National Book Award facts for kids

Quick facts for kids National Book Award
Logo of National Book Awards
Host	National Book Foundation
Date	November
First awarded	Original version: 1936–42 (1935–41 publications); new version: 1950 (1949 publications)
Last awarded	Active

The National Book Awards (often called NBA) are important yearly prizes given in the United States to celebrate amazing books. Every November, the National Book Foundation hosts a special ceremony. Here, they announce the winners of the National Book Awards and also honor authors with two special lifetime achievement awards.

These awards first started in 1936 by the American Booksellers Association. They paused during World War II but came back in 1950, thanks to three groups in the book industry. At first, authors from other countries could win, but since 1950, the awards are for U.S. authors whose books were published in the United States during the award year.

The nonprofit National Book Foundation was created in 1988. Its job is to manage and improve the National Book Awards. It also works to help more people read and love books, often by arranging for writers to meet the public. The Foundation's main goal is to "celebrate the best literature in America, expand its audience, and ensure that books have a prominent place in American culture."

In 2018, over 1,600 books were nominated for the five award categories. The category for Nonfiction had the most nominations. The awards ceremony that year was held on November 14 in New York City.

About the National Book Awards

The National Book Awards recognize excellent books in five main categories each year. These categories are fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translation, and young people's literature. Over the years, some categories have changed, but these five are the current focus.

The National Book Foundation also gives out two special awards each year. These are for people who have made a big difference in American literature throughout their lives. One is the "Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters." The other is the "Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community."

How Books Are Chosen

Only publishers can nominate books for the National Book Awards. However, the judges can ask publishers to nominate specific books they think are worthy.

The Judging Process

Each award category has a panel of five judges. These judges are usually writers, librarians, booksellers, and literary critics. In 2013, the Foundation started including other experts in the literary field on the judging panels.

These panels read hundreds of books every year for each of the five categories. In September, they announce a "longlist" of ten titles for each category. Then, in October, they narrow it down to a "finalist" list of five titles per category.

The category for Translated Literature was added in 2018. This award recognizes books that have been translated into English. It was the first time since 1983 that translated works were honored.

What Winners Receive

The winners of the National Book Awards are announced at a special ceremony in New York City every November. Each finalist receives $1,000, a medal, and a special note from the judges. The winners get $10,000 and a beautiful bronze sculpture.

A Look at the History

The National Book Awards have a rich history with several changes over the years.

Early Beginnings

The very first National Book Awards were given out in May 1936. They were presented at a meeting of the American Booksellers Association. Booksellers voted for their favorite books published in 1935. There were awards for the "most distinguished" novel, biography, and general nonfiction, plus an award for the "most original" novel.

For the next six years, from 1937 to 1942, the awards were announced in late winter or early spring. Booksellers voted for their "Favorite" Nonfiction and Fiction. They also had a "Bookseller Discovery" award. This award highlighted books that were excellent but might not have sold many copies. The awards stopped during World War II.

Awards Return and Grow

In January 1950, three groups from the book industry brought the awards back. They decided that only books by American authors, published in the U.S., would be eligible. There were three awards: one for nonfiction, one for fiction, and one for poetry. Each category had its own panel of five judges.

From 1950 to 1974, the National Book Committee managed the awards. However, publishers later stopped their support, and the Committee closed.

Over time, new categories were added. In 1964, Nonfiction was split into more specific awards. The National Book Award for Translation was introduced in 1967. Children's literature became a category in 1969.

Changes and Modern Awards

In 1980, there was an attempt to change the National Book Awards. They were briefly called the "American Book Awards." The idea was to make them more like the Academy Awards for movies, with many categories and a big TV show. However, this new approach did not work out well. Many of the new categories only lasted a few years.

By 1984, the awards were simplified greatly, focusing on just three categories: Nonfiction, Fiction, and First Work of Fiction. The ceremony was moved from spring to fall.

In 1987, the awards officially returned to the "National Book Awards" name. They settled into a more stable format. The number of finalists was set at five for each category. The Poetry category was added in 1991, and Young People's Literature followed in 1996. As mentioned, the Translated Literature category was added in 2018.

In 2024, the National Book Foundation made an important change. They announced that authors no longer needed to be U.S. citizens to be eligible for the awards. This decision was similar to one made by the Pulitzer Prizes in 2023.

Who Can Be Nominated?

To be considered for a National Book Award, a book must be published between December 1 of the previous year and November 30 of the current year. The publisher must submit a nomination in the spring and send copies of the book to the judges. The judges then read all the eligible books and create the shortlists in September.

Historically, the awards have been presented at different times of the year. Since 1984, the National Book Awards have been given out in the fall, usually in November. They honor books published roughly during that calendar year.

Special Lifetime Awards

Besides the main book categories, the National Book Foundation also celebrates individuals who have made lasting contributions to literature.

Medal for Literary Contributions

The Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters is an award for a person's entire career. It is given at the main awards ceremony. The winner receives $10,000. This medal honors someone who "has enriched [American] literary heritage over a life of service, or a corpus of work."

Many of the people who received this medal have also won National Book Awards for their individual books.

Award for Community Service

The Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community is another lifetime achievement award. It has been given out every year since 2005. This award honors someone who has done amazing work to help more people enjoy literature. It recognizes those whose lives and work show the National Book Foundation's goals. These goals include making literature more popular and important in American culture.

See also

• List of winners of the National Book Award, winners only.
• National Book Award for Fiction, winners and finalists.
• National Book Award for Nonfiction, winners and finalists.
• National Book Award for Poetry, winners and finalists.
• National Book Award for Translated Literature, winners and finalists.
• National Book Award for Young People's Literature, winners and finalists.
• Pulitzer Prize
• American Book Awards
• Booker Prize
• Gelett Burgess Children's Book Awards
• Commonwealth Writers Prize
• Prix Goncourt
• Costa Book Awards, formerly the Whitbread Book Awards
• Governor General's Award
• Literary festival
• Innovations in Reading Prize
• 2024 National Book Awards