| 100% | RICHARDPOWERS | 13 | Author of 18-Across, 40-Across, and the National Book Award-winning "The 9-Down Maker" (2 wds.) |
| 57% | JESMYNWARD | 10 | Author whose novels "Salvage the Bones" and "Sing, Unburied, Sing" each won a National Book Award: 2 wds. |
| 55% | JASONMOTT | 9 | Author who won the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction for "Hell of a Book": 2 wds. |
| 54% | TANEHISICOATES | 14 | African-American author of "Between the World and Me," winner of the 2015 National Book Award for Nonfiction: 2 wds. |
| 52% | JANEHARPER | 10 | 18-Across and 33-Across writer whose novel "The Dry" won the British Book Award for Crime & Thriller Book of the Year 2018 (2 wds.) |
| 51% | BERNARDMALAMUD | 14 | Author whose works "The Magic Barrel" and "The Fixer" each won a National Book Award: 2 wds. |
| 51% | RALPHELLISON | 12 | African-American author of "Invisible Man," winner of the 1953 National Book Award for Fiction: 2 wds. |
| 51% | PHILIPROTH | 10 | Author whose works "Goodbye, Columbus" and "Sabbath's Theater" each won a National Book Award: 2 wds. |
| 49% | CHARLESYU | 9 | Author who won the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction for "Interior Chinatown": 2 wds. |
| 49% | SUSANCHOI | 9 | Author who won the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction for "Trust Exercise": 2 wds. |
| 49% | DALECARNEGIE | 12 | Author of the self-help book "How to Win Friends and Influence People": 2 wds. |
| 49% | THESEAAROUNDUS | 14 | 44-Across book about the science and history of the ocean that won the 1952 National Book Award for Nonfiction (4 wds.) |
| 49% | TESSGUNTY | 9 | Author who won the 2022 National Book Award for Fiction for "The Rabbit Hutch": 2 wds. |
| 48% | THEEMISSARY | 11 | Book that won the 2018 National Book Award for Translated Literature, written by Yoko Tawada and translated by Margaret Mitsutani: 2 wds. |
| 47% | JAMESMCBRIDE | 12 | 15-Across and 47-Across writer who won the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction for "The Good Lord Bird" (2 wds.) |
| 47% | SUSANCHOI | 9 | 15-Across and 33-Across writer who won the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction for her novel "Trust Exercise" (2 wds.) |
| 47% | JAMESMCBRIDE | 12 | African-American author of "The Good Lord Bird," winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction: 2 wds. |
| 46% | JASONALDEAN | 11 | "Burnin' It Down" singer who won Entertainer of the Year at the 2016, 2017, and 2018 ACM Awards: 2 wds. |
| 46% | LAURENGROFF | 11 | "Fates and Furies" author whose "Florida" was nominated for the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction (2 wds.) |
| 45% | JASONMOTT | 9 | Writer whose novel "Hell of a Book" won the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction (2 wds.) |
| 45% | ROBERTKIRKMAN | 13 | "Invincible" comic book author and one of the executive producers of 25-Across: 2 wds. |
| 45% | STEPHENKING | 11 | Author of "The Shining" and 18-Across: 2 wds. |
| 45% | SIGRIDNUNEZ | 11 | "Salvation City" author whose "The Friend" won the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction (2 wds.) |
| 45% | ARCHIEMANNING | 13 | College Football Hall of Famer whose sons Peyton and Eli both won the NFL Man of the Year award named for 18-Across (2 wds.) |
| 45% | BEARBRYANT | 10 | Legendary football coach who won six national championships with the University of Alabama (including one with 18-Across and one with 35-Across) (2 wds.) |
| 44% | KILLINTIME | 10 | Album by 45-Across featuring the singles 18-Across and 26-Across that won the 1989 Album of the Year Academy of Country Music Award (2 wds.) |
| 44% | THEFRIEND | 9 | Book that won the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction, written by Sigrid Nunez: 2 wds. |
| 44% | POSTMALONE | 10 | 18-Across, 27-Across, and 34-Across rapper whose "Rockstar" won the 2018 Billboard Music Award for Top Rap Song and the 2018 MTV Video Music Award for Song of the Year (2 wds.) |
| 44% | EANNIEPROULX | 12 | Pulitzer- and National Book Award-winning author of “The Shipping News” (who later dropped her first initial) |
| 43% | ROALDDAHL | 9 | Author of the children's book "James and the Giant Peach": 2 wds. |