The Miguel de Cervantes Prize is the most important award in Spanish literature. It is awarded to a writer for his literary oeuvre,and is announced every 23 April, the date which commemorates the death of the author of Don Quixote.

This prize was created in 1974, athough the first award was made in 1976. The candidates are nominated by the Spanish Royal Academy, by the Academies in Spanish-speaking countries and by former prize-winners. The chairman of the jury is the Spanish Minister of Culture and since 1980, it can only be awarded to a single candidate. The awards ceremony is held in the auditorium of Alcalá de Henares University, in the province of Madrid.