Book Industry Awards
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The Book Industry Awards have been recognising the best New Zealand publishers, booksellers and industry stalwarts for over 20 years. They are our chance to celebrate our best and brightest, our successes and our innovations, and to acknowledge the excellent work being done in the New Zealand book trade.
These awards are administered by Booksellers Aotearoa, and the judges for the awards are selected from within the book industry here and overseas.
The 2023 Book Industry Awards dinner and ceremony will be held on Saturday 22 July at Rotorua’s Novotel Lakeside Hotel.
Entries are open now for this year’s awards.
Timeline
- Entries open – Tuesday 2nd May
- Entries close – Monday 5th June, 9am
- Judging completed by Wednesday 28 June
- Ceremony – Saturday 22 July
Link to Information/Criteria (Link to Entry Form)
Emerging NZ Publisher of the Year (Enter Now)
Emerging NZ Bookseller of the Year (Enter Now)
Marketing and Publicity Strategy of the Year (Enter Now)
Sales Professional of the Year (Enter Now)
Mana Māori Award (Enter Now)
Innovation Award (Enter Now)
Nielsen BookData NZ Publisher of the Year (Enter Now)
Nielsen BookData NZ Bookshop of the Year (Enter Now)
In addition to these awards the following presentations will be made:
Nielsen BookData NZ Bestseller Award (best-selling NZ published title between April 2022 and March 2023)
Nielsen BookData International Bestseller Award (best-selling international title in NZ between April 2022 and March 2023)
Aotearoa Booksellers’ Choice Award
Lifetime Achievement Award
Past recipients
2022 (Saturday 30 July at Auckland’s Park Hyatt)
Emerging NZ Publisher of the Year: Michelle Hurley, Allen & Unwin
Emerging NZ Bookseller of the Year: Lisa Adler, Vic Books
Nielsen BookData NZ Bestseller Award (best-selling NZ published title between April 2021 and March 2022): Lost and Found: My story of heartbreak and hope, Toni Street (Allen & Unwin)
Nielsen BookData International Bestseller Award (best-selling international title in NZ between April 2021 and March 2022): Better Off Dead: Jack Reacher 26, Lee Child and Andrew Child (Penguin Random House)
Marketing and Publicity Strategy of the Year: Courtney Smith and Abba Renshaw, Allen & Unwin, for Salad, Two Raw Sisters
Aotearoa Booksellers’ Choice Award: Greta and Valdin, Rebecca K Reilly (Te Herenga Waka University Press)
Sales Professional of the Year: Inna Carson, HarperCollins
Mana Māori Award: Kupu Ngā Ringa Tuhituhi Māori Writers Festival
Nielsen BookData NZ Publisher of the Year: Penguin Random House New Zealand
Nielsen BookData NZ Bookshop of the Year: Unity Books (Wellington)
Lifetime Achievement Award: David and Jenny Hedley (Hedley’s Books, Masterton)
2021 (presented online)
Nielsen BookData Bookshop of the Year – Schrödinger’s Books, Petone
Nielsen BookData Publisher of the Year – Mākaro Press
Bestseller Award (for top seller buy volume and value between April 2020 and March 2021) – Supergood by Chelsea Winter (Random House NZ)
Sales Person of the Year – Jessica Rice, Penguin Random House New Zealand
Marketing and Publicity Strategy of the Year – HarperCollins NZ for Impossible: My Story by Stan Walker (campaign manager Rebecca Thorne)
Emerging Publisher of the Year – Rachel Eadie, Penguin Random House New Zealand
Emerging Bookseller of the Year – Rafael Moreira, McLeods Booksellers (Rotorua)
Book Industry Innovation Award – Allen & Unwin
Aotearoa Booksellers’ Choice Award – Shared between Auē by Becky Manawatu (published by Mākaro Press) and Imagining Decolonisation by Rebecca Kiddle & Bianca Elkington & Moana Jackson & Ocean Mercier & Mike Ross & Jennie Smeaton & Amanda Thomas (published by BWB)
Lifetime Achievement Award – Bridget Williams
2020 (presented online)
Nielsen Bookshop of the Year – Wardini Books, Hawke’s Bay
Nielsen Publisher of the Year – Allen & Unwin
Sales Person of the Year – Sharon Galey, Hachette NZ
Marketing and Publicity Strategy of the Year – Hachette NZ, for The Year of Mahy
Young Publisher of the Year – Paul Stewart, Mākaro Press and the Cuba Press
Young Bookseller of the Year – Kit Lyall, Scorpio Books
Book Industry Innovation Award – Verb Wellington
Lifetime Achievement Award – Tilly Lloyd, Unity Books Wellington
2019 (Saturday 24 August at Auckland’s Ridges Hotel) Media Release
Nielsen Bookshop of the Year – Unity Books Auckland
Nielsen Publisher of the Year – Penguin Random House NZ
Sales Rep of the Year – Louise Crisp, South Island Rep, Penguin Random House NZ
Marketing and Publicity Strategy of the Year –Allen & Unwin NZ, for Magnolia Kitchen
Young Publisher of the Year Kimberley Davis, Allen & Unwin NZ
Young Bookseller of the Year – – Surinam Reddy, from Time Out Books
Book Industry Innovation Award – WORD Christchurch
Lifetime Achievement Award – Rob and Kaye Clarke, Paper Plus Coastlands
2018 Media Release
Nielsen Bookshop of the Year –VOLUME, Nelson
Nielsen Publisher of the Year – Allen & Unwin NZ, Auckland
Sales Rep of the Year – Tammy Ruffell, Lower North Island Rep, HarperCollins NZ
Publishing Marketing Strategy of the Year – Hachette NZ for its campaign for Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend
Young Publisher of the Year – Sophia Egan, from Mary Egan Publishing Ltd.
Young Bookseller of the Year – Fern Hubball, from UBS Canterbury
Special Industry Award-winner – The Sapling
Lifetime Achievement Award – Robyn Bargh, Huia Publishers
2017 Media Release
Nielsen Bookshop of the Year – Time Out Bookstore, Mt Eden, Auckland
Nielsen Publisher of the Year – Gecko Press, Wellington
Sales Rep of the Year – Tammy Ruffell, Lower North Island Rep, HarperCollins NZ
Publishing Marketing Strategy of the Year – Allen & Unwin NZ for the campaign for Woman in the Wilderness by Miriam Lancewood
Young Publisher of the Year – Alex Hedley, HarperCollins NZ
Young Bookseller of the Year – Cait Kneller, Time Out Bookshop, Mt Eden, Auckland
Special Industry Award-winner – Victoria University Press
Lifetime Achievement Award – Ruth & John McIntyre, The Children’s Bookshop, Wellington
2016 Media Release
Sales Rep of the Year – Louise Crisp, Penguin Random House NZ
Marketing Strategy of the Year (Publisher) – HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand
Publisher of the Year – Allen & Unwin Publishers
Marketing Strategy of the Year (Booksellers) – The Women’s Bookshop, Ponsonby
Young Book Retailer of the Year – Rachel Eadie, Scorpio Books, Christchurch
Bookseller of the Year – Time Out Bookstore
NZ Book Industry Special Award – Bridget Williams Books
Lifetime Achievement Award – Paul Greenberg, Greene Phoenix Marketing
2015 Media Release
Sales Rep of the Year – Tammy Ruffell, HarperCollins NZ Lower North Island rep
Marketing Strategy of the Year – Penguin Random House NZ, for Chelsea Winter Everyday Delicious
Publisher of the Year – Potton and Burton Publishers
Young Book Retailer of the Year – Jenna Todd, Time Out Bookshop
Bookseller of the Year – Unity Books, Wellington
NZ Book Industry Special Award – Bridget Williams Books
Lifetime Achievement Award – The Parsons Family