| KAWABATA | First Japanese writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature (8) |
| OCTAVIABUTLER | First science-fiction writer to be awarded a MacArthur grant |
| HALLOWES | Secret agent tortured by the Gestapo who became the first woman to be awarded the George Cross (8) |
| FLORENCE | British hospital reformer who was the first woman to be awarded the Order of Merit (8,11) |
| CORI | First woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her role in the discovery of the course of the catalytic conversion of glycogen (surname only) |
| ALBERTMVUMBI | First African and first person outside Europe and the Americas to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, _ _ Luthuli (6,6) |
| YEATS | Poet, dramatist and politician, 1865-1939, who was the first Irishman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature (5) |
| LIU | Human rights activist Xiaobo, the first Chinese citizen to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (2010) |
| BUNCHE | Ralph who was the first African American to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize |
| MURAKAMI | Haruki, Japanese writer noted for Kafka on the Shore (8) |
| SAYONARA | 1958 film for which Miyoshi Umeki became the first Japanese actress to win an Oscar (8) |
| JANEADDAMS | First American woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931: 2 wds. |
| BERTHA | ___ von Suttner, first woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize |
| ENAMELED | The foreign circle identify writer to be finished off (8) |
| TROLLOPE | Either of two writers to be annoying online, unblocked for the most part (8) |
| COMPAGNO | The first Japanese car sold and marketed in the UK, courtesy of Daihatsu (8) |
| TAKAZUMI | Became the first Japanese Grand Prix World Champion, during Barry Sheene's last title year. (8,8) |
| KATAYAMA | Became the first Japanese Grand Prix World Champion, during Barry Sheene's last title year. (8,8) |
| USSENATE | He was the first Japanese-American to serve here (tenure: 49 years) |
| LUSTROUS | Need discovered French author to be bright (8) |
