Prizes · New Zealand

NZ Book Awards Trust sought judges for 2027 children's and young adult awards

Entries for the 2027 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults open on 19 November, with finalists due in June.

By The Book Source13 October 20261 minute read

The New Zealand Book Awards Trust called for expressions of interest from people wanting to judge the 2027 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. Applications closed at 5pm on Monday 2 November.

The trust selects two panels. Five judges cover the English and bilingual categories, and three judge Te Kura Pounamu, for books wholly in or translated into te reo Māori, where fluency in te reo is essential. Past judges have included booksellers, publishers, librarians, teachers, academics and reviewers.

The awards have six categories: Picture Book, Junior Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Non-Fiction, Illustration and te reo Māori. Both panels help choose the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year.

Entries open on 19 November 2026 and judges start reading in mid-December. Finalists will be announced on 10 June 2027, and the awards will be presented in Wellington on 18 August 2027.

Original source: Kete Books ↗

More from The Book Source

Prize Woollahra Digital Literary Award shortlists 15 online works for 2026 Ellena Savage, Tegan Bennett Daylight and Toby Fitch are among the writers in contention, with winners named at a Double Bay ceremony. Prize NSW Literary Awards 2027 entries close on 26 November Ten categories are open for entry from a $360,000 prize pool across 14 awards. Early-bird entries close at 5pm on 12 November and all entries at 5pm on 26 November (AEST). Prize Aurealis Awards entries for 2026 speculative fiction close 30 November Australian speculative fiction first published between 1 January and 30 November 2026 is eligible, with shortlists due in March 2027 and winners in April.