Please note. This is an independent literary prize and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Florida Book Awards program hosted by Florida State University Libraries.
The Florida Book Awards
2026 competition

Categories & medals

Nineteen entered · four conferred by acclaim

The prize is conferred in fifteen general categories and four special medals, for a total of nineteen. A single title may be entered in as many as two categories — standard or special — and every eligible book is additionally considered for the Florida Medal without separate entry.

  • General fictionThe novel and the story collection, in every register
  • Literary fictionWork distinguished above all by its prose
  • Historical fictionThe past, imagined with fidelity and nerve
  • Mystery, thriller & suspenseCrime, espionage, and the engine of plot
  • General nonfictionReportage, science, ideas, and argument
  • Memoir & biographyLives, told singly or at second hand
  • HistoryThe documented past, rendered as narrative
  • Florida nonfictionThe state's nature, history, and public life
  • CookingThe table, from recipe to food writing
  • PoetryCollections and chapbooks alike
  • Spanish languageBooks published in Spanish, in any genre
  • Visual arts & the art of the bookPhotography, art, and design between covers
  • Young children's literaturePicture books and early readers
  • Older children's literatureThe middle-grade shelf
  • Young adult literatureFiction and nonfiction for young adults

The special medals

Entered alongside any category
  • The Debut MedalA book by an author whose first publication falls within the past five years
  • The Cover MedalCover design — entered by publisher, designer, or author
  • The Translation MedalA work brought into English or Spanish, honoring translator and author alike
  • The Audio MedalThe audiobook — narration, direction, and production

Conferred honors

Decided by the jury — no entry taken
  • Book of the YearChosen by the full jury from among the year's gold medals.
  • Florida Author of the YearA Florida writer whose year's work — and body of work — the jury wishes to honor.
  • Florida Press of the YearA publisher based in the state, honored for its list as a whole.
  • The Florida MedalConferred alongside the category awards to outstanding entries by Florida authors or presses. Every eligible entry is considered automatically.

A single title may be entered in as many as two categories, standard or special. For the Debut Medal, the author's first published book must have appeared within the past five years. Books by Florida authors or presses are additionally considered for the Florida Medal in every category; no separate entry is required.

Enter a book