Golden Kite Awards
The Golden Kite Awards honor excellence in children's literature across eight categories, recognizing authors, illustrators, and translators whose books demonstrate outstanding achievement.
Funder: Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
Due Dates (Anticipated): October 2026 (final submission) | November 2026 (publisher shipment deadline)
Funding Amounts: $2,500 per category winner; $500 per honor recipient; one winner and one honor book per category
Summary: Honors excellence in children's literature across eight peer-judged categories, recognizing authors, illustrators, and translators of books published by PAL publishers.
Key Information: Submissions must be made by publishers; self-published books are not eligible.
Description
The Golden Kite Awards, established in 1973, are the leading peer-judged honors in children's literature, administered by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). The awards recognize outstanding achievement in eight categories: Young Reader and Middle Grade Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Nonfiction for Younger Readers, Nonfiction for Older Readers, Translation, Picture Book Text, Picture Book Illustration, and Illustration for Older Readers. Each year, over 1,000 books are submitted, and winners are celebrated at a public ceremony and through SCBWI’s platforms, with showcased visibility at major industry events.
