Philippine National Book Awards

ふぃりぴん・なしょなる・ぶっく・あわーず

Annual Philippine literary awards recognizing the best books written, designed, and published in the Philippines; organized by the Manila Critics' Circle and co‑administered by the National Book Development Board.

Novel in EnglishNovel in FilipinoShort Fiction in EnglishShort Fiction in FilipinoNonfiction Prose in EnglishNonfiction Prose in FilipinoAnthology in EnglishAnthology in FilipinoLiterary Criticism/Cultural StudiesMedia StudiesPoetry in EnglishPoetry in FilipinoGraphic Novel and Comics in EnglishGraphic Novel and Comics in FilipinoTranslated Book in EnglishTranslated Book in FilipinoDrama and FilmArtSocial SciencesPhilosophyHistoryHumor, Sports, Lifestyle, and BusinessFoodScienceSpirituality and TheologyProfessionsJournalismDesignGerardo P. Cabochan Prize (short fiction in Filipino)Cirilo F. Bautista Prize (short fiction in English)Pablo A. Tan Prize (nonfiction prose in English)Philippine Literary Arts Council Prize (poetry in English)Victorio C. Valledor Prize (poetry in Filipino)Alfonso T. Ongpin Prize (art)Elfren S. Cruz Prize (social sciences)John C. Kaw Prize (history)Hilarion and Esther Vibal Prize (journalism)

Established: 1982
Organizer: Filipino Critics Circle (FCC) and National Book Development Board (NBDB)
Category: Research, Translation, and Scholarship
Selection Method: Open call
Target: Open
Frequency: 1 per year
Announcement Period: around February
Status: Active

Description

Founded by the Manila Critics' Circle (MCC) and first awarded in 1982, the Philippine National Book Awards (National Book Awards) honor outstanding books published in the Philippines across multiple categories and languages (English, Filipino, Bikol, Ilokano). Since 2008 the National Book Development Board (NBDB) has co‑administered and funded the awards. Winners receive donor‑named cash prizes and the National Book Awards perpetual trophy; the awards celebrate excellence in writing, design, translation, and publishing.

Prize

Main Prize: Cash awards provided by donors and the NBDB, and the National Book Awards perpetual trophy (designed by Apolinario L. Aquino Jr.).

Gerardo P. Cabochan Prize (short fiction in Filipino)
Cirilo F. Bautista Prize (short fiction in English)
Pablo A. Tan Prize (nonfiction prose in English)
Philippine Literary Arts Council Prize (poetry in English)
Victorio C. Valledor Prize (poetry in Filipino)
Alfonso T. Ongpin Prize (art)
Elfren S. Cruz Prize (social sciences)
John C. Kaw Prize (history)
Hilarion and Esther Vibal Prize (journalism)
Perpetual Trophy (National Book Awards trophy)

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Call for entries / Submission	Entries by publishers and authors. NBDB and MCC handle acceptance and eligibility verification	—	Entry requirements announced on official website or catalog; accepted titles confirmed after deadline
Pre-selection / Shortlisting	Members of Manila Critics' Circle and critics/related organizations invited by NBDB	—	Nominees/shortlist selected internally and published in catalog etc.
Final deliberation & Winners selection	Joint selection panel of MCC and NBDB, and invited judges	—	Winners announced at awards ceremony (venue or online)

Call for entries / Submission

Judges Entries by publishers and authors. NBDB and MCC handle acceptance and eligibility verification

Announcement Entry requirements announced on official website or catalog; accepted titles confirmed after deadline

Pre-selection / Shortlisting

Judges Members of Manila Critics' Circle and critics/related organizations invited by NBDB

Announcement Nominees/shortlist selected internally and published in catalog etc.

Final deliberation & Winners selection

Judges Joint selection panel of MCC and NBDB, and invited judges

Announcement Winners announced at awards ceremony (venue or online)

Criteria

Literary/academic quality (writing quality)
Originality and excellence in expression (originality)
Editing and design quality as a publication (design and production)
Compliance with category/language requirements
For translations: accuracy and expressiveness
Contribution to Philippine literature and culture

Application Tips

Dos

Carefully review official entry requirements and categories
Submit completed books published in the target year (unpublished manuscripts not accepted)
Ensure high editing and design quality, and prepare required copies and materials
Observe deadlines and submission formats (print or digital)
Accurately complete application forms and publication details

Don''ts

Do not submit unpublished manuscripts
Do not submit works that do not fit the specified categories
Do not submit without required documents or copies
Do not include copyright-infringing content
Do not submit after the deadline

From Judges

Emphasis on originality and quality of writing
Value precision in editing/proofreading and completeness as a publication (binding, typesetting, proofreading)
For translations, ensure consistency between original and translation, and natural expression
Regional and cultural contributions are also evaluation criteria