New York Book Festival Announces 2026 Book Awards

Headline Books Titles Win 11 Awards!

New York_The New York Book Festival announces their 2026 book awards in the categories of non-fiction, fiction, children’s books, young adult, how-to, poetry, wild card (anything goes!), unpublished stories, science fiction/horror, photography/art, spiritual, business, romance, cookbooks, memoir, self-help, compilations/anthologies and biography/autobiography works.

Entries are judged by a panel of industry experts using the following criteria: General excellence and the author’s passion for telling a good story and the potential of the work to reach a wider audience.

Headline Titles Winning Awards include:

CHILDREN’S BOOKS:

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• The Ridiculous Party – Julie Rogers Pomilia
• Gracie’s Guide: Helping Hungry Friends – Angie Wilson
• The Heart of a Leader – Dr Josh McConkey
• It’s Okay To Have Feelings – Patricia L. Miller
• Secrets in the House – Amie Massey Aya-ay

GENERAL FICTION

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Viking Vendetta – Don Helin
• Breathe Easy – Tammy Donahue
• Railroad Man: Legacies Son – Dan E. Hendrickson

MEMOIR:

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Gunfighters Rule! – Colonel William “Burner” Dunn

YOUNG ADULT:

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Can Skinwalkers Swim? – Michael Wescott Loder
• The Greenbrier River Adventures: JoJo the Dragon – Rusty McQuade

An up-to-date warning about the looming artificial intelligence takeover and the societal changes it will cause is the top book of the 2026 New York Book Festival, which honors books worthy of further attention from the world publishing capital.

Author Nicolas Chaillan’s Replacement: The AI Revolution Isn’t Coming for Your Job. It Already Took It. (Houndstooth Press) is a message from a man who has already successfully adapted AI in his business and sees the threat it poses.

See all the 2026 winners here https://newyorkbookfestival.com/