair's general director.

The jury was composed of Martín Caparrós, Paola Ramos , Stephania Taladrid, Inés Santaulalia (EL PAÍS) and Juan Pablo Meneses, founder of the award.

Ana María Betancourt Ovalle, based in New York, has published in outlets such as Documented NY , Palabra , Mutante , Ojalá MX , The Conversationalist , and La Audiencia . She is currently completing her master's degree in Bilingual Journalism at the City University of New York. Before dedicating herself to journalism, she worked at the Colombian Foreign Ministry and the United Nations Environment Program.

“Spanish-language news in the United States is alive and well, and we hope that with Nuevas Plumas it will consolidate and grow stronger. The turnout we received was impressive: stories came from more than 20 cities across the country. And we can now announce a second edition in 2026,” said Juan Pablo Meneses.

“Over seven editions, the New York International Book Fair has consolidated a community united by our language and by the conviction that our culture is not only an integral part of this country, but also provides a deep sense of pride and belonging to our communities,” said José Higuera, president and founder of the New York International Book Fair.

The call for entries for the second edition of the New Pens United States Award will be announced at the closing day of FILNYC 2025, this Sunday.

The award was created to promote and encourage narrative journalism and Spanish-language writing in the United States. This is highly relevant news for the Hispanic landscape, considering that there are currently around 500 Latinx media outlets (not including Puerto Rico), and that Spanish is a language with significant social and political relevance in the current American landscape.

Anyone under 35 years of age interested in writing nonfiction stories or chronicles is welcome to participate. The work must be unpublished (not published in whole or in part in print or digital media) and written in Spanish. Translations from any other language are not accepted. The topic is completely open and must have a single owner or author.

FILNYC and several independent publishers also launched the Las Yubartas Latin American Fiction Prize two years ago. The NPUS represents another of FILNYC's efforts to consolidate and enhance Spanish-language literature in the United States.