The Nebraska Center for the Book

AWARDS
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Nebraska Book Awards

The Nebraska Book Awards program, sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book (NCB), recognizes and honors books that are written by Nebraska authors, published by Nebraska publishers, set in Nebraska, or concerning Nebraska.

Nebraska Book Awards Graphic

Nominations

The Awards competition opens February 17th and entries are due by May 31st. Books published in 2025, as indicated by the copyright date, are eligible for nomination in 2026. They must be professionally published, have an International Standard Book Number (ISBN), and be bound. Books may be entered in one or more of the following categories: Nonfiction, Fiction, Children/Young Adult, Cover/Design/Illustration, and Poetry. Certificates will be awarded to the winners in each category.

Winners in each category will be invited to participate as featured authors at the November 14th, 2026 Nebraska Celebration of Books in Lincoln. The event will culminate in an awards ceremony for the authors, illustrators, publishers, and their families, where winning books will be displayed and authors will have the opportunity to read from and sign their books.

Nebraska Book Awards Graphic Banner

The entry fee is $40 per book and per category entered.
Deadline for entries is May 31, 2026.

Enter in one of two ways:

  • Complete the Online Entry Form and submit payment through PayPal. Mail three copies of the book to the below address.
  • Mail the Entry Form [pdf], three copies of the book, and the entry fee to:
    NCB Book Awards Competition
    c/o Nebraska Library Commission
    The Atrium
    1200 N Street, Suite 120
    Lincoln, NE 68508-2023

    Eligibility

    The competition is open to Nebraska authors, Nebraska illustrators, Nebraska publishers, and other authors or publishers of books set in or relating to Nebraska. To be eligible, the book must be:

    • Published the previous year as indicated by the copyright date (e.g., published in 2025 for the 2026 awards);
    • Published professionally and assigned an ISBN number; and
    • Bound (no loose-leaf).

    Books may be one or more of the following:

    • Written by a Nebraskan or Nebraska-related author;
    • Illustrated by a Nebraskan or Nebraska-related artist;
    • Published by a Nebraska publisher; or
    • Have a Nebraska theme or setting.

    Entries must be made in one or more of the following categories:

    • Children/Young Adult
    • Cover/Design/Illustration
    • Fiction
    • Nonfiction
    • Poetry

    Certificates will be awarded to the winners in each category.

    Award Recipients

    2026 (27th annual) for books published in 2025

    Children’s Award
    The Legend of Donnie Bats: Greatness Lives in Every Kid by Jeff Kurrus
    Publisher: Jeff Kurrus
    Young Adult Award
    K-Jane by Lydia Kang
    Publisher: Quill Tree Books
    Illustration Award
    One Little Squiggle by Jodi Adams
    Illustration: Polina Gortman
    Publisher: Young At Heart Publishing
    Illustration Honor
    The Tractor Squad Saves the Day by Heather Dawn Torres
    Illustration: Gary Laib
    Publisher: Marble Press
    Design & Cover Award
    Ak-Sar-Ben: Looking Back & Leading Onward by Angie Hempel
    Editing: Kristine Gerber
    Design: Jared Cloudt
    Publisher: The Durham Museum
    Design Honor
    The Jewel of Midtown: Field Club of Omaha by Stu Pospisil
    Editing: Chris Christen
    Design: Christine Zueck-Watkins
    Publisher: Field Club of Omaha
    Cover Honor
    Human Nature: Poetry by Julie S. Paschold
    Publisher: WSC Press
    Fiction Award
    The Butcher and the Liar: A Novel by S.L. Woeppel
    Publisher: Books Fluent
    Nonfiction Essay Award
    At the Corner of Past and Future: A Collection of Life Stories by Pamela Carter Joern
    Publisher: Bison Books
    Nonfiction History Award
    An American Corner of the World by David J. Wishart
    Publisher: Nebraska State Historical Society
    Nonfiction History Honor
    Ak-Sar-Ben: Looking Back & Leading Onward by Angie Hempel
    Editing: Kristine Gerber
    Design: Jared Cloudt
    Publisher: The Durham Museum
    Nonfiction Nebraska as Place Award
    The Best of Intentions: A Story of Landscape Change in the Heart of the Great Plains by Larkin Powell
    Publisher: University of Nebraska – Lincoln
    Nonfiction Reconciliation Award
    Roots of Justice: A History of Race and Racism in Nebraska by Kevin Abourezk
    Publisher: University of Nebraska – Lincoln
    Poetry
    Eternal Life and other poems by Gene Fendt
    Publisher: Angelico Press
    Poetry Honor
    The Last Yellow Rose: Poems by Lin Marshall Brummels
    Publisher: Lewis-Clark Press / Sandhills Press

    Go to the comprehensive list of winners, dating back to 2000.

    Previous Submissions

    View the lists of submissions from previous years:

     

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