Call for judges of the 2026 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults

The organisers of the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults are calling for expressions of interest from members and followers of the children’s literature community who are keen to be considered as judges of the 2026 awards.

Awards are presented in six categories: Picture Book, Junior Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Non-Fiction, Illustration and te Reo Māori. A total of five judges will be appointed for the English and bilingual categories and a further three judges will deliberate Te Kura Pounamu category, for books written entirely in, or translated entirely into, te reo Māori. The judges also award a Best First Book prize to a previously unpublished author or illustrator.

Applications to judge are now open and will close on 30 October. Expressions of interest are welcomed from both the children’s literature community and members of the public with suitable qualifications and relevant experience. Past judges have included booksellers, publishers, authors, librarians, teachers, academics, reviewers and bloggers. The organisers encourage submissions for both panels from applicants with a deep knowledge of te ao Māori and te reo Māori, fluency being essential for those judging Te Kura Pounamu entries.

Nicola Legat, chair of the New Zealand Book Awards Trust Te Ohu Tiaki i Te Rau Hiringa, which governs the awards, says that while there is no denying the magnitude of the task a judge takes on, the reward far outweighs it.

Convenor of the 2025 judges Feana Tu‘akoi says the opportunity to read a year’s worth of Aotearoa publishing for tamariki and rangatahi, to work together to consider and debate each title’s merits and then celebrate the authors, illustrators and publishers who produce them, is a booklover’s dream.

“Judging panels, selected to bring a diverse range of specialisation and expertise to the process, develop even broader and more thoughtful perspectives as a result of reading so widely, engaging with feedback from young readers and weighing the views of fellow panellists,” she says. “It’s both vital and rewarding mahi. I highly recommend it!”

The English language judges will select up to five finalists in each of five subject categories and also up to five Best First Book finalists, then a winner in each category. Te reo Māori panel will also select up to five finalists and Te Kura Pounamu winners. Both panels will be responsible for deciding on the supreme winner to be awarded the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year.

Entries for the 2026 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults will open on 19 November 2025 and the judges will begin their reading in mid-December. They will reveal their finalists in early June 2026, and the awards ceremony will be held mid-August in Wellington.

Expressions of interest forms and background information on the judging process and judges’ responsibilities can be downloaded from the New Zealand Book Awards Trust website or supplied on request by emailing childrensawards@nzbookawards.org.nz. Applications must be submitted by 5pm on Thursday 30 October, and should include a covering letter and a brief resume that demonstrates the applicant’s experience and suitability for the judging role.

The judging panels will be selected by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust, which includes representatives from the Publishers Association of New Zealand Te Rau o Tākupu, the New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa, LIANZA Te Rau Herenga o Aotearoa, the association for library and information professionals in New Zealand, and Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand.

The New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults are made possible through the generosity, commitment and vision of its funders and sponsors: Creative New Zealand, HELL Pizza, Wright Family Foundation, LIANZA Te Rau Herenga o Aotearoa, Wellington City Council, The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa, and NielsenIQ BookData.