book covers for a bunch of award-winning novels
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There are thousands of awards for books given out annually. It’s impossible to follow them all. Here are 11+ great awards for books and authors.

Check them out, they’ll give you a variety of books to read every year!

Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards

The Anisfield-Wolf Book Award is awarded to books that have made important contributions to understanding racism and appreciation of the rich diversity of human cultures.

Awards are given for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and lifetime achievements. Learn more about the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards.

Anisfield-Wolf Fiction Award Winners:

THE OLD DRIFT by Namwali Serpell book cover

2020

THE OLD DRIFT
by Namwali Serpell

Buy on Amazon

Cover of Book Award Winner THERE THERE

2019

THERE THERE
by Tommy Orange

Buy on Amazon

2018SING, UNBURIED, SING
by Jesmin Ward
2017THE FORTUNES
by Peter Ho Davies
2016THE JAZZ PALACE
by Mary Morris
2015A BRIEF HISTORY OF SEVEN KILLINGS
by Marlon James
2014A CONSTELLATION OF VITAL PHENOMENA
by Anthony Marra
2013
*3 winners
MY FAVORITE WARLORD
by Eutene Gloria

KIND ONE
by Laird Hunt

THE YELLOW BIRDS
by Kevin Powers
2012HALF-BLOOD BLUES
by Esi Edugyan
2011
*2 winners
GREAT HOUSE
by Nicole Krauss

THE CLIFFS OF BAGHDAD, GEORGIA
by Mary Helen Stefaniak
2010BURNT SHADOWS
by Kamila Shamsie
2009
*2 winners
THE PLAGUE OF DOVES
by Louise Erdrich

THE BOAT
by Nam Le

The Booker Prize

The Booker Prize is awarded annually to a novel written in English and published in the UK and Ireland.

The Booker Prize was known as the Man Booker Prize until 2019. Learn more about the Booker Prize.

Booker Prize Winners:

THE TESTAMENTS

2019

THE TESTAMENTS
by Margaret Atwood

Buy on Amazon

Cover of Book Award Winner GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER

2019

GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER
by Bernardine Evaristo

Buy on Amazon

Cover of Book Award Winner MILKMAN

2018

MILKMAN
by Anna Burns

Buy on Amazon

2017LINCOLN IN THE BARDO
by George Saunders
2016THE SELLOUT
by Paul Beatty
2015A BRIEF HISTORY OF SEVEN KILLINGS
by Marlon James
2014THE NARROW ROAD TO THE DEEP NORTH
by Richard Flanagan
2013THE LUMINARIES
by Eleanor Catton
2012BRING UP THE BODIES
by Hilary Mantel
2011THE SENSE OF AN ENDING
by Julian Barnes
2010THE FINKLER QUESTION
by Howard Jacobson
2009WOLF HALL
by Hilary Mantel

The International Booker Prize

Since 2016, the International Booker Prize has been awarded annually for a single book, translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland.

The International Booker Prize was known as the Man Booker International Prize until 2020. Learn more about the International Booker Prize.

Man Booker International Winners:

Cover of Book Award Winner CELESTIAL BODIES

2019

CELESTIAL BODIES
by Jokha Alharthi
translated from Arabic by Marilyn Booth

Buy on Amazon

Cover of Book Award Winner FLIGHTS

2018

FLIGHTS
by Olga Tokarczuk
translated from Polish by Jennifer Croft

Buy on Amazon

2017A HORSE WALKS INTO A BAR
by David Grossman
translated from Hebrew by Jessica Cohen
2016THE VEGETARIAN
by Han Kong
translated from Korean by Deborah Smith

CILIP Carnegie Medal

The CILIP Carnegie Medal is awarded to one new outstanding English book for children or young adults. Learn more about the CILIP Carnegie Medal.

CILIP Carnegie Medal Winners:

Cover of Book Award Winner THE POET X

2019

THE POET X
by Elizabeth Acevedo

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Cover of Book Award Winner WHERE THE WORLD ENDS

2018

WHERE THE WORLD ENDS
by Geraldine McCaughrean

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2017SALT TO THE SEA
by Ruta Sepetys
2016ONE
by Sarah Crossan
2015BUFFALO SOLDIER
by Tanya Landman
2014THE BUNKER DIARY
by Kevin Brooks
2013MAGGOT MOON
by Sally Gardner
2012A MONSTER CALLS
by Patrick Ness
2011MONSTERS OF MEN
by Patrick Ness
2010THE GRAVEYARD BOOK
by Neil Gaiman
2009BOG CHILD
by Siobhan Dowd

The Desmond Elliott Prize

The Desmond Elliott Prize is designed to support new writers. It’s awarded annually to a debut novel written in English and published in the UK.

Learn more about the Desmond Elliott Prize.

Desmond Elliott Winners:

Cover of Book Award Winner GOLDEN CHILD

2019

GOLDEN CHILD
by Claire Adam

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Cover of Book Award Winner WE THAT ARE YOUNG

2018

WE THAT ARE YOUNG
by Preti Taneja

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2017GOLDEN HILL
by Francis Spufford
2016THE GLORIOUS HERESIES
by Lisa McInerney
2015OUR ENDLESS NUMBERED DAYS
by Claire Fuller
2014A GIRL IS A HALF-FORMED THING
by Eimear McBride
2013THE MARLOWE PAPERS
by Ros Barber
2012THE LAND OF DECORATION
by Grace McCleen
2011SARASWATI PARK
by Anjali Joseph
2010THE GIRL WITH GLASS FEET
by Ali Shaw
2009BLACKMOOR
by Edward Hogan

The International Dublin Literary Award

The International Dublin Literary Award is given annually for a novel written in or translated into English.  Novels are nominated by public libraries all over the world on the basis of “high literary merit.”

Learn more about the International Dublin Literary Award.

Dublin Literary Award Winners:

Cover of Book Award Winner IDAHO

2019

IDAHO
by Emily Ruskovich

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Cover of Book Award Winner SOLAR BONES

2018

SOLAR BONES
by Mike McCormack

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2017A GENERAL THEORY OF OBLIVION
by José Eduardo Agualusa
translated from Portuguese by Daniel Hahn
2016FAMILY LIFE
by Akhil Sharma
2015HARVEST
by Jim Crace
2014THE SOUND OF THINGS FALLING
by Jual Gabriel Vásquez
translated from Spanish by Anne McLean
2013CITY OF BOHANE
by Kevin Barry
2012EVEN THE DOGS
by Jon McGregor
2011LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN
by Colum McCann
2010THE TWIN
by Gerbrand Bakker
translated from Dutch by David Colmer
2009MAN GONE DOWN
by Michael Thomas

The Scotiabank Giller Prize

The Scotiabank Giller Prize is awarded annually to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English.

Learn more about the Scotiabank Giller Prize.

Giller Prize Winners:

Cover of Book Award Winner REPRODUCTION

2019

REPRODUCTION
by Ian Williams

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Cover of Book Award Winner WASHINGTON BLACK

2018

WASHINGTON BLACK
by Esi Edugyan

Buy on Amazon

2017BELLEVUE SQUARE
by Michael Redhill
2016DO NOT SAY WE HAVE NOTHING
by Madeleine Thien
2015FIFTEEN DOGS
by André Alexis
2014US CONDUCTORS
by Sean Michaels
2013HELLGOING
by Lynn Coady
2012419
by Will Ferguson
2011HALF-BLOOD BLUES
by Esi Edugyan
2010THE SENTIMENTALISTS
by Johanna Skibrsrud
2009THE BISHOP’S MAN
by Linden MacIntyre

The Hugo Awards

The Hugo Awards are presented annually for works of Science Fiction & Fantasy. There are currently 17 categories of awards given annually plus one that changes each year.

Learn more about the Hugo Awards.

Hugo Best Novel Winners:

Cover of Book Award Winner THE CALCULATING STARS

2019

THE CALCULATING STARS
by Mary Robinette Kowal

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2017THE OBELISK GATE
by NK Jemisin
2016THE FIFTH SEASON
by NK Jemisin
2015THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM
by Cixin Liu
translated from Chinese by Ken Liu
2014ANCILLARY JUSTICE
by Ann Leckie
2013REDSHIRTS
by John Scalzi
2012AMONG OTHERS
by Jo Walton
2011BLACKOUT/ALL CLEAR
by Connie Willis
2010
*2 winners
THE WINDUP GIRL
by Paolo Bacigalupi

THE CITY & THE CITY
by China Miéville
2009THE GRAVEYARD BOOK
by Neil Gaiman

The Lambda Literary Awards

The Lambda Literary Awards (aka the Lammys) identify and honor the best lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender books. There are over 20 categories of awards.

Learn more about the Lammys.

LGBTQ Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror Winners:

THE DEEP by Rivers Solomon book cover

2020

THE DEEP
by Rivers Solomon

Buy on Amazon

Cover of Book Award Winner THE BREATH OF THE SUN

2019

THE BREATH OF THE SUN
by Isaac R. Fellman

Buy on Amazon

2018AUTONOMOUS
by Annalee Newitz
2017THE DEVOURERS
by Indra Das
2016THE GRACEKEEPERS
by Kirsty Logan
2015BITTER WATERS
by Chaz Brenchley
2014DEATH BY SILVER
by Melissa Scott & Amy Griswold
2013GREEN THUMB
by Tom Cadamone
2012THE GERMAN
by Lee Thomas
2011DIANA COMET AND OTHER IMPROBABLE STORIES
by Sandra McDonald
2010PALIMPSEST
by Catherynne M. Valente
2009TURNSKIN
by Nicole Kimberling

The National Book Awards

The National Book Awards are awarded as a celebration of the best literature in America. There are currently 5 awards presented annually: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature.

Learn more about the National Book Awards.

National Book Award Fiction Winners:

Cover of Book Award Winner TRUST EXERCISE

2019

TRUST EXERCISE
by Susan Choi

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Cover of Book Award Winner THE FRIEND

2018

THE FRIEND
by Sigrid Nunez

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2017SING, UNBURIED, SING
by Jesmyn Ward
2016THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
by Colson Whitehead
2015FORTUNE SMILES
by Adam Johnson
2014REDEPLOYMENT
by Phil Klay
2013THE GOOD LORD BIRD
by James McBride
2012THE ROUND HOUSE
by Louise Erdrich
2011SALVAGE THE BONES
by Jesmyn Ward
2010LORD OF MISRULE
by Jaimy Gordon
2009LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN
by Colum McCann

The Nobel Prize

The Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded annually to an author from any country for outstanding contributions in the field of literature. There are 5 other Nobel Prizes awarded: Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Peace, and Economic Sciences.

Learn more about the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Nobel Prize in Literature Winners:

Cover of Book Award Winner PETER HANDKE

2019

PETER HANDKE
“for an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has explored the periphery and the specificity of human experience.”

Buy on Amazon

Cover of Book Award Winner FLIGHTS

2018

OLGA TOKARCZUK
“for a narrative imagination that with encyclopedic passion represents the crossing of boundaries as a form of life.”

Buy on Amazon

2017KAZUO ISHIGURO
“who, in novels of great emotional force, has uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world.”
2016BOB DYLAN
“for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.”
2015SVETLANA ALEXIEVICH
“for her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time.”
2014PATRICK MODIANO
“for the art of memory with which he has evoked the most ungraspable human destinies and uncovered the life-world of the occupation.”
2013ALICE MUNRO
“master of the contemporary short story.”
2012MO YAN
“who with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary.”
2011TOMAS TRANSTRÖMER
“because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality.”
2010MARIO VARGAS LLOSA
“for his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual’s resistance, revolt, and defeat.”
2009HERTA MÜLLER
“who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed.”

The Pulitzer Prize

The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is awarded annually to an American author for a novel preferably dealing with American life.

The Pulitzer Prize is awarded for 21 categories across journalism and the arts. Learn more about the Pulitzer Prize.

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction Winners:

THE NICKEL BOYS by Colson Whitehead book cover

2020

THE NICKEL BOYS
by Colson Whitehead

Buy on Amazon

Cover of Book Award Winner THE OVERSTORY

2019

THE OVERSTORY
by Richard Powers

Buy on Amazon

2018LESS
by Andrew Sean Greer
2017THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
by Colson Whitehead
2016THE SYMPATHIZER
by Viet Thanh Nguyen
2015ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE
by Anthony Doerr
2014THE GOLDFINCH
by Donna Tartt
2013THE ORPHAN MASTER’S SON
by Adam Johnson
2012no award.
2011A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD
by Jennifer Egan
2010TINKERS
by Paul Harding
2009OLIVE KITTERIDGE
by Elizabeth Strout

Women’s Prize for Fiction

The Women’s Prize for Fiction is awarded annually to a female author for an original full-length novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom.

The Women’s Prize for Fiction was previously known as the Orange Prize for Fiction (1996-2006 & 2009-2012), the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction (2007-2008), and the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction (2014-2017). Learn more about the Women’s Prize for Fiction.

Women’s Prize for Fiction Winners:

Cover of Book Award Winner AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE

2019

AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE
by Tayari Jones

Buy on Amazon

Cover of Book Award Winner HOME FIRE

2018

HOME FIRE
by Kamila Shamsie

Buy on Amazon

2017THE POWER
by Naomi Alderman
2016THE GLORIOUS HERESIES
by Lisa McInerney
2015HOW TO BE BOTH
by Ali Smith
2014A GIRL IS A HALF-FORMED THING
by Eimear McBride
2013MAY WE BE FORGIVEN
by A.M. Homes
2012THE SONG OF ACHILLES
by Madeline Miller
2011THE TIGER’S WIFE
by Téa Obreht
2010THE LACUNA
by Barbara Kingsolver
2009HOME
by Marilynne Robinson

So Many Book Awards

Image Link to 11+ Annual Book Awards (find your next book to read)

You’ll never run out of award-winning books to read.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t read something else, too.

Check out these Exciting New (and Upcoming) Book Releases next.

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Happy Writing,

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