Australian Book Industry Awards
| Company type | Awards |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing, Literature |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Founder | Australian Publishers Association |
Area served | Australia |
Key people | Australian Publishers Association, Books+Publishing (since 2025) |
| Products | Literary and publishing awards |
The Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) are yearly accolades organised by the Australian Publishers Association (APA) since 2001, celebrating excellence in publishing and literature.[1]
These awards honour the accomplishments of writers and publishers in delivering Australian literature to readers. The selection process begins with an academy comprising more than 200 industry experts, followed by evaluation from dedicated judging panels.[1]
For 2025, the ABIA will distribute 14 awards recognising books, eight business-related prizes, as well as the prestigious Lloyd O’Neil and Pixie O’Harris awards.
History
The Lloyd O'Neil Award was first introduced in 1992 by the Australian Book Publishers Association (ABPA) to acknowledge "exceptional long service to the industry," commemorating publisher Lloyd O'Neil after his passing.[2] Two years later, in 1994, the Pixie O'Harris Award was established to honour notable contributions to children's literature by professionals within the sector.[3]
In 1996, the ABPA rebranded itself as the Australian Publishers Association (APA).[4] During 1999 and 2000, the APA collaborated with the Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) to jointly present industry awards at their Sydney conferences.[5]
In 2001, the awards were renamed the APA Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA). By the following year, eight categories were recognised, including Publisher of the Year, Booksellers Career Development, Good Reading, Publishing Project of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Distributor of the Year, alongside the Lloyd O’Neil and Pixie O’Harris Awards.[6]
The year 2006 saw a rebranding to simply ABIA and an expansion to 18 award categories. Governance transitioned to an academy consisting of publishers and booksellers known as the Australian Book Industry Academy.[7][8]
In 2025, under a licensing arrangement, industry publication Books+Publishing took over production responsibilities for ABIA from APA.[9]
2018 winners
The recipients of the 2018 ABIA awards were revealed on 3 May, with Jessica Townsend's Nevermoor earning three distinct honors:
- ABIA Book of the Year: Nevermoor, by Jessica Townsend
- Biography of the Year: Working Class Man, authored by Jimmy Barnes
- General Fiction Book of the Year: The Secrets She Keeps, written by Michael Robotham
- General Non-fiction Book of the Year: The Trauma Cleaner, by Sarah Krasnostein
- Literary Fiction Book of the Year: See What I Have Done, penned by Sarah Schmidt
- Illustrated Book of the Year: Maggie's Recipe for Life, created by Maggie Beer and Ralph Martins
- International Book of the Year: Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo
- Small Publisher Adults Book of the Year: The Australian Bird Guide, authored by Peter Menkhorst, Danny Rogers, Rohan Clarke and others
- Small Publisher Children’s Book of the Year: It's OK to Feel the Way You Do, written by Josh Langley
- Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year: Jessica Townsend for Nevermoor
- Book of the Year for Older Children (ages 13+): Edited by Danielle Binks, Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology
- Book of the Year for Younger Children (ages 7–12): Jessica Townsend's Nevermoor
- Children's Picture Book of the Year (up to age 6): No One Likes a Fart, by Zoë Foster Blake
- Audiobook of the Year: The 91-Storey Treehouse, authored by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton, narrated by Stig Wemyss
- Lloyd O'Neill Hall of Fame Award recognizing contributions to Australian publishing: Suzy Wilson
- Pixie O'Harris Award honoring dedication to children's literature: Jane Covernton
- Publisher of the Year accolade awarded to HarperCollins
- Small Publisher of the Year honor given to Thames & Hudson Australia
- National Book Retailer of the Year title earned by Dymocks
- Independent Book Retailer of the Year awarded to Readings
- Rising Star Award presented to Shalini Kunahlan, marketing manager at Text Publishing
2019 winners
At the 2019 ABIA awards, Trent Dalton's Boy Swallows Universe was distinguished with four accolades:
- ABIA Book of the Year: Boy Swallows Universe, authored by Trent Dalton
- Biography of the Year: Eggshell Skull, written by Bri Lee
- General Fiction Book of the Year: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, by Holly Ringland
- General Non-fiction Book of the Year: No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison, penned by Behrouz Boochani and translated by Omid Tofighian
- Honourable Mention Non-fiction category awarded to Any Ordinary Day, authored by Leigh Sales
- Literary Fiction Book of the Year: Trent Dalton's Boy Swallows Universe
- Illustrated Book of the Year: Hetty McKinnon's Family: New vegetable classics to comfort and nourish
- International Book of the Year: Less, authored by Andrew Sean Greer
- Small Publisher Adults Book of the Year: Edited by Dr Anita Heiss, Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia
- Small Publisher Children's Book of the Year: Lynette Noni's Whisper
- Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year won by Trent Dalton for Boy Swallows Universe
- Book of the Year for Older Children (ages 13+): Jeremy Lachlan's Jane Doe and the Cradle of All Worlds
- Book of the Year for Younger Children (ages 7–12): The collaborative work, The 104-Storey Treehouse, by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
- Children's Picture Book of the Year (up to age 6): All the Ways to be Smart, created by Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys
- Audiobook of the Year awarded to Stig Wemyss’s narration of Boy Swallows Universe
- Lloyd O'Neill Hall of Fame Award recognizing significant service to Australian publishing presented to Richard Walsh
- Pixie O'Harris Award acknowledging dedication to children’s literature granted to Kathy Kozlowski
- Publisher of the Year honor given to Pan Macmillan Australia
- Small Publisher of the Year title awarded to Affirm Press, with an Honourable Mention for Magabala Books
- National Book Retailer of the Year accolade received by Booktopia
- Independent Book Retailer of the Year granted to Mary Martin Bookshops
- Rising Star Award presented to Ella Chapman, head of marketing communications at Hachette Australia
2020 winners
On 13 May, the 2020 accolades were revealed during an online ceremony led by Casey Bennetto. The recipients were as follows:
- ABIA Book of the Year: Bluey: The Beach, produced by Ludo Studio, BBC Studios, and PRH Australia
- Biography of the Year: When All is Said & Done authored by Neale Daniher
- General Fiction Book of the Year: Bruny written by Heather Rose
- General Non-fiction Book of the Year: Kitty Flanagan’s 488 Rules for Life, by Kitty Flanagan
- Literary Fiction Book of the Year: The Weekend, penned by Charlotte Wood
- Illustrated Book of the Year: The Whole Fish Cookbook, authored by Josh Niland
- International Book of the Year: The Testaments, by Margaret Atwood
- Small Publisher Adults Book of the Year: Sand Talk, written by Tyson Yunkaporta
- Small Publisher Children’s Book of the Year: Love Your Body, by Jessica Saunders with illustrations from Carol Rossetti
- Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year: Your Own Kind of Girl, by Clare Bowditch
- Book of the Year for Older Children (13+): Welcome To Your Period, created by Yumi Stynes and Melissa Kang
- Book of the Year for Younger Children (7–12): The 117-Storey Treehouse, authored by Andy Griffiths and illustrated by Terry Denton
- Children's Picture Book of the Year (up to 6): Bluey: The Beach, from Ludo Studio, BBC Studios, and PRH Australia
- Audiobook of the Year: No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison, narrated by a team including Benjamin Law, Omid Tofighian, Isobelle Carmody, among others, authored by Behrouz Boochani
- Lloyd O'Neill Hall of Fame Award for Services to Australian Book Industry: awarded to Helen Garner
- Pixie O'Harris Award for Outstanding Commitment to Children’s Literature: presented to Erica Wagner
- Publisher of the Year: awarded to Allen & Unwin
- Small Publisher of the Year: earned by Magabala Books
- Bookshop of the Year: Books Kinokuniya received this honor
- Book Retailer of the Year: awarded to Readings
- Rising Star Award: Hazel Lam, senior book designer at HarperCollins, was recognized
2021 winners
The winners for 2021 were announced on 28 April at Carriageworks, during a combined live and online event hosted again by Casey Bennetto. The honorees included:
- ABIA Book of the Year: Phosphorescence, authored by Julia Baird
- Biography of the Year: The Happiest Man on Earth, written by Eddie Jaku
- General Fiction Book of the Year: The Dictionary of Lost Words, penned by Pip Williams
- General Non-fiction Book of the Year: Julia Baird’s Phosphorescence, again recognized
- Literary Fiction Book of the Year: A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing, authored by Jessie Tu
- Illustrated Book of the Year: In Praise of Veg, created by Alice Zaslavsky
- International Book of the Year: Such a Fun Age, written by Kiley Reid
- Small Publisher Adults Book of the Year: The Animals in That Country, authored by Laura Jean McKay
- Small Publisher Children's Book of the Year: Bindi, written by Kirli Saunders with illustrations from Dub Leffler
- Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year: awarded to Vivian Pham for The Coconut Children,
- Book of the Year for Older Children (13+): The Left-Handed Booksellers of London, written by Garth Nix
- Book of the Year for Younger Children (7–12): Amelia Mellor’s The Grandest Bookshop in the World
- Children's Picture Book of the Year (up to 6): Our Home, Our Heartbeat, created collaboratively by Adam Briggs, Kate Moon, and Rachael Sarra
- Audiobook of the Year: narrated and authored by Archie Roach, Tell Me Why received this award
- Lloyd O'Neill Hall of Fame Award recognizing contributions to Australian publishing was presented to Mandy Macky
- Pixie O'Harris Award for dedication to children’s literature went to Maryann Ballantyne
- Publisher of the Year title was awarded to Penguin Random House Australia
- Small Publisher of the Year honor went to University of Queensland Press
- Bookshop of the Year was given to Avid Reader in Brisbane
- Readings was again named Book Retailer of the Year
- Rising Star Award recognized Pooja Desai, Head of Design at Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing
2022 winners
The shortlist for 2022 was made public on 25 May, with the award recipients announced at ICC Sydney on 9 June.
Notable awardees included:
- Small Publisher of the Year: University of Queensland Press (UQP)
- Publisher of the Year: Penguin Random House Australia
- Bookshop of the Year: Avenue Bookstore, Albert Park, Melbourne
- Book Retailer of the Year: Harry Hartog Bookseller, Burnside Village, Adelaide
- Audiobook of the Year: Devotion by Hannah Kent, narrated by Emily Wheaton (Macmillan)
- Biography Book of the Year: My Adventurous Life by Dick Smith (Allen & Unwin)
- Book of the Year for Older Children: The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni (Penguin Random House Australia)
- Book of the Year for Younger Children: The First Scientists by Corey Tutt (Hardie Grant Publishing)
- Picture Book of the Year (0–6): Somebody's Land: Welcome to Our Country by Adam Goodes and Ellie Laing, illustrated by David Hardy (Allen & Unwin)
- General Fiction Book of the Year: Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz (Allen & Unwin)
- General Non-Fiction Book of the Year: She's on the Money by Victoria Devine (Penguin Random House Australia)
- Illustrated Book of the Year: Everything I Love to Cook by Neil Perry (Murdoch Books)
- International Book of the Year: The Storyteller by Dave Grohl (Simon & Schuster)
- Literary Fiction Book of the Year: Love & Virtue by Diana Reid (Ultimo Press)
- Small Publishers' Adult Book of the Year: Dropbear by Evelyn Araluen (University of Queensland Press)
- Small Publishers' Children's Book of the Year: The Edge of Thirteen by Nova Weetman (UQP)
- Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year: The Mother Wound by Amani Haydar (Pan Macmillan Australia)
- Rising Star Award: Emily Hart, Commissioning Editor, Hardie Grant Books
- Hall of Fame - Lloyd O'Neil Award: Sandy Grant, CEO Hardie Grant
- Hall of Fame - Pixie O'Harris Award: Libby Hathorn
2023 winners
Announced on 19 April 2023, the shortlist for that year culminated in an awards event held in Sydney on 25 May 2023.
Among those honoured were:
- Small Publisher of the Year: University of Queensland Press (UQP)
- Publisher of the Year: Allen & Unwin
- Bookshop of the Year: Matilda Bookshop
- Book Retailer of the Year: Big W
- Audiobook of the Year: The Whitewash by Siang Lu (Wavesound)
- Social Impact Book of the Year: The Boy from Boomerang Crescent by Eddie Betts (Simon & Schuster)
- Biography Book of the Year: My Dream Time by Ash Barty (HarperCollins)
- Book of the Year for Older Children: Blood Traitor by Lynette Noni (Penguin)
- Book of the Year for Younger Children: Runt by Craig Silvey, illustrated by Sara Acton (Allen & Unwin)
- Picture Book of the Year (Ages 0-6): What to Say When You Don’t Know What to Say by Davina Bell and Hilary Jean Tapper (Lothian)
- General Fiction Book of the Year: Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor (Macmillan)
- General Non-Fiction Book of the Year: Bulldozed by Niki Savva (Scribe)
- Illustrated Book of the Year: RecipeTin Eats: Dinner by Nagi Maehashi (Macmillan)
- International Book of the Year: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Gamus (Doubleday UK)
- Literary Fiction Book of the Year: Horse by Geraldine Brooks (Hachette)
- Small Publishers' Adult Book of the Year: The Dreaming Path by Paul Callaghan (Pantera)
- Small Publishers' Children's Book of the Year: Off to the Market by Alice Oehr (Scribble)
- Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year: WAKE by Shelley Burr (Hachette Australia)
- Commissioning Editor of the Year: Jane Palfreyman (Allen & Unwin)
- Marketing Strategy of the Year: Stolen Focus by Johann Hari (Bloomsbury)
- Hall of Fame Awards - Lloyd O'Neil Award: Tim Winton
- Hall of Fame Awards - Pixie O'Harris Award: Lisa Berryman
2024 Award Recipients
The 2024 awards event was held in Melbourne on 9 May 2024.
Notable honorees included:
- ABIA Book of the Year: The Voice to Parliament Handbook, authored by Thomas Mayo and Kerry O'Brien (Hardie Grant Publishing)
- Audio Book of the Year: The Teacher's Pet, both written and narrated by Hedley Thomas (Macmillan Australia Audio, Pan Macmillan Australia)
- Biography Book of the Year: Wifedom: Mrs Orwell's Invisible Life, by Anna Funder (Hamish Hamilton, Penguin Random House Australia)
- Book of the Year for Older Children (13+): Welcome to Sex, created by Melissa Kang and Yumi Stynes, with illustrations by Jenny Latham (Hardie Grant Children's Publishing)
- Book of the Year for Younger Children (7–12): It's the Sound of the Thing, penned by Maxine Beneba Clarke (Hardie Grant Children's Publishing)
- Children's Picture Book of the Year (0–6): A Life Song, written by Jane Godwin and illustrated by Anna Walker (Puffin, Penguin Random House Australia)
- General Fiction Book of the Year: The Bookbinder of Jericho, authored by Pip Williams (Affirm Press)
- General Non-Fiction Book of the Year: The Voice to Parliament Handbook, by Thomas Mayo and Kerry O'Brien (Hardie Grant Explore, Hardie Grant Publishing)
- Illustrated Book of the Year: Australian Abstract, created by Amber Creswell Bell (Thames & Hudson Australia)
- International Book of the Year: Fourth Wing, written by Rebecca Yarros (Piatkus, Hachette Australia)
- Literary Fiction Book of the Year: Lola in the Mirror, authored by Trent Dalton (4th Estate, HarperCollins Publishers)
- Small Publishers' Adult Book of the Year: Edenglassie, by Melissa Lucashenko (University of Queensland Press)
- Small Publishers' Children's Book of the Year: Artichoke to Zucchini: an alphabet of delicious things from around the world, by Alice Oehr (Scribble, Scribe Publications)
- Social Impact Book of the Year: The Voice to Parliament Handbook, Thomas Mayo and Kerry O'Brien (Hardie Grant Explore, Hardie Grant Publishing)
- Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year: Green Dot, written by Madeleine Gray (Allen & Unwin)
- Lloyd O'Neil Hall of Fame Award: Fiona Stager, co-owner of Avid Reader and Where the Wild Things Are
- Pixie O'Harris Award: Jane Godwin
- Commissioning Editor of the Year: Catherine Milne (HarperCollins Publishers)
- Marketing Strategy of the Year: The Bookbinder of Jericho (Affirm Press)
- Small Publisher of the Year: Magabala Books
- Publisher of the Year: Penguin Random House Australia
- Bookshop of the Year: Fullers Bookshop, located in Hobart, Tasmania
Further reading
- Books + Publishing: Tag abia (Explore previous winners and listings through this resource.)
External links
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