The Samuel Johnson prize, obviously named in honour of Samuel Johnson, was established in December 1998 with the "remit of celebrating the variety and originality of contemporary non-fiction publishing". The prize is awarded to a work in the English language published in the United Kingdom and written by an author of any nationality in one of the following areas: current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography, and the arts. Sponsored by BBC Four, the prize is worth worth £30,000 to the winner, with each of the other shortlisted authors receiving £2,500.<.p>
The Winners of the Samuel Johnson Prize
References
http://home.comcast.net/~netaylor1/johnsonprize.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/books/features/samueljohnson/samuel_johnson_past_winners.shtml