What are the IPG Independent Publishing Awards?
The Independent Publishing Awards honour the success and creativity of the UK’s independent publishing sector. They are an annual celebration of achievements across many different areas of publishing, and have recognised nearly 200 companies and individuals since launching in 2007. The Independent Publishing Awards are managed by the IPG, supported by our valued partners in publishing, and judged by industry experts.
Why should I enter?
An IPG Independent Publishing Award is one of the most significant recognitions of success that an independent publisher can achieve. Previous winners tell us that securing an Award or a place on a shortlist has brought huge prestige and benefits. Among many other things, it provides a real feel-good factor for staff, authors and everyone associated with a company, validates publishers’ work, opens up new opportunities and raises their profile in the industry.
However far you get in the Awards, simply submitting an entry is a valuable process. It gives you the chance to pause from your busy everyday work to reflect on your past achievements and your future goals. We make the submission process as straightforward as possible, so entering takes very little of your time. It may provide benefits that last years.
All of the IPG awards that we’ve won over the past few years have been of immense value to our business. It’s hard to overstate how important it’s been for us to have this recognition from the IPG—the awards are really great at getting anyone to take a bit more notice, and when you’re a small publisher competing against huge corporations, that extra attention is invaluable.
Tom Bonnick, Nosy Crow
Which Awards can I enter?
We have 13 Awards to enter, and there is bound to be at least one category to suit your business—and often more.
Five of the 13 categories are Publisher of the Year Awards. These cover the different fields of publishing in which IPG members work: Trade, Academic & Professional, Children’s, Education and Specialist Consumer. Other Awards recognise achievement in particular areas, including international activity, marketing, sustainability and diversity and inclusivity. We have another category for newcomers to publishing, and one for the rising stars of publishers’ teams. In 2022 we introduced two brand new categories: the Audio Award and Metadata Award.
The full list of IPG Independent Publishing Awards is as follows:
- Trade Publisher of the Year
- Academic & Professional Publisher of the Year
- Children’s Publisher of the Year
- Education Publisher of the Year
- Specialist Consumer Publisher of the Year
- Newcomer Award
- International Award
- Marketing Award
- Sustainability Award
- Diversity and Inclusivity Award
- Young Independent Publisher of the Year
- Audio Award
- Metadata Award
There is another Award for which no entries are needed: the overall Independent Publisher of the Year. This is our flagship Award and is chosen from a shortlist made up of our five Publisher of the Year category winners.
We also invite nominations for a final category: the Services to Independent Publishers Award. This recognises the dedicated support of independent publishers that is made by companies and individuals.
Both the Awards process and the Award itself have been a real morale booster for the whole team. To begin with, we were pleasantly surprised at how useful the application process itself was. It gave us a chance to take stock and reflect on what we had done so far and where we want to go next. We found this really helpful. Then actually getting the Award has really put a smile on all our faces!
Mark Wendon, Letterland
Who can enter?
The Awards are open to all members of the Independent Publishers Guild based in the UK and Ireland. If you would like to discuss joining the IPG before entering, please call 01437 563335 or email [email protected].
What does it cost to enter?
The Awards are completely free.
How do I enter?
Submissions are quick and easy. All the information you need to get started is here.
The Independent Publishing Awards are supported by our valued sponsors.