1st April 2019
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I get my book recommendations from many different sources - Toppsta reviewers, friends of my children, parents, teachers (particularly on Twitter), librarians and more but I'm always intrigued to see which children's books win awards (and who judges them too). Here's a list of the key children's book awards in the UK with links to shortlists and winners.
The CILIP Carnegie Medal is awarded annually by CILIP for an outstanding book written in English for children and young people. The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal is awarded annually by CILIP for a book with exceptional illustrations.
Books are nominated by CILIP members plus external bodies such as Booktrust, CLPE, National Literacy Trust and more. After nominations are published, each book is read by every member of the judging panel − 14 children's and youth librarians representing all regions of CILIP's Youth Libraries Group. From these nominations the judging panel will decide the long and shortlists and finally, the 2019 Medal winners, based on the official medals criteria. This year, for the first time, there will also be a children's choice prize.
2019 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal Winners
2019 CILIP Carnegie Medal: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
2019 Kate Greenaway Medal: The Lost Words by Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane
2020 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Key Dates
4th November 2019 - Nominations published
CILIP Carnegie Medal Nominations 2020
CILIP Kate Greenaway Nominations 2020
20th February 2020 - Longlist announced
19th March 2020 - Shortlist announced
17th June 2020 - Winners announced
This is the only national award voted solely by children. Members of the Federation of Children's Book Groups vote on the longlist and then any children can vote on the shortlist. There are three categories: Books for Younger Children, Books for Younger Readers and Books for Older Readers. FCBG Website.
2019 FCBG Children's Book Award Winners
2019 Overall Winner and Book for Younger Children: Mixed by Arree Chung
Book for Younger Readers: The Dog Who Lost His Bark by Eoin Colfer
Book for Older Readers: Armistice Runner by Tom Palmer
2019 FCBG Children's Book Award Key Dates
25th February 2019 - Shortlist Announced
June 2019 - Winners Announced (above)
An annual award to recognise the enjoyment of reading judged by a panel of expert across the industry. Costa Book Awards Website.
2019 Costa Book Awards Shortlist
Asha & the Spirit Bird - Jasbinder Bilan
Crossfire - Malorie Blackman
In the Shadow of Heroes - Nicholas Bowling
Furious Thing - Jenny Downham
2018 Costa Book Awards Winner
The winner of the 2018 Costa Children's Book Award was announced in January 2019 and was The Skylark's War by Hilary McKay
2019 Costa Book Awards Key Dates
26th November 2019 - Category Shortlists Announced
January 2020 - Category Winners Announced
January 2020 - Overall Winner Announced
The Waterstones Children's Book Prize is an annual award, voted for by Waterstones booksellers and divided into three categories: Illustrated Books, Younger Fiction and Older Fiction. The Waterstones Children's Book Prize Website.
2019 Waterstones Children's Book Prize Winners
Waterstones Children's Illustrated Award: The Girls by Lauren Ace and Jenny Løvlie.
Waterstones Children's Younger Fiction and the Overall Waterstones Children's Book Award: The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf
Waterstones Children's Older Fiction Award: The Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
2019 Waterstones Key Dates
7th February 2019 - Shortlist Announced
21st March 2019 - Winners announced
The Blue Peter Awards are an annual celebration of the best authors, the most creative illustrators and the greatest reads for children. The 2019 Blue Peter Awards judges Louise Pentland, Alex T Smith and Darren Chetty, chose the shortlist and then children read the titles and vote for their favourites.
2019 Blue Peter Awards Winners
Blue Peter Best Story: The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Rauf
Blue Peter Best Book with Facts: The Colours of History by Clive Gifford and Marc-Etienne Peintre
2019 Blue Peter Awards Key Dates
25th October 2018 - Longlist announced
8th November 2018 - Shortlist announced
7th March 2019 - Winners announced (above)
An annual award for an outstanding first novel to a first time writer of a book for young people. Judged by a team of industry experts.
2019 Branford Boase Winner
The winner of the 2019 Branford Boase award was I am Thunder by Muhammad Khan
2019 Branford Boase Key Dates
31st January 2019 - Longlist Announced
1st May 2019 - Shortlist Announced
3rd July 2019 - Winner Announced (above)
Three separate awards determined by age group, created to celebrate the very funniest and most engaging books in children’s fiction. Panel of experts vote on the Longlist and then children can vote on the shortlist.
2018 Lollies Winners
Announced on 14th February 2019.
Best Laugh Out Loud Picture Book: Mr Bunny's Chocolate Factory by Elys Dolan
Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 6-8s: The Big, Fat, Totally Bonkers Diary of Pig by Emer Stamp.
Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 9-13s: Tom Gates: Epic Adventure by Liz Pichon.
2019 Lollies Key Dates
August 2019 - Shortlist Announced
December 2019 - Vote Closes
Early 2020 - Winners Announced
Now in its sixth year, the Sainsbury's Children's Book Awards (run with Booktrust) aims to celebrate some of the best titles in children's publishing. Winners are chosen by a panel of experts.
2019 Sainsbury's Children's Book Awards Winners
2019 Book of the Year & Picture Book Award: My Pet Star by Corinne Averris and Rosalind Beardshaw
Baby and Toddler: Nibbles: Numbers by Emma Yarlett
Fiction: The Umbrella Mouse by Anna Fargher and Sam Usher
Learning and Development: The Awesome Book of Space by Adam Frost
Favourite Characters: Where’s Wally? Exciting Expeditions by Martin Handford
Classic Award: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
2020 Sainsbury's Children's Book Awards Key Dates
9th August 2019 - Shortlist Announced
28th August 2019 - Winners Announced (above)
Now in their 10th year these awards set out to increase teachers knowledge of newly published books which they can share with pupils. These are the only awards judged entirely by teachers.
2019 UKLA Book Award Winners
3-6 category winner: I am Bat by Morag Hood
Highly commended 3-6 category: After the Fall by Dan Santat
7-11 category winner: The Explorer by Katherine Rundell
Highly commended 7-11 category: Running on Empty by S.E. Durrant
12-16 category winner: Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Highly commended 12-16: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevado
2019 UKLA Book Award Key Dates
September 2018 - Longlist Announced
March 2019 - Shortlist Announced
July 2019 - Winners Announced (above)
Annual award to the best young adult book written by an author living in the UK or Ireland. Judged by a panel of industry experts.
2019 YA Book Prize Winner
The winner of the 2019 YA Book Prize was Goodbye, Perfect by Sara Bernard
2019 YA Book Prize Key Dates
1st March 2019 - Shortlist Announced
30th May 2019 - Winner Announced (above)
The British Book Awards (aka The Nibbies) is the most important awards for the trade and has been running since 1990. Alongside traditional categories such as fiction and non-fiction there are also awards for best bookshop, best publisher and more. In recognition of the growing importance of Children's, this year (2019) the Children's Book of the Year prize has been split into two for Fiction and Non-Fiction/Illustrated. AND yours truly (Georgina) is on the panel for the Children's Fiction Award.
2019 British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year Winner
The winner of the British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year was The Ice Monster by David Walliams.
2019 British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year Key Dates
13th May 2019 - Winner Announced
Famous independent bookseller Foyles chooses its Books of the Year in three categories: fiction, non-fiction and children's. The books are chosen through a combination of Foyles bestsellers, staff vote and reader response.
2019 Foyles Book of the Year
The winner of the Foyles Book of the Year was The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell
2019 Foyles Book of the Year Key Dates
27th November 2019 - Winner Announced (above)
October 2019 - Shortlist Announced
