Awards
Here you’ll find notable Canadian book awards celebrating Canadian writing, literary talent, the joy of reading, and the support of local Canadian content.
Click on the logo beside each award to be directed to the award’s website.
Canada Reads
Five books, five champions, one winner:
CBC’s annual Battle of the Books has been getting people listening, watching and, of course, reading, for the past 18 years.
Canada Reads is a “literary Survivor,” with celebrities championing books. Each day, panellists vote to eliminate one book, until a single title is chosen as the title the whole country should read this year.
The current Canada Reads nominees are:
See the full collectionThe Giller Prize
Canada’s first word in fiction:
The Giller Prize award recognizes excellence in Canadian fiction – long format or short stories – published in English the previous year, after an annual juried competition between publishers who submit entries
The current Giller Prize nominees are:
See the full collectionGovernor General’s Literary Awards
From the Canada Council for the Arts:
The Governor General’s Literary Awards (GGBooks) celebrate literature and recognize Canada’s best English-language and French-language books in seven categories: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Young People’s Literature – Text, Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books, and Translation.
The awards promote Canadian literature and encourage Canadians to read. They provide finalists and winners with valuable recognition from peers and readers across the country.
The current GGBooks Adult nominees are:
See the full collectionThe current GGBooks Children’s nominees are:
See the full collectionFirst Nation Communities READ
Celebrating the very best of Indigenous literature across Turtle Island:
First Nation Communities READ (FNCR) encourages family literacy, intergenerational storytelling as well as intergenerational knowledge transmission. FNCR also helps to increase awareness of the importance of First Nation, Metis and Inuit writing, illustration and publishing.
Launched in 2003 by the First Nations Public Library Community in Ontario with support from the Ontario Library Service, it promotes a community-based approach to reading.
The current FNCR Adult & Young Adult nominees are:
See the full collectionThe current FNCR Children’s nominees are:
See the full collectionForest of Reading
Run by the Ontario Library Association:
The Forest of Reading champions a love of reading for individuals of all ages. Goals for this program include: developing recognition for Canadian authors and books, contributing to the financial stability of the Canadian publishing industry, and providing meaningful materials to improve literacy across Canada.
Select the Forest of Reading sub-category below and then click on the book cover to visit the library’s catalogue.
Blue Spruce
JK – Gr. 2
Silver Birch Express
Gr. 3 – 4
Silver Birch Fiction
Gr. 4 – 6
Yellow Cedar
Gr. 4 – 8
Red Maple
Gr. 7 – 8
White Pine
Gr. 9 – 12
Evergreen
Adults
Le prix Peuplier
varies
Le prix Mélèze
varies
Le prix Tamarac
varies
The Blue Spruce Award
The Blue Spruce Award™ program brings recently published Canadian children’s picture books to children between the ages of 4 and 7 (Junior Kindergarten to Grade 2).
The current Blue Spruce nominees are:
See the full collectionThe Silver Birch Express Award
The Silver Birch Express Award is comprised of fiction and nonfiction titles and is geared to readers ages 8-10 (grades 3-4) and for reluctant readers.
The current Silver Birch Express nominees are:
See the full collectionThe Silver Birch Fiction Award
The Silver Birch Fiction list provides fiction books for readers aged 8 to 12 (grades 3-6).
The current Silver Birch Fiction nominees are:
See the full collectionThe Yellow Cedar Award
The Yellow Cedar Award provides nonfiction books for readers aged 9-14 (grades 4-8).
The current Yellow Cedar nominees are:
See the full collectionThe Red Maple Award
The Red Maple Award™ reading program is offered for the enjoyment of students ages 12 to 13 (grade 7 & 8).
The current Red Maple nominees are:
See the full collectionThe White Pine Award
The White Pine program offers high school-aged students, of all grade levels, the chance to engage with great Canadian books and authors of fiction.
The current White Pine nominees are:
See the full collectionThe Evergreen Award
A group of experienced library staff come together each year to share their favourite Canadian books with adult readers. The Evergreen program is designed for adults of any age and includes both fiction and nonfiction titles.
The current Evergreen nominees are:
See the full collectionLe prix Peuplier
Le prix Peuplier is a reading program that invites young people to participate in read-alouds of French books written by Canadian authors.
The current Le prix Peuplier nominees are:
See the full collectionLe prix Mélèze
Le prix Mélèze is a French reading program that focuses on shorter chapter books and/or mature picture books to encourage young readers to read the best Canadian fiction and nonfiction books written in French.
The current Le prix Mélèze nominees are:
See the full collectionLe prix Tamarac
Le prix Tamarac is a program that invites young people to read by allowing them to vote for their favourite books (fiction and nonfiction) from a selection of the best Canadian books written in French.