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36TH ANNUAL AWARD DETAILS & DEADLINES

BOOK AWARDS CATEGORIES

Adult Fiction

Adult Biography/Memoir

Debut Fiction

Young Adult (ages 13+)

Adult Poetry

Young Readers (ages 7-12)

Adult Nonfiction

Picture Books

CRITERIA FOR ELIGIBILITY:

  • Titles must be originally published in 2025.
  • Books must be predominantly set in/or about the MPIBA Region, and/or the work of authors or illustrators who live in one of the states of the MPIBA region:
    • Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming
  • Books must be available through mainstream distribution or wholesale channels at standard retail terms:
    • 40% wholesale discount or better
    • Fully returnable.
    • Wholesale distributors include publisher distributors, Ingram, IPG, Bookazine, and others -- Amazon and Barnes &Noble are NOT wholesale distributors.
  • Books that do not meet the above criteria will not be considered for the shortlist and no refunds will be issued. If you are unsure if you book qualifies, contact info@mountainsplains.org with inquiries before submitting your nomination.

NOMINATIONS DETAILS:

  • Nominations open: October 20, 2025 – January 31, 2026
  • Nomination fee is $150 per title; due upon receipt of invoice.
  • Nominator must send, at their own expense, reading copies of the nominated title to the appropriate award reading committee members (up to 15 copies depending on the category).
    • After titles are nominated, you’ll receive a list of booksellers and mailing addresses for shipping the books.
    • Books must be shipped to arrive no later than February 6.

SELECTION PROCESS:

  • Titles are nominated by publishers and authors, beginning 10/20/2025.
    • Books are also recommended for nomination by indie booksellers. We will follow-up with publishers/authors to see if they'd like to pay the nomination fee and ship reading copies.
  • A long-list is created from all nominated titles.
  • Reading committees, made up of regional indie booksellers, read the nominated titles (long-list) to curate shortlists in each award category.
  • The shortlists are announced to the public on May 1, and voting begins with promotion to bookstores and booksellers and the reading public.
  • Award winners are determined by bookseller and public voting.
  • Winners are notified, and will provide recorded acceptance speeches.
  • Winners are announced to the public via a pre-recorded awards event shown on YouTube and ReadingTheWest.com.