Children's Book Council of Australia Awards

おーすとらりあじどうとしょひょうぎかいしょう

Australian children's literature award. Established by CBCA in 1946, it is a historic award that honors winners annually in multiple categories.

CBCA Book of the Year: Older ReadersCBCA Book of the Year: Younger ReadersCBCA Book of the Year: Early ChildhoodCBCA Book of the Year: Picture BookChildren's Book of the Year Award: New IllustratorEve Pownall Award for Information BooksDame Annabelle Rankin AwardNan Chauncy AwardCrichton Award for Children's Book Illustration (1988–2018)Leila St John AwardLady Cutler AwardBooks I Love Best Yearly (BILBY) — Queensland BranchCanberra’s Own Outstanding List (COOL Awards)KOALA AwardsKROC AwardsWAYRBAYABBA

Established: 1946
Organizer: Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA)
Category: Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Selection Method: Recommendation
Target: Professional
Frequency: 1 per year
Application Deadline: around September
Announcement Period: around May
Status: Active

Description

Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) awards for children's literature, established in 1946. It started with one category and has since expanded; currently, in addition to the five main Book of the Year categories (Older Readers, Younger Readers, Early Childhood, Picture Book, New Illustrator), specialized awards such as Eve Pownall and numerous awards by state branches are presented annually. In the early days, flowers (camellias) were given to winners. Government funding from 1966–1988; in recent years, funded by donations and sponsorships from individuals and companies, and the Award Foundation was established in 1995 for funding security. The Early Childhood award was introduced in 2001, the Picture Book award was established as an independent category in 1952, and the Eve Pownall award has been presented by CBCA since 1993 following provision by the family.

Prize

Main Prize: Honorary awards such as Book of the Year for each category (certificates and commendations). In early instances, flowers (camellias) were awarded. Funding is supported by foundations, donations, and sponsors.

Early prizes: Camellia (flower)
Funding support by Award Foundation (established 1995)
Promotion and sales support through winning, honor

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Nomination	Nominations by CBCA branches, publishing professionals, etc. (typical operation)	—	Nominations are compiled by CBCA and branches
Selection	CBCA selection committee and judging panels in each state/territory	—	Selection results are announced annually by CBCA
Awarding and Announcement	CBCA	—	Winners are announced and honored by CBCA national office and branches

Nomination

Judges Nominations by CBCA branches, publishing professionals, etc. (typical operation)

Announcement Nominations are compiled by CBCA and branches

Selection

Judges CBCA selection committee and judging panels in each state/territory

Announcement Selection results are announced annually by CBCA

Awarding and Announcement

Judges CBCA

Announcement Winners are announced and honored by CBCA national office and branches

Criteria

Literary and expressive quality
Suitability for target age (target readers per category)
Illustration quality (especially emphasized in Picture Book / New Illustrator)
For information books (Eve Pownall), factual accuracy and appropriateness of information presentation
Originality and depth of theme

Application Tips

Dos

Carefully check the entry requirements and target age definitions
Accurately prepare the specified format and submissions (publishing information, copyright notices, etc.)
If samples or specific pages are required, submit them after careful editing and proofreading
Confirm deadlines and nomination procedures for CBCA and state branches

Don''ts

Do not submit late ignoring the specified deadlines or submission methods
Do not apply to the wrong target age or category
Do not submit unproofread or unedited materials

From Judges

Always keep child readers in mind and confirm that language, structure, and visuals suit the target age
It is important to enhance the level of completion (text, editing, layout, credit notations)
For information books, fact-checking and clarity of information presentation are evaluated