The British Book Awards 2026
Celebrating books and the people who make them.

It’s time for books to take centre stage
In 2026, The British Book Awards (aka the Nibbies) have special resonance. The National Year of Reading is an incredible opportunity to put books back in the hearts of every adult and child in the UK. Inspiring, challenging, brave, hilarious, mad, gentle books. Books that remind us what it means to be fully, complexly, irrepressibly human. Because books build better humans. And humans build better books. That’s where you come in.
The Nibbies, taking place on Monday 11th May 2026, are here to celebrate your talent, your skill and your value. The authors, who craft exhilarating worlds for us to play in. The editors and agents who fight to publish the stories the tech bros don’t want to be heard. From the booksellers to the librarians, the trade publishers to the indie presses, the designers and illustrators to the marketers to the publicists – we want to to shout about every person with a passion for their product that goes way, way beyond the requirements of their role.
Yes, it’s time to show your peers – and the nation – exactly how much blood, sweat and tears it takes to create these extraordinary engines for discovery, disruption, joy and social change. In other words, we need you to step out of the acknowledgement pages and channel your main character energy.
This is your moment, book people. Get ready to shine.
Awards Step

We champion great storytelling.

We celebrate the people behind the books.

We showcase the role of books in society.

We promote connection in the book trade.
Nibbies News
Finding 'library allies' key for Nibbies winner Manchester Libraries
Neil MacInnes, head of libraries, galleries and culture at Manchester City Libraries, talks to The Bookseller about what drives the award-winning service
Book of the Year winners revealed including Percival Everett, Asako Yuzuki and Alexei Navalny
Percival Everett, Asako Yuzuki and Alexei Navalny were named among the winners of this year’s British Book Awards, revealed in a star-studded ceremony at the Grosvenor Hotel in London, on 12th May.
Categories & Criteria
Nibbies Past Winners
Nibbies Podcast: David Nicholls and Musih Tedji Xaviere
10 April 2025 | 0 hr 42 min | Download
In this episode of the Nibbies Podcast, hosts Hannah MacInnes and Sarah Gwonyoma talk with two authors who have captured readers with their love stories: David Nicholls and Musih Tedji Xaviere
Nibbies Podcast: Jim Field, Chris and Rosie Ramsey
24 April 2025 | 0 hr 45 min | Download
In this episode of the Nibbies podcast we interview acclaimed children’s picture book authors, Jim Field and Chris & Rosie Ramsey.
Nibbies Videos
Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Watch our interview with Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler after they won the Book of the Year: Children’s Illustrated award
Stanley Tucci acceptance speech
Watch Stanley Tucci’s acceptance speech after winning the Book of the Year: Non-Fiction - Lifestyle and Illustrated award
Margaret Atwood acceptance speech
Watch Margaret Atwood’s acceptance speech after winning the British Book Award for Freedom to Publish - "I wish you a sackful of good luck"
Coco Hagi interviews Rob Biddulph
Watch Coco Hagi interview with a 'bewildered' Rob Biddulph after he won the Illustrator of the Year award at the 2025 Nibbies
Judges

Nancy Adimora

Jamilah Ahmed

Arifa Akbar

Monica Ali

Syima Aslam

Will Atkinson

Anna Bassi

Sanchita Basu De Sarkar

Kate Bland

Lauren Brown

Selina Brown

Matt Cain

Caroline Carpenter

Ova Ceren

Radzi Chinyanganya

Matthew Cornford

Lizzie Damilola Blackburn

Zoey Dixon

Sean Edwards

Charlotte Eyre

Kelli Fairbrother

Julie Finch

Molly Flatt

Alison Flood

Lucy Foley

Anna Frame

Katie Fraser

Jonny Gallant

Nikita Gill

Georgina Godwin

Sarah Gwonyoma

Joe Haddow

David Headley

Anna Hervé

Anwen Hooson

Orla Houston-Jibo

Eric Huang

Suraka Jane

Nicolette Jones

Philip Jones

Jake Kerridge

Jenn Li

Hannah MacInnes

James McConnachie

Cat Mitchell

Zubs J. Malik

Laura Mucha

Karen Napier

Fiona Noble

Leena Norms

Jonathan Nowell

Alice O'Keeffe

Natasha Onwuemezi

Alice Oseman

Lynsey Passmore

Donna Payne

Nina Pottell

Camilla Reid

Julian Rhind-Tutt

Miriam Robinson

Joel Rochester

Iain Rushworth

Imogen Russell Williams

Adam Rutherford

Chrissy Ryan

Rhik Samadder

Caroline Sanderson

Susan Sandon

Claire Shanahan

Lisa Smosarski

Truda Spruyt

Jasper Sutcliffe

Sandra Taylor

Shannon Thomas

Johanna Thomas-Corr

Mark Thornton

Tom Tivnan

Zool Verjee

Julie Vuong

Gervais Williams

Hannah Witton
For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Rachel Foley-Scott at rachel@thestage.co.uk.





























