American poet Roger Reeves was named the winner of the 2023 Griffin Poetry Prize at an event in Toronto on June 7.

The Texas-based poet was awarded the $130,000 prize for his collection Best Barbarians.

In their citation, judges Nikola Madzirov, Gregory Scofield, and Natasha Trethewey wrote that the poems in Best Barbarians “chart the ruptures and violences enacted across time and space—particularly against black humanity—while leaning always toward beauty. Beauty and tenderness abound in this collection that dares to risk both: a brilliant and ambitious book.”

Reeves’s book was one of five shortlisted for this year’s prize. The other four finalists each received $10,000.

Reeves is the first poet to win the Griffin since the prize merged its Canadian and international categories into one prize with a single larger purse.

The judges read 602 books of poetry to make their decisions about this year’s winner and finalists.