2026 ORCA Winners
BEST EASY CROSSWORD
“Clear Up To Here?” by Jess Shulman (Walrus, August 15)
BEST THEMED CROSSWORD
Untitled by Adam Wagner and Rebecca Goldstein (NYT, January 16)
EMERGING CONSTRUCTOR AWARD
Carina da Rosa
BEST THEMELESS CROSSWORD
Untitled by Erik Agard (New Yorker, August 18)
BEST SUNDAY-SIZED CROSSWORD
“Themeless No. 36” by Crosstina Aquafina (Kelsey Dixon) and Erik Agard (Crosstina Aquafina, July 25)
BEST CLUE
[They might have “fuck you” money] for SWEAR JARS in “A Barrage of Meows” by Amie Walker and Amanda Rafkin (ed. Ben Tausig) (AVCX, April 18)
BEST TOURNAMENT CROSSWORD
“Wild Discoveries” by Kareem Ayas (Lollapuzzoola, August 9)
BEST VARIETY CROSSWORD
“Two Outta Three Ain’t Bad” by Joon Pahk (Outside the Box Puzzles, April 7)
BEST META CROSSWORD
“Flying Colors” by Evan Birnholz (WaPo, June 15)
BEST MIDI CROSSWORD
“Bangers” by Amie Walker (Puzzmo, July 4)
BEST CRYPTIC CROSSWORD
“pi guy cryptic 22” by PiGuyN (Crosshare, April 25)
BEST VARIETY CRYPTIC CROSSWORD
“High Definition” by The Rackenfracker (JonMichael Rasmus and Sean Weitner) (Rackenfracker, May 27)
BEST CROSSWORD-RELATED MEDIA
“Square Theory” by Adam Aaronson (Aaronson, May 27)
BEST CROSSWORD COMMENTARY
“Terrors Of The Deep” by Sally Hoelscher (SALLY’S TAKE, October 31)
CONSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR
Adam Wagner
Go to the 14th ORCA award puzzle pack or the ballot itself.