Ngā Tohu Pukapuka

Held by the NZSA since 2018, this annual award is open to ‘published and unpublished authors who are invited to enter manuscripts of adult fiction. The manuscript must be unpublished and not on submission to another publisher.’

The winner receives a contract for world rights with Text Publishing and a $10,000 advance.

An annual series of awards to recognize excellence in children and young adult literature. There are six categories: Picture Book, Junior Fiction (the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award), Young Adult Fiction, Non-Fiction (the Elsie Lock Award), Illustration (the Russell Clark award, and Te Reo Māori (the Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award).

Winners in each category receive $7500. The overall prize, the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year award, is $7500. In addition, there is a Best First Book prize of $2,000.

Annual awards for books linked to New Zealand heritage.
Books can be fiction, non-fiction, children’s, or in Te Reo Māori. Books that have only been published digitally are not eligible, however there are two online entry categories for short prose and poetry.

Fiction and non-fiction winners each receive $1000, te reo Māori and children’s book winners receive $300 each, and winners of the short prose and poetry awards receive $200 each.

Presented annually to recognise excellence in crime fiction, mystery and thriller writing in New Zealand.

In 2023, the categories are: Best Crime Novel, Best First Novel and Best Non Fiction.

Best Non Fiction is a biennial award.

New Zealand’s premiere literary awards began in 1968, and changed names various times due to new sponsorship. There are five main prizes, for fiction, general non-fiction, illustrated non-fiction, poetry, and books written in te reo Māori. Best First Book prizes are awarded in the first four categories (the Crystal Arts Trust Best First Book awards). Winners of the Jann Medicott Acorn Prize for Fiction win a minimum of $55,000, making it the biggest book prize in New Zealand. The other winning books receive $10,000 each. Best First Book winners receive $3000 each.

This biennial award is open to New Zealand authors, to submit an unpublished work of fiction for young adults aged 13 and over. The prize is publication of the winning manuscript by Walker Books, and a $1500 advance.