Six women triumph at IBC Awards 2026

The Awards, which celebrate the best UK-published inclusive children’s books for ages 1 to 9, were announced during the National Year of Reading 2026, which aims to inspire children to read by following their interests and passions. The winning titles showcase high-quality, diverse stories that reflect the breadth of children’s lives and experiences.

Marking the second all-female win since IBC launched the prize in 2023, the authors and illustrators will each share a £30,000 prize fund and showcase their works at the Hay Festival in May.

The category winners of the IBC Awards 2026 are:

• Baby and toddler books: Let’s Play by Alex Strick, Annie Kubler and Sarah Dellow (Child’s Play)
• Picture books: The Beautiful Layers of Me by Sophia Payne and Ruchi Mhasane (Walker Books)
• Children’s fiction: Supa Nova by Chanté Timothy (Nosy Crow)

Spanning formats from a Braille board book to a debut graphic novel, the winning titles were selected by a panel of children’s literature experts, educators, authors and illustrators, who praised the books’ creators for their compelling storytelling, strong visual composition and authentic representation.

Awards judge, librarian and children’s literature academic Phyllis Ramage said: ‘The final choices were a tough decision for us; the winners stood out as exceptional in their field, and truly deserving of this award.’

Judge, illustrator and author Mei Matsuoka added: ‘These books are pushing boundaries and opening pathways into worlds that need to be represented more. I was delighted to see how inclusivity was incorporated into sweet, funny and engaging stories without overpowering them.’

Children’s Choice Awards 2026

The inaugural Children’s Choice Awards, established by IBC as a pilot scheme to complement their main book prize and support children’s reading for pleasure, were won by Won’t Go! by Sumana Seeboruth and Fotini Tikkou (Barefoot Books), Cloud Boy by Greg Stobbs (OUP) and Supa Nova by Chanté Timothy (Nosy Crow). Primary school children across the country voted as part of the scheme, which will be rolled out more widely next year.

Claire Bennett, deputy headteacher of North Ferriby Church of England Primary School, commented on the impact of the pilot scheme: ‘Our school took part in the IBC Children’s Choice Awards to give pupils a meaningful voice in celebrating inclusive books that reflect a wide range of cultures, identities and experiences. By voting, the children engaged more deeply with reading, developed empathy and learned to appreciate diverse perspectives. The experience empowered our children (including our reading ambassadors) to see that their voices matter. In taking part, I feel that it also strengthened our whole-school commitment to inclusion and representation in literature.’

To catch up on the Awards cermony watch our IBC Awards 2026 video.

To view the full Awards shortlist and read reviews of the books, check out our shortlist booklist.

Look out for exclusive interviews with the winning authors and illustrators on this blog. Coming soon!