The Sigourney Award-2026 Now Accepting Applications for Psychoanalytic Innovation

International Prize Honors Trailblazing Work Advancing Psychoanalytic Thought and Principles — Cash Award and Global Recognition

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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The Sigourney Award Trust is now accepting applications for The Sigourney Award-2026 from individuals, teams, and organizations worldwide whose work has advanced psychoanalytic thinking and principles. The award, established in 1989 by psychotherapist and community activist Mary Sigourney, celebrates both traditional and non-traditional applications of psychoanalysis and has recognized the exceptional work of 153 recipients from 22 countries since 1990.

Why it matters

The Sigourney Award is a prestigious international prize that encourages bold, original, and substantive psychoanalytic contributions across disciplines, from clinical psychoanalysis to neuroscience, feminism, arts and literature, and socio-political issues. The award aims to advance psychoanalytic principles and thought, positively enhancing the world and the lives we lead.

The details

The independent award is evaluated by an anonymous panel of international judges who conduct thorough evaluations of all submissions to identify winning work that has influenced others and contributed meaningfully to the evolution, understanding, or impact of psychoanalysis. Recipients earning The Sigourney Award distinction win professional recognition and a monetary reward.

  • Applications open on March 1, 2026.
  • The deadline for applications is July 31, 2026.
  • The recipients will be announced in November 2026.

The players

Mary Sigourney

The founder of The Sigourney Award Trust, Mary Sigourney was a psychotherapist, publisher, and community activist who understood the potential for psychoanalysis to benefit humankind.

Robin A. Deutsch, PhD

Analyst Trustee of The Sigourney Award Trust, who says the wide-ranging diversity and integrated psychoanalytic principles applied in the work submitted continues to impress the judges.

Michael J. Harrington, JD

Attorney Trustee of The Sigourney Award Trust, who says the founder wanted to honor accomplishments already achieved and to empower recipients to use the unrestricted prize in whatever way best supports their continued work.

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What they’re saying

“The wide-ranging diversity and integrated psychoanalytic principles applied in the work submitted continues to impress our judges. Each body of work positively enhances our world and enhances the lives we lead.”

— Robin A. Deutsch, Analyst Trustee (bakercityherald.com)

“Our founder wanted to honor accomplishments already achieved and to empower recipients to use the unrestricted prize in whatever way best supports their continued work.”

— Michael J. Harrington, Attorney Trustee (bakercityherald.com)

What’s next

The judges will thoroughly evaluate all submissions to identify the winning work that has influenced others and contributed meaningfully to the evolution, understanding, or impact of psychoanalysis. The recipients will be announced in November 2026.

The takeaway

The Sigourney Award is a prestigious international prize that encourages bold, original, and substantive psychoanalytic contributions across disciplines, recognizing work that has advanced psychoanalytic principles and thought, positively enhancing the world and the lives we lead.