National Book Awards

Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature - Fiction

The Adelaide Festival awards for literature are presented by the Government of South Australia, through Arts SA. The biennial awards celebrate our national writing culture and include fellowships and awards specific to South Australia.

Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature - NonFiction

The Adelaide Festival awards for literature are presented by the Government of South Australia, through Arts SA. The biennial awards celebrate our national writing culture and include fellowships and awards specific to South Australia.

Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature - Children's Literature

The Adelaide Festival awards for literature are presented by the Government of South Australia, through Arts SA. The biennial awards celebrate our national writing culture and include fellowships and awards specific to South Australia.

Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature - Young Adult fiction

The Adelaide Festival awards for literature are presented by the Government of South Australia, through Arts SA. The biennial awards celebrate our national writing culture and include fellowships and awards specific to South Australia.

Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature - The Premier's Award

The Adelaide Festival awards for literature are presented by the Government of South Australia, through Arts SA. The biennial awards celebrate our national writing culture and include fellowships and awards specific to South Australia.

ALS Gold Medal

The Australian Literature Society Gold Medal (ALS Gold Medal) is awarded annually by the Association for the Study of Australian Literature for an outstanding literary work in the preceding calendar year.

Aurealis Awards - Children's Fiction (told primarily through pictures)

The Aurealis Awards were established in 1995 by Chimaera Publications, the publishers of Aurealis magazine, to recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror writers.

Aurealis Awards - Children's Fiction (told primarily through words)

The Aurealis Awards were established in 1995 by Chimaera Publications, the publishers of Aurealis magazine, to recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror writers.

Aurealis Awards - Fantasy Novel

The Aurealis Awards were established in 1995 by Chimaera Publications, the publishers of Aurealis magazine, to recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror writers.

Aurealis Awards - Horror Novel

The Aurealis Awards were established in 1995 by Chimaera Publications, the publishers of Aurealis magazine, to recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror writers.

Note: No shortlist or winning novel for the 2011 Aurealis Awards  – two honorable mentions awarded only.

Aurealis Awards - Illustrated Book/Graphic Novel

The Aurealis Awards were established in 1995 by Chimaera Publications, the publishers of Aurealis magazine, to recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror writers.

Aurealis Awards - Science Fiction Novel

The Aurealis Awards were established in 1995 by Chimaera Publications, the publishers of Aurealis magazine, to recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror writers.

Aurealis Awards - Young Adult Novel

The Aurealis Awards were established in 1995 by Chimaera Publications, the publishers of Aurealis magazine, to recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror writers.

The Age Book of the Year Awards - Fiction

Over the nearly four decades, The Age Book of the Year Awards has established a reputation as one of Australia's finest literary prizes. Announced at the opening of the Melbourne Writers Festival, The Age Book of the Year Awards celebrate excellence in Australian literature, with an esteemed panel of experts recognising the best works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry published that year.

The Australian/ Vogel's Literary Award

The Australian/Vogel's Literary Award is one of Australia's richest and the most prestigious award for an unpublished manuscript by a writer under the age of 35. Offering publication by Allen & Unwin and prize money totalling $20,000, the Vogel Award has launched the careers of some of its most successful writers, including Tim Winton, Kate Grenville, Gillian Mears, Brian Castro, Mandy Sayer and Andrew McGahan.

 


The Barbara Jefferis Award is offered annually for “the best novel written by an Australian author that depicts women and girls in a positive way or otherwise empowers the status of women and girls in society”.

Barbara Jefferis Award

The Barbara Jefferis Award is offered annually for “the best novel written by an Australian author that depicts women and girls in a positive way or otherwise empowers the status of women and girls in society”.


The Barbara Jefferis Award is offered annually for “the best novel written by an Australian author that depicts women and girls in a positive way or otherwise empowers the status of women and girls in society”.

Blake Dawson Prize for Business Literature

The Blake Dawson Prize for Business Literature is an annual award established as a way of encouraging the highest possible standards of literary commentary on Australian business and financial affairs. Launched in 2004 by Blake Dawson and the State Library of NSW, the Prize aims to promote the highest standards in business writing targeted at the general reader. The $30,000 Prize is now acknowledged as being Australia's most important award for business literature.

Children's Book Council Awards - Crichton Award for new illustrators

These annual awards are for books with an implied readership under the age of eighteen and are presented in five categories. The Judges assess entries for the Awards primarily for literary merit, including cohesiveness in significant literary elements; language chosen carefully for its appropriateness to the theme and style of the work with proper regard to the aesthetic qualities of language; and originality in the treatment of literary elements as they apply to the form of the work. Judges also consider quality of illustrations, book design, production, printing and binding.

Children's Book Council Awards - Early Childhood

These annual awards are for books with an implied readership under the age of eighteen and are presented in five categories. The Judges assess entries for the Awards primarily for literary merit, including cohesiveness in significant literary elements; language chosen carefully for its appropriateness to the theme and style of the work with proper regard to the aesthetic qualities of language; and originality in the treatment of literary elements as they apply to the form of the work. Judges also consider quality of illustrations, book design, production, printing and binding.

Children's Book Council Awards - Eva Pownall Award for Information Books

These annual awards are for books with an implied readership under the age of eighteen and are presented in five categories. The Judges assess entries for the Awards primarily for literary merit, including cohesiveness in significant literary elements; language chosen carefully for its appropriateness to the theme and style of the work with proper regard to the aesthetic qualities of language; and originality in the treatment of literary elements as they apply to the form of the work. Judges also consider quality of illustrations, book design, production, printing and binding.

Children's Book Council Awards - Older Readers

These annual awards are for books with an implied readership under the age of eighteen and are presented in five categories. The Judges assess entries for the Awards primarily for literary merit, including cohesiveness in significant literary elements; language chosen carefully for its appropriateness to the theme and style of the work with proper regard to the aesthetic qualities of language; and originality in the treatment of literary elements as they apply to the form of the work. Judges also consider quality of illustrations, book design, production, printing and binding.

Children's Book Council Awards - Picture Book

These annual awards are for books with an implied readership under the age of eighteen and are presented in five categories. The Judges assess entries for the Awards primarily for literary merit, including cohesiveness in significant literary elements; language chosen carefully for its appropriateness to the theme and style of the work with proper regard to the aesthetic qualities of language; and originality in the treatment of literary elements as they apply to the form of the work. Judges also consider quality of illustrations, book design, production, printing and binding.

Children's Book Council Awards - Younger Readers

These annual awards are for books with an implied readership under the age of eighteen and are presented in five categories. The Judges assess entries for the Awards primarily for literary merit, including cohesiveness in significant literary elements; language chosen carefully for its appropriateness to the theme and style of the work with proper regard to the aesthetic qualities of language; and originality in the treatment of literary elements as they apply to the form of the work. Judges also consider quality of illustrations, book design, production, printing and binding.

John Button Prize

The John Button Prize seeks to enhance the quality of public policy writing and debate in Australia. It is managed by the John Button Foundation and funded by public donation. The Prize presents $20,000 to the best piece of thinking and writing on a subject of public policy.

Kibble Literary Award

Amongst some of Australia's most prestigious awards for women writers, the Nita B Kibble Literary Awards (the Kibble Awards) aim to encourage Australian women writers to improve and advance literature for the benefit of our community. The Awards recognise the works of both established and first-published women writers of fiction or non-fiction classified as 'life writing'. This includes novels, autobiographies, biographies, literature and any writing with a strong personal element.

Dobbie Literary Award

Amongst some of Australia's most prestigious awards for women writers, the Nita B Kibble Literary Awards (the Kibble Awards) aim to encourage Australian women writers to improve and advance literature for the benefit of our community. The Awards recognise the works of women writers of fiction or non-fiction classified as 'life writing'. This includes novels, autobiographies, biographies, literature and any writing with a strong personal element. The Kibble Literary Award recognises the work of an established Australian female writer while the Dobbie Literary Award recognises a first published work from an Australian female writer.

The Miles Franklin Award

The Miles Franklin Award, the first and most prestigious literary award in Australia, was established in 1954 with a bequest from Stella Maria Sarah Miles Lampe Franklin – otherwise known as the author Miles Franklin. The award celebrates Australian character and creativity and is awarded for the novel of the year that has the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases. The Award is administered by the Permanent Trustee Co. Ltd of Sydney and is currently worth $42,000.

To see all Shortlisted Titles please click on the Read More link on either title and then use the Quick Links menu on the left and scroll down to the Miles Franklin Award section.  All titles can now be selected.

National Biography Award

The National Biography Award is administered and presented by the State Library of NSW and is Australia’s richest prize for biographical writing and memoir.

To see all Shortlisted Titles please click on the Read More link on either title and then use the Quick Links menu on the left and scroll down to National Biography Awards.  All titles can now be selected.

The Ned Kelly Awards for Crimewriting - Best First Fiction

The Crime Writers Association of Australia was set up in the mid 1990s to promote and encourage Australian crimewriting through the establishment of the Ned Kelly Awards. The 'annual Neddies' have subsequently become an eagerly anticipated fixture on the Australian literary scene. More importantly the awards have brought recognition, and drawn national and International attention to Australian crime writers.

NSW Premier’s Literary Awards

In 1979 Premier Neville Wran presented the inaugural NSW Premier's Literary Awards. These awards were the first set of premier's awards to be offered in Australia. In their 32 year history, the NSW Premier's Literary Awards have honoured many of Australia's greatest writers and most significant works. The Awards help to establish values and standards in Australian literature and draw international attention to some of the country's best writers and to the cultural environment that nurtures them. In 2009, as part of the NSW Government's commitment to increasing public engagement with the arts, the Government introduced the first People's Choice Award, the winner of which was chosen by the people of NSW. The NSW Premier's Literary Awards continue to encourage people to enjoy and learn from the work of Australian writers.

Prime Minister's Literary Awards - Fiction

The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards recognise literary excellence in Australian fiction, non-fiction, young adult fiction and children’s fiction. The winner of each category receives $80,000 tax free, and the shortlisted authors in each category receive $5,000 tax free.

NT Chief Minister's Northern Territory History Book Award

The annual Chief Minister’s Northern Territory History Book Award celebrates the contribution the writing of Northern Territory history makes to the cultural and intellectual life of the Territory.

The award for Northern Territory history recognises an outstanding publication that contributes significantly to an understanding of Northern Territory history.

To see all Shortlisted Titles please click on the Read More link on either title below and then use the Quick Links menu on the left and scroll down to the Award title.  All books can now be viewed and selected.

NT Chief Minister's Book Award

The Chief Ministers NT History Book Award is presented annually to the author of a published book which relates to Northern Territory history.

The awards make up Territory Read, set up in 2009 to ‘celebrate and profile accomplishments in contemporary Northern Territory literature'. Territory Read is ‘for published books of all genres by writers living in the Northern Territory'.  Territory Read is an initiative of the Northern Territory Writers’ Centre, supported by Arts NT, the Literature Board of the Australia Council and CAL.

To see all Shortlisted Titles please click on the Read More link on either title below and then use the Quick Links menu on the left and scroll down to the Award title.  All books can now be viewed and selected.


Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards - People’s Choice Award

The Victorian Premier's Literary Awards are a key element in the Victorian Government's commitment to promote and raise the profile of contemporary creative writing and Australia's publishing industry. The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards were established in 1985 by John Cain, the Premier of Victoria at that time, to mark the centenary of the births of Vance and Nettie Palmer - distinguished writers and critics who made significant contributions to Victorian and Australian literary culture.

Walkley Award for Best Nonfiction Book 2011

Recognising the increasing role long-form and literary journalism play in the Australian media, The Walkley Book Award was introduced in 2005. There are two rounds for entries each year, closing in June and late August.

Western Australian Premier's Book Awards - Premier's Prize

The Western Australian Premier's Book Awards (PBA) is an award for books, scripts, digital narrative and a People's Choice. Awards are provided by the Government of Western Australia, and the awards process is managed by the State Library of Western Australia. Awards are given in fiction, poetry, non-fiction, Western Australian History, children's book, writing for Young Adults, scripts and digital narrative. An overall winner is awarded the Premier's Prize.

Young Australians’ Best Book Awards (YABBA)

The YABBA awards are a children's choice book award in 4 sections, presented annually. The sections are: Picture Story Books; Fiction for Younger Readers; Fiction for Older Readers; Fiction for Years 7 to 9. Each year children nominate Australian children's fiction books that have been published in the last ten years to create a short list.  Children read books from the YABBA short list. Children vote for their favourite books by a specified date in October, (usually International Children's Day).  The winners are announced at the award ceremony where authors and illustrators receive YABBA citations presented by children.

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