ABDA is pleased to announce the 72nd Australian Book Design Awards are open for submissions and we’re champing at the bit to see all your beautiful books.

Entries close Friday 22 December 2023. The awards will be presented at an event in Melbourne May 2024. More details will be announced in early 2024 – keep an eye on social media and subscribe to ABDA’s email newsletter for updates.

Entries are open to Australian designers for books published for the first time in any country between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2023.

Updates to awards categories:

To keep up with the evolution of genres and to encourage a wide spread of entries, some of the categories have changed slightly.

1. Entries are now open to Australian designers for books published anywhere in the world.
2. Deb Brash Emerging Designer of the Year
   The publication date of the books that you enter can be from any year across the span of your emerging book design career (i.e. 5 years or less).
3. Best Design Fully Illustrated Book over/under $75
   Price point has increased to $75.
4. Best Designed Junior Fiction Book
   New category for fiction books with 50% or more illustrations for children aged 5 and over.
5. Best Designed Children’s/Young Adult cover
   Now includes children’s fiction (as per Children’s/YA series category).
6. Best Designed Small-run Book
   Indie, non-institutional, book design projects with an emphasis on originality and experimentation. Minimum extent 24pp. Print run of 25 — 100. Students can enter. (Previously, Best Designed Independent Book)

For more information please read the Call for Entries PDF.

Enter the awards now!