The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are literary awards presented annually in New Zealand. The awards began in 1996 as the merger of two literary awards events: the New Zealand Book Awards, which ran from 1976 to 1995, and the Goodman Fielder Wattie Book Awards, which ran from 1968 to 1995 (known as the Montana Book Awards from 1994 to 1995).
The awards have changed name several times depending on sponsorship. From 1996 to 2009, the awards were known as the Montana New Zealand Book Awards, and sponsored by Montana Wines. From 2010 until 2014, the awards were known as the New Zealand Post Book Awards. Since 2015, the main sponsors have been property developer Ockham Residential, the Acorn Foundation, Creative New Zealand, Mary and Peter Biggs, Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand and biotech company MitoQ. The awards event is the opening event of the Auckland Writers Festival, held annually in May.
History and format Before 1996 there were two major New Zealand literary awards events: the Goodman Fielder Wattie Book Awards (1968 to 1995, known as the Montana Book Awards from 1994 to 1995) and the New Zealand Book Awards (1976 to 1995).
The Wattie Book of the Year Award (named for Sir James Wattie) was formed in 1968, supported by the New Zealand Publishers Association and sponsored by the company Wattie's. This award was the first of its kind in New Zealand. The first recipients were John Morton and Michael Miller for The New Zealand Sea Shore. The first novel to win an award was Smith's Dream by C.K. Stead in 1972. The award became the Goodman Fielder Wattie Awards, and only had a single category covering fiction, non-fiction and other genres. In 1994 the winemaking company Montana became the sponsor and the awards were renamed to the Montana Book Awards.
The New Zealand Book Awards were set up by the New Zealand Literary Fund, a government organisation, in 1976. Annual awards were presented for literary merit in fiction, non-fiction, poetry and (later) book production.
In 1996, the two award series were amalgamated to form the Montana New Zealand Book Awards, managed by Booksellers New Zealand (a bookselling association) and offering prizes in six categories. In 2010, the New Zealand Post took over as sponsor, having supported the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults for the previous 14 years.
In 2015, Auckland property development firm Ockham Residential assumed sponsorship of the awards, and the New Zealand Book Awards Trust took over the governance and management. No prizes were presented in that year, and the awards were streamlined to discontinue the Book of the Year Award, the Booksellers' Choice Award and the People's Choice Award. Since the first Ockham New Zealand Book Awards in 2016, the ceremony has been held each year in May, as part of the Auckland Writers Festival. In 2020 the award winners were announced in a virtual presentation, after the Auckland Writers Festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
, there are five principal prizes: fiction (currently known as the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction), general non-fiction (sponsored by Royal Society Te Apārangi), illustrated non-fiction, poetry (currently known as the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry) and Te Mūrau o te Tuhi Māori Language Award for books written entirely in te reo Māori. "Best First Book" prizes are awarded to first time authors in the first four categories, currently sponsored by MitoQ. Each category is judged by a panel of three judges. Winners of the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction receive a minimum of 55,000, and is the largest cash book prize in New Zealand. The other principal prizewinners receive 10,000 each, and the winners of the four MitoQ Best First Book awards receive 2,500.
Fiction Fiction award Since 2020, the top prize for fiction has been the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction. Between 2017 and 2019, the top prize for fiction was known as the Acorn Foundation Fiction Prize. In 2017, it was known as the Acorn Foundation Literary Award. From 1996 to 2016, it was known as the Fiction Prize.
2026 – Ingrid Horrocks, All Her Lives. Te Herenga Waka University Press 2025 – Damien Wilkins, Delirious. Te Herenga Waka University Press 2024 – Emily Perkins, Lioness. Bloomsbury UK. 2023 – Catherine Chidgey, The Axeman's Carnival. Te Herenga Waka University Press 2022 – Whiti Hereaka, Kurangaituku. Huia Publishers 2021 – Airini Beautrais, Bug Week & Other Stories. Victoria University Press 2020 – Becky Manawatu, Auē. Mākaro Press 2019 – Fiona Kidman, This Mortal Boy. Vintage, Penguin Random House 2018 – Pip Adam, The New Animals. Victoria University Press 2017 – Catherine Chidgey, The Wish Child. Victoria University Press 2016 – Stephen Daisley, Coming Rain. Text Publishing 2015 – no award due to change of sponsors 2014 – Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries. Victoria University Press 2013 – Kirsty Gunn, The Big Music. Faber and Faber 2012 – Paula Morris, Rangatira. Penguin Group (NZ) 2011 – Laurence Fearnley, The Hut Builder. Penguin Group (NZ) 2010 – Alison Wong, As the Earth Turns Silver. Penguin Group (NZ) 2009 – Emily Perkins, A Novel About My Wife. Bloomsbury 2008 – Charlotte Grimshaw, Opportunity. Random House NZ 2007 – Lloyd Jones, Mister Pip. Penguin 2006 – Maurice Gee, Blindsight. Penguin 2005 – Patricia Grace, Tu. Penguin Group (NZ) 2004 – Annamarie Jagose, Slow Water. Victoria University Press 2003 – Stephanie Johnson, The Shag Incident. Vintage Books 2002 – Craig Marriner, Stonedogs. Vintage Books 2001 – Lloyd Jones, The Book of Fame. Penguin Group (NZ) 2000 – Owen Marshall, Harlequin Rex. Vintage 1999 – Elizabeth Knox, The Vintner's Luck. Victoria University Press 1998 – Maurice Gee, Live Bodies. Penguin Group (NZ) 1997 – Alan Duff, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?. Vintage 1996 – Sheridan Keith, Zoology: A Novel. Penguin
Best first book award (fiction) Since 2022 and between 2015 and 2018, this award has been known as the Hubert Church Best First Book Award for Fiction. From 2019 to 2021, this award was known as the MitoQ Best First Book Awards: Hubert Church Prize for Fiction. From 1997 to 2014, this award was known as the NZSA Hubert Church Best First Book of Fiction Prize. In 1996, this award was known as the Best First Book Award, Fiction. Prior to 1996, this award had been presented since 1945 by PEN NZ, and was named for the poet, novelist and critic Hubert Church.
2026 – John Prins, Pastoral Care. Otago University Press 2025 – Michelle Rahurahu, Poorhara. Te Herenga Waka University Press 2024 – Emma Hislop, Ruin and Other Stories. Te Herenga Waka University Press 2023 – Anthony Lapwood. Home Theatre. Te Herenga Waka University Press 2022 – Rebecca K Reilly, Greta & Valdin. Te Herenga Waka University Press 2021 – Rachel Kerr, Victory Park. Mākaro Press 2020 – Becky Manawatu, Auē. Mākaro Press 2019 – Kirsten Warner, The Sound of Breaking Glass. Mākaro Press 2018 – Annaleese Jochems, Baby. Victoria University Press 2017 – Gina Cole, Black Ice Matter. Huia Publishers 2016 – David Coventry, The Invisible Mile. Victoria University Press 2015 – no award due to change of sponsors 2014 – Amy Head, Tough. Victoria University Press 2013 – Lawrence Patchett, I Got His Blood on Me. Victoria University Press 2012 – Hamish Clayton, Wulf. Penguin Group (NZ) 2011 – Pip Adam, Everything We Hoped for. Victoria University Press 2010 – Anna Taylor, Relief. Victoria University Press 2009 – Eleanor Catton, The Rehearsal. Victoria University Press 2008 – Mary McCallum, The Blue. Penguin Group (NZ) 2007 – Rachael King, The Sound of Butterflies. Black Swan 2006 – Gillian Ranstead, A Red Silk Sea. Penguin Group (NZ) 2005 – Julian Novitz, My Real Life and Other Stories. Vintage 2004 – Kelly Ana Morey, Bloom. Penguin Group (NZ) 2003 – Paula Morris Queen of Beauty. Penguin Group (NZ) 2002 – Craig Marriner, Stonedogs. Vintage Books 2001 – Karyn Hay, Emerald Budgies. Vintage Books 2000 – Duncan Sarkies, Stray Thoughts And Nosebleeds. Victoria University Press 1999 – William Brandt, Alpha Male. Victoria University Press 1998 – Catherine Chidgey, In a Fishbone Church. Victoria University Press 1997 – Dominic Sheehan, Finding Home. Secker & Waburg 1996 – Emily Perkins, Not Her Real Name. Victoria University Press
Poetry Poetry award
Since 2020, this award has been the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry. Before 2019, this award was known as the Poetry Award.
2026 – Nafanua Purcell Kersel, Black Sugarcane. Te Herenga Waka University Press 2025 – Emma Neale, Liar, Liar, Lick, Spit, Otago University Press 2024 – Grace Yee, Chinese Fish Giramondo 2023 – Alice Te Punga Somerville, Always Italicise: How to Write While Colonised. Auckland University Press 2022 – Joanna Preston, Tumble. Otago University Press 2021 – Tusiata Avia, The Savage Coloniser Book. Victoria University Press 2020 – Helen Rickerby, How to Live. Auckland University Press 2019 – Helen Heath, Are Friends Electric?. Victoria University Press 2018 – Elizabeth Smither, Night Horse. Auckland University Press 2017 – Andrew Johnston, Fits & Starts. Victoria University Press 2016 – David Eggleton, The Conch Trumpet. Otago University Press 2015 – no award due to change of sponsors 2014 – Vincent O'Sullivan, Us, Then. Victoria University Press 2013 – Anne Kennedy, The Darling North. Auckland University Press 2012 – Rhian Gallagher, Shift. Auckland University Press 2011 – Kate Camp, The Mirror of Simple Annihilated Souls. Victoria University Press 2010 – Brian Turner, Just This. Victoria University Press 2009 – Jenny Bornholdt, The Rocky Shore. Victoria University Press 2008 – Janet Charman, Cold Snack. Auckland University Press 2007 – Janet Frame, The Goose Bath. Vintage 2006 – Bill Manhire, Lifted. Victoria University Press 2005 – Vincent O'Sullivan, Nice Morning for It, Adam. Victoria University Press 2004 – Anne Kennedy, Sing-song. Auckland University Press 2003 – Glenn Colquhoun, Playing God. Steele Roberts 2002 – Hone Tuwhare, Piggy-back Moon. Godwit 2001 – Allen Curnow, The Bells of St Babel's. Auckland University Press 2000 – Elizabeth Smither, The Lark Quartet. Auckland University Press 1999 – Vincent O'Sullivan, Seeing You Asked. Victoria University Press 1998 – Hone Tuwhare, Shape-Shifter. Steele Roberts 1997 – edited by Jenny Bornholdt, Gregory O'Brien and Mark Williams, An Anthology of New Zealand Poetry in English. Oxford University Press 1996 – Bill Manhire, My Sunshine. Victoria University Press
Best first book award (poetry) Since 2022 and between 2015 and 2018, this award has been known as the Jessie Mackay Best First Book Award for Poetry. Between 2019 and 2021, this award was known as the MitoQ Best First Book Awards: Jessie Mackay Prize for Poetry. From 1997 to 2014, this award was known as the NZSA Jessie Mackay Best First Book of Poetry Prize. In 1996, this award was known as the Best First Book Award, Poetry. Prior to 1996, this award had been presented since 1940 by PEN NZ, and was named for Jessie Mackay, New Zealand's first local-born poet.
2026 – Sophie van Waardenberg, No Good. Auckland University Press 2025 – Rex Letoa Paget, Manuali'i. Saufo'i Press 2024 – Megan Kitching, At the Point of Seeing. Otago University Press 2023 – Khadro Mohamed, We're All Made of Lightning. Tender Press 2022 – Nicole Titihuia Hawkins, Whai. We Are Babies Press 2021 – Jackson Nieuwland, I Am a Human Being. Compound Press 2020 – Jane Arthur, Craven. Victoria University Press 2019 – Tayi Tibble, Poūkahangatus. Victoria University Press 2018 – Hannah Mettner, Fully Clothed and So Forgetful. Victoria University Press 2017 – Hera Lindsay Bird, Hera Lindsay Bird. Victoria University Press 2016 – Chris Tse, How to be Dead in a Year of Snakes. Auckland University Press 2015 – no award due to change of sponsors 2014 – Marty Smith, Horse with Hat. Victoria University Press