These awards are a celebration of the contribution Kiwi children’s authors and illustrators make to building national identity and cultural heritage. #NZCYA
Our Awards Convenor, Simie Simpson, joined Kathryn Ryan on RNZ's Nine to Noon this morning to chat about the shortlist.
Thank you to RNZ for helping shine a spotlight on New Zealand's incredible children's and young adult books.
🎧 Listen here: rnz.co.nz/national/programme…
The 2026 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults shortlist is announced! Warmest congratulations to this year's finalists.
More details are here: tinyurl.com/mrxnbjy5.
Check out these wonderful books in bookstores and libraries near you! #NZCYA#booksalive
Our 2026 NZCYA judging panels are announced!
An amazing mix of expertise will choose this year’s finalists and winners.
Meet the teams: tinyurl.com/2u25wn9b
🥳 A huge pakipaki mai to all the winners of the 2025 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. Read the best books for young readers now!
#NZCYA#BooksAlive
📺 Don't forget we're live streaming tonight's ceremony at the beautiful Pipitea Marae. Head to the Events tab of our Facebook page or find us on YouTube (search for nzcyaawards). 💻 Plus our friends at @TheSpinoffTV and @TheSaplingNZ will be live blogging!
#NZCYA#BooksAlive
We're inviting expressions of interest from members of the children’s literature community who would like to be considered as judges of the 2025 awards. Applications are open until 31 October.
👉 Find out more here: bit.ly/3ZPMwMS
📸We've just posted all the pics from the pre-ceremony photo call, including this lovely shot of Gavin Bishop, winner of the Russell Clark Award for Illustration. Check them out here: facebook.com/media/set/?set=…
🏆 The Margaret Mahy Book of the Year goes to ‘Nine Girls’ by Stacy Gregg Penguin, Penguin Random House. This book celebrates Māori identity, pays tribute to Aotearoa’s rich history, and testifies to the power of storytelling. #NZCYA#BooksAlive@PenguinBooks_NZ
Margaret Mahy was one of Aotearoa’s most prolific, successful and loved children’s writers, highly respected internationally too. While we lost her 12 years ago, her writing and her many books still provide inspiration to authors and readers today. #NZCYA#BooksAlive
And now for our final category before the big one, the NZSA Best First Book Award. To congratulate our first-timers we have judge Mat Tait, and Vanda Symon, President of this award’s sponsor, the New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa. #NZCYA@NZSocAuthors
🌟 The Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award for books written entirely in te reo Māori goes to 'Nani Jo me ngā Mokopuna Porohīanga' written by Moira Wairama and illustrated by Margaret Tolland, Baggage Books. #NZCYA#BooksAlive
Toku reo tōku ohooho
Toku reo tōku māpihi maurea
My language is my awakening
My language is my cherished taonga
This whakataukī acknowledges the uniqueness of Te Kura Pounamu and its inherent value in elevating our reo rangatira. – Judge Lawren Matrix
It’s time for the Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award for books written entirely in te reo Māori. Presented by Kylie Wright of our very generous supporters the Wright Family Foundation, accompanied by Te Kura Pounamu convenor, Lawren Matrix. #NZCYA#BooksAlive