National Book Award

From AwardAnnals

A consortium of book publishing groups sponsored the first annual National Book Awards Ceremony. Their goal was to enhance public awareness of exceptional books written by Americans, and to increase the popularity of reading in general. The Ceremony was held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. The year was 1950.

Since then, The National Book Awards have become the nation's preeminent literary prizes. Today, the Awards are bestowed every Autumn by the National Book Foundation in four genres. The winners are selected by five-member, independent judging panels for each genre, and receive a $10,000 cash award and a bronze sculpture.

Eligible books must be authored by a U.S. citizen and published in the U.S. in English.

These are categories. See below for obsolete categories.

Category	Annals		Honor Rolls
Fiction	2009	Xall 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 all	Books	Authors
Nonfiction	2009	Xall 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 all	Books	Authors
Poetry	2009	Xall 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 all	Books	Authors
Young People’s Literature	2009	Xall 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 all	Books	Authors

Notes

• The madness of the early 1980s sometimes caused a book to be a finalist in two different years—in a hardcover category and later in paperback. To protect the integrity of the ranking in the old site, those books are listed only in the year for which they are a hardcover finalist, unless they actually won as a paperback. One of these days, these books should be added to the paperback annal with a score of “nominee*” and a note.

Obsolete subcategories

The National Book Awards have experimented with different categories over the years. It began with three categories in 1950, began adding categories in 1964, reached a peak of twenty-seven categories in 1980, and cut back rather suddenly to three categories in 1984. Needless to say, so many categories makes navigation of this site rather complicated.

Fiction subcategories	years	Annals		Honor Rolls
First Fiction	1980–1985	1985	Xall 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 all	Books	Authors
Mystery	only 1980	1980	Xall 1980 all	Books	Authors
Original Paperback	only 1983	1983	Xall 1983 all	Books	Authors
Science Fiction	only 1980	1980	Xall 1980 all	Books	Authors
Western	only 1980	1980	Xall 1980 all	Books	Authors
Nonfiction subcategories
Arts and Letters	1964[1]–1976	1976	Xall 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 all	Books	Authors
Biography/Autobiography	1972–1983 except 1976	1983	Xall 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1975 1974 1973 1972 all	Books	Authors
Current Interest[2]	1972–1980	1980	Xall 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 all	Books	Authors
History	1972–1983	1983	Xall 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1975 1974 1973 1972 all	Books	Authors
History and Biography	1964[1]–1971, 1976	1976	Xall 1976 1971 1970 all	Books	Authors
Philosophy and Religion	1970, 1972–1975	1975	Xall 1975 1974 1973 1972 1970 all	Books	Authors
Reference	only 1980	1980	Xall 1980 all	Books	Authors
Religion/Inspirational	only 1980	1980	Xall 1980 all	Books	Authors
Science	1969[1]–1975, 1980–1983	1983	Xall 1983 1982 1981 1980 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 all	Books	Authors
Science/Philosophy/Religion	1964–1968[1]
Young People’s subcategories
Children's Nonfiction	1981–1983	1983	Xall 1983 1982 1981 all	Books	Authors
Children's Picture Book	1982–1983	1983	Xall 1983 1982 all	Books	Authors
Other subcategories
Translation	1967[1]–1983 except 1976	1983	Xall 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 all	Books	Authors

Event Calendar

?   Event Calendar
October
14	NBA finalists
November
18	NBA winners

References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} The NBA annals currently go back to 1970, so annals prior to 1970 do not exist.
2. ↑ Current Interest subcategory was actually named Contemporary Affairs (1972–1976), Contemporary Thought (1977–1979), and finally Current Interest (1980)