The annual Aotearoa NZ Book Industry Awards celebrate the outstanding publishing, writing, and bookselling mahi taking place across the motu. These awards honour the creativity, dedication, and collaboration that bring stories to life and connect readers with books that matter.
Presented by Booksellers Aotearoa NZ and the Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ), the awards shine a spotlight on excellence across our vibrant book industry.
Past winners include:
2025
Ugly Hill Press Bookshop of the Year: The Martinborough Books & Post
NielsenIQ BookData Award for Bestselling NZ Book: Tasty by Chelsea Winter (published by Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand)
Nielsen IQ BookData NZ Publisher of the Year: HarperCollins Aotearoa New Zealand
Sales Professional of the Year Award: Ross Lorimer of Archetype Book Agents
Marketing and Publicity Strategy of the Year Award: Penguin Random House New Zealand for their campaign to launch The Bookshop Detectives: Dead Girl Gone
Booksellers Choice Award
Adult Winner sponsored by BookHub: The Bookstore Detectives: Dead Girl Gone by Gareth and Louise Ward (published by Penguin Random House New Zealand)
Children’s Winner sponsored by Haydn+Rollett: The Grimmelings by Rachael King (published by Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand)
Publishing Trailblazer of the Year Award: Jasmine Sargent (Ngāti Porou), editor at Te Herenga Waka University Press
Titlepage Bookselling Trailblazer of the Year: Mandy Myles of online retailer Bookety Book Books
Libro.fm Audiobook of the Year Award: Return to Blood by Michael Bennett narrated by Miriama McDowell (published by Simon & Schuster)
PANZ Lifetime Achievement Award: Karen Ferns
Ms Ferns is respected across the industry for her strategic focus, unremitting commitment to NZ authors, and determination to maximise sales for the publishers she has worked for over many years in leadership roles which include Penguin Random House NZ and HarperCollins Aotearoa New Zealand.
Booksellers Lifetime Achievement Awards
Bruce McKenzie of Bruce McKenzie Books in Palmerston North, an outstanding general bookseller whose career spans over 65 years in the book trade.
Jo McColl, who has one of the longest institutional memories of bookselling in Aotearoa and has been instrumental in building and shaping the internationally recognised and award-winning Unity as its co-founder.
Tony Moores of Poppies Group who is retiring this year after extensive experience across the trade in bookselling, publishing and governance, making him one of the most storied booksellers.
2024
Nielsen BookData NZ Bookshop of the Year: Petronella’s Bookstore in Tekapo and The Booklover in Milford, Auckland
Nielsen BookData NZ Publisher of the Year: Moa Press
Innovation Award: BookHub
Libro.fm Audiobook of the Year Award: Penguin Random House New Zealand’s Māori Made Easy narrated by Scotty Morrison
Mana Māori Award: Penguin Random House New Zealand
Booksellers’ Choice Award: Fungi of Aotearoa New Zealand by Liv Sisson (Penguin Random House NZ) and The Observologist by Giselle Clarkson (Gecko Press)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Mike Hill and Susan Holmes, the founders of sales and distribution agency Bookreps
Sales Professional of the Year Award: HarperCollins NZ sales and marketing coordinator Laura Jager and Penguin Random House NZ sales representative Paula Pengelly
Emerging Bookseller of the Year: Melissa Oliver of Unity Books (Wellington)
Emerging Publisher of the Year: Grace Wang, campaign manager at Allen and Unwin NZ
The Paper Plus Book Retailer of the Year: Gisborne Paper Plus
2023
Emerging NZ Publisher of the Year: Dahlia Malaeulu, Mila’s Books & Publishing
Emerging NZ Bookseller of the Year: Anna Hoek-Sims, University Book Shop (Otago)
Nielsen BookData NZ Bestseller Award: Straight Up, Ruby Tui (Allen & Unwin)
Nielsen BookData International Bestseller Award: No Plan B, Andrew and Lee Child (Penguin Random House)
Marketing and Publicity Strategy of the Year: Allen & Unwin NZ for The Bookseller at the End of the World, Ruth Shaw
TitlePage Innovation Award: Coalition for Books Māori and Pasifika Books campaign 2023
Aotearoa Booksellers’ Choice Award: Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Gamus (Penguin Random House)
Sales Professional of the Year: Matthew Simpson, Client Services Manager, Arotahi Agency
Mana Māori Award: Penguin Random House NZ, Māori Language Week Campaign 2022
Nielsen BookData NZ Publisher of the Year: Allen & Unwin NZ
Nielsen BookData NZ Bookshop of the Year: Lamplight Books , Parnell, Auckland
Lifetime Achievement Award: Ann Mallinson. In 1980, Ann and her husband David Rendel founded Mallinson Rendel, a trailblazer in New Zealand children’s publishing. Mallinson Rendel is the original publisher of Lynley Dodd’s world-famous Hairy Maclary series. Ann describes her career highlight as the day when Lynley entered her office and read to her from the manuscript of Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy.
2022
Emerging NZ Publisher of the Year: Michelle Hurley, Allen & Unwin NZ
Emerging NZ Bookseller of the Year: Lisa Adler, Vic Books
Nielsen BookData NZ Bestseller Award: Lost and Found: My Story of Heartbreak and Hope, Toni Street (Allen & Unwin)
Nielsen BookData International Bestseller Award: 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, 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
Nielsen BookData Bookshop of the Year: Schrödinger’s Books, Petone
Nielsen BookData Publisher of the Year: Mākaro Press
Bestseller Award: 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: 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 Bridget Williams Books)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Bridget Williams
2020
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 , Christchurch
Book Industry Innovation Award: Verb Wellington
Lifetime Achievement Award: Tilly Lloyd, Unity Books (Wellington)
2019
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 Bookstore, Mount Eden, Auckland
Industry Innovation Award: WORD Christchurch
Lifetime Achievement Award: Rob and Kaye Clarke, Paper Plus Coastlands
2018
Nielsen Bookshop of the Year: VOLUME, Nelson
Nielsen Publisher of the Year: Allen & Unwin NZ
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
Young Bookseller of the Year: Fern Hubball from UBS Canterbury
Special Industry Award-winner: The Sapling
Lifetime Achievement Award: Robyn Bargh from Huia Publishers
2017
Nielsen Bookshop of the Year: Time Out Bookstore, Mount Eden, Auckland
Nielsen Publisher of the Year: Gecko Press
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 Bookstore, Mount Eden, Auckland
Special Industry Award-winner: Victoria University Press
Lifetime Achievement Award: Ruth & John McIntyre, The Children’s Bookshop, Wellington
2016
Sales Rep of the Year: Louise Crisp, Penguin Random House NZ
Marketing Strategy of the Year (Publisher): HarperCollins
Publisher of the Year: Allen & Unwin
Marketing Strategy of the Year (Booksellers): The Women’s Bookshop, Ponsonby , Auckland
Young Book Retailer of the Year: Rachel Eadie, Scorpio Books, Christchurch
Bookseller of the Year: Time Out Bookstore , Mount Eden, Auckland
NZ Book Industry Special Award: Bridget Williams Books
Lifetime Achievement Award: Paul Greenberg, Greene Phoenix Marketing
2015
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’s Everyday Delicious
Publisher of the Year: Potton and Burton Publishers
Young Book Retailer of the Year: Jenna Todd, Time Out Bookstore, Mount Eden, Auckland
Bookseller of the Year: Unity Books (Wellington)
NZ Book Industry Special Award: Bridget Williams Books
Lifetime Achievement Award: The Parsons family