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British Book Awards Gets A New Graphic Novel Category For 2026

The British Book Awards get a new graphic novel category for 2026 and the nominations are still open.

The British Book Awards, also known as The Nibbies, will be held at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London on the 11th of May 2026. And for the new year, they will be expanding their categories to better recognise the more popular areas of publishing, including fantasy, romantic fiction and comic books/graphic novels. The British Book Awards will now include awards for both Best Science Fiction & Fantasy (SFF) and Romantic Fiction, which will replace the existing category of Pageturner. And Best Graphic Novel is a brand-new award that will recognise both children and adult comic books. Meanwhile, the Children's Illustrated and Children's Non-Fiction categories will now be combined into one. There will be no Academic, Educational & Professional for 2026. The Editor and Imprint awards will also be combined into one award, and the Social Impact award, introduced in 2025, will not be awarded this year. Too woke, etc, probably.

Tom Tivnan, managing editor of The Bookseller, who will chair the Graphic Novel category, said: "With sales, creativity and innovation at unprecedented levels, we are at the most exciting and important time in the development of the UK comics scene. So I am delighted we are launching the first-ever Nibbie for Graphic Novel of the Year. Comics might be the most versatile sector in all of publishing – a pathway into books for young reluctant readers, the height of thrilling popcorn entertainment and visual storytelling that pushes the boundaries of literary fiction like no other genre. We are keen to celebrate the creators and publishers who are taking graphic novels to the next level. As the great Stan Lee used to say: Excelsior!" Oh dear… It's like your dad dancing, isn't it? Just ask my kids…nominations are open now.

Philip Jones, and chair of The British Book Awards, said: "The British Book Awards 2025 was memorable for its incredible cast of winners – from Stanley Tucci to Margaret Atwood, from Kate Mosse to Alexei Navalny, from Bloomsbury to The Heath Bookshop to Manchester Libraries – and I can't wait to start hearing the stories behind this year's successes. We never like to sit still, and this year's changes will bring a new energy to the event, as well as helping us to run a focused and shorter ceremony that is in tune with book buyers to support the National Year of Reading."

Seána Talbot, chair of the Romantic Novelists' Association, said: "We are delighted The Nibbies will now have a Romantic Fiction category to showcase to the broader book community the incredible storytelling our RNA award winners, members and readers have always recognised exists in this powerhouse of a genre. This is a brilliant step forward for #RespectRomfic."

Alice O'Keeffe, overall chair of the judges for the Books of the Year, said: "We are seeking summery romcoms, historical romances with extra bustle, heartwarming sagas and tender – or spicy! – love stories of every stripe, with protagonists of all ages that reflect the wide readership of this genre. From the 'TikTok made me buy it' superstars to stalwarts of the supermarket shelves, we look forward to celebrating the very best publishing in this area. So go ahead, make us swoon…"

Katie Fraser, The Bookseller's staff writer, will chair the new Science Fiction and Fantasy awards, and said: "This is recognition and celebration of a truly outstanding genre that continues to go from strength to strength. I cannot wait to see the submissions for the award – everything from epic fantasy and romantasy, to space opera, hard SF and dystopias will be welcomed here. This is the place for big-hitting books, published with excellence, that dare to step through the wardrobe into a realm of possibility."

The Entry Deadline is Thursday, the 29th January, at 5pm GMT. For queries, please email awards@thebookseller.com

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