The New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults are administered by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust. In 2016, the Awards merged with the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA) Awards.
All awards carry prize money of $7,500. In addition, the judges may decide to award a best first book prize of $2,000 to a previously unpublished author or illustrator. The overall prize, the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year award, carries a prize of $7,500. The awards are judged by a panel of five. Te Kura Pounamu Award is judged by Te Ropu Whakahau.
- Margaret Mahy Book of the Year
- Picture Book Award
- Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction
- Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction
- Young Adult Fiction Award
- Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award for Te Reo Māori
- Russell Clark Award for Illustration
- Best First Book Award
2021
Finalists were announced Thursday 10 June. The awards ceremony and announcement of winners of 2021 NZCYA Book Awards is scheduled for Wednesday 11 August 2021.
2020: Books Alive and Virtual Storytimes
Aotearoa celebrated the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults with Books Alive - Virtual Storytimes and Online Events.
Check out Christchurch City Libraries contribution.
2020 winners
The 2020 shortlist was announced on 4 June, and the winners were announced in a virtual presentation, streamed online on the evening of Wednesday 12 August 2020.
- Read the judges' comments
2019 winners
Margaret Mahy Book of the Year
The Bomb Sacha Cotter, illustrated by Josh Morgan, published by Huia Publishers
The Bomb Sacha Cotter, illustrated by Josh Morgan, published by Huia Publishers
Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction
The Dog Runner Bren MacDibble, published by Allen & Unwin
Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction
Art-tastic Sarah Pepperle, published by Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu
Copyright Licensing NZ Award for Young Adult Fiction
Legacy Whiti Hereaka, published by Huia Publishers
Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award for Te Reo Māori
Te Haka a Tānerore Reina Kahukiwa, translated by Kiwa Hammond and illustrated by Robyn Kahukiwa, published by Mauri Tu
Russell Clark Award for Illustration
Puffin the Architect illustrated and written by Kimberly Andrews, published by Puffin, Penguin Random House
Art-tastic Sarah Pepperle, published by Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu
- Read the judges' comments
2018 winners
- Read the judges' comments
- View the titles listed in the 2018 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults shortlist.
2017 winners
2016 winners
- Margaret Mahy Book of the Year
- Picture Book
- Junior Fiction (Esther Glen Award)
- Non-Fiction (Elsie Locke Award)
- Young Adult Fiction
- Te Reo Māori (Te Kura Pounamu Award)
- Illustration (Russell Clark Award)
- Children’s Choice
2015 awards
- Margaret Mahy Book of the Year (2015)
- Best First Book (2015)
Until 2014 the awards were sponsored by NZ Post. Prior to 1997, the awards were known as the AIM Children’s Book Awards.
See more kids' literary prize winners.
Christchurch City Libraries lists literary prize winners and links to catalogue searches, but we may not hold copies of all titles mentioned.
