| Year | Title | Publisher | Prize Amount | Judge |
| 1989 | Blackbird Bye Bye | Random House | $5,000 | Amy Clampitt |
Born in 1960, April Bernard grew up in New England, where she was educated at Harvard University. Upon receiving her bachelor’s degree, she moved to New York City to work in publishing, eventually serving as senior editor of Vanity Fair. Bernard left publishing in order to pursue a PhD in English literature from Yale University.