Book awards and prizes

Best information book.

Recognising outstanding reading experiences created through illustration. 

Recognising outstanding experiences created through writing.

Scottish picture books.

The leading literary award in the UK.

The only book awards curated by bookshops and chosen by readers. 

Books for sharing with young children.

The most promising book for seven year-olds and upwards by a first time novelist.

Awards for Adult Fiction, Children's Fiction Book of the Year and Children's Non-fiction & Illustrated Book of the Year.

Outstanding poetry for children.

The UK & Ireland's first comedy literary prize dedicated to celebrating witty women's writing.

Awarded for the best published literary work in the English language, written by an author aged 39 or under.

Graphic novels and manga.

Split into four categories: Books for Younger Children, Books for Younger Readers, Books for Confident Readers and Books for Older Readers.

HA annual awards for best historical fiction for young people.

First awarded in March 2017, the Jhalak Prize and its new sister award Jhalak Children’s & YA Prize founded in 2020, seek to celebrate books by British/British resident BAME writers.

Debut picture books.

The Laugh Out Loud Book Awards.

Celebrating outstanding writing by great authors living in the UK and Ireland.

Oscar’s Book Prize is an annual prize for the best under-fives book of the year, awarded to authors and illustrators.

The UK’s only dedicated awards for LGBTQ+ literature. 

Science books for under 14's.

The Sports Book Awards in association with The Sunday Times.

The annual Arthur C. Clarke Award is given for the best science fiction novel first published in the United Kingdom during the previous year.

Rewarding excellence in non-fiction writing.

The world-famous Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Daggers are the oldest awards in the genre, and have been synonymous with quality crime writing for over half a century.

Highlighting the best of the diverse voices published in the UK. 

Celebrates children’s fiction which challenges stereotypes, promotes social justice and advocates for a more peaceful and fairer world. 

The UK’s most prestigious prizes for political writing. 

The best books for sharing in classrooms.

Since it was first introduced in 2012, Waterstones Book of the Year has become an institution, recognised by readers as a highlight of the calendar and a benchmark of literary excellence. 

Categories include Illustrated Books, Books For Younger Readers and Books For Older Readers.

An award for exceptional first novels, voted for by Waterstones booksellers. 

The Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize is an international prize that supports and celebrates the best adventure writing today. 

Best full length novel by a woman.

Best young adult book.