It’s become tradition for us to track the dates of the major literary awards each year and it’s time for the 2021 version. This will be updated with specific dates as they are announced, and you can also join us in our Book Award Reading Challenge as well. This year, with the COVID pandemic still raging on, some award ceremonies are staying with virtual events, some are moving dates and others are banking on still being able to hold in-person events later in the year.

2021 Book Awards Calendar
OCTOBER 2020
NOVEMBER 2020
- Nov. 17 – 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Non-Fiction Shortlist
- Nov. 24 – 2020 Costa Book Awards Category Awards Shortlist
DECEMBER 2020
- Dec. 22 – 2021 PEN America Literary Awards Longlists. For the first time ever, one book appears on three Longlists: Kawai Strong Washburn’s Sharks in the Time of Saviors, a debut novel. Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste is Longlisted for two awards, as is Asako Serizawa’s Inheritors and Raven Leilani’s Luster: A Novel.
JANUARY 2021
- Jan. 01 – Cybilis Awards Finalists
- Jan. 04 – 2020 Costa Book Awards Category Award Winners
- Jan 12 – 2020/2021 The Story prize Finalists.
- Jan. 19 – 2021 Edgar Awards Nominations
- Jan. 24 – 2020 National Book Critics Circle Awards Finalists. There will be a virtual ceremony honoring our 2019 National Book Critics Circle Award winners and announcing the finalists for our 2020 awards.
- Jan. 25 – 2021 American Library Association (ALA) Youth Media Awards. Libraries, schools, and book lovers worldwide are welcome to follow results by visiting ALA’s streaming platform at http://ala.unikron.com at 8AM CST.
- Jan. 26 – 2020 Costa Book Awards Book of the Year and Shorty Story Award WINNER
- JAN – 2020 Stoker Awards Preliminary Ballot. Usually announced in January, but with the awards shifting from April to May, we’ll see if there’s also a delay in this announcement.
FEBRUARY 2021
- Feb. 01 – Audie Awards Finalists
- Feb. 04 – 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Non-Fiction WINNERS. The two medal winners will be announced at the Reference and User Services Association’s Book and Media Awards (BMAs) event, which will take place online on Thursday, February 4, 2021, 3-4PM CST. All are welcome to watch the event live.
- Feb. 14 – Cybilis Awards Winners
- Feb. 27 – 2021 International Booker Prize Longlist
- FEB – 2021 PEN America Literary Awards Finalists
- FEB – 2020 Stoker Awards Final Ballot
- FEB – 2021 Nebula Awards Final Ballot
- FEB – British Science Fiction Award Shortlist
MARCH 2021
- Mar. 10 – 2020/2021 The Story Prize Winner
- Mar. 10 – 2021 Women’s Prize for Fiction Longlist
- Mar. 19 – 2021 British Book Awards (Nibbies) Shortlist
- Mar. 22 – 2021 Audie Award Winners. The Audies gala will be “ticketless” and open to all.
- MAR – 2021 PEN America Literary Awards Winners. The ceremony has so far only been announced to be in the Spring. It was presented on Mar. 2nd last year.
- MAR – 2020 National Book Critics Circle Awards Winners

APRIL 2021
- Apr. 02 – 2021 International Booker Prize Shortlist
- Apr. 08 – 2021 Women’s Prize for Fiction Shortlist
- Apr. 29 – 2021 Edgar Award Winners. The banquet was cancelled in 2020 and the Awards were presented via a live presentation on Twitter (the winning speeches can be found on the YouTube channel). Although The Grand Masters and date of the awards have been announced for 2021 there’s no word yet on where (and format) of the awards presentation.
- APR – Hugo Award Finalists
MAY 2021
- May 04 – 2021 Pulitzer Prize Winners and Nominated Finalists
- May 13 – British Book Awards (Nibbies) Winners
- May 23 – 2020 Bram Stoker Awards Winners. To be presented at the awards ceremony during StokerCon 2021 in Denver, CO.
- MAY – 2021 Locus Awards Finalists
JUNE 2021
- Jun. 05 – 2021 Nebula Awards Winners. The 2021 Nebula Conference will be fully virtual this year from Jun. 4-6 ($125 to attend).
- Jun 16 – 2021 Women’s Prize for Fiction Winner
- JUN – 2021 Locus Award Winners
- JUN – 2020 Shirley Jackson Award Nominees
JULY 2021
- JUL – 2021 World Fantasy Award Finalists
- JUL – 2021 Booker Prize Longlist
- JUL – 2021 Shirley Jackson Award Winners

AUGUST 2021
- Aug. 28 – 2021 Hugo Award Winners
- Aug. 26 – 2021 International Booker Prize Winner
SEPTEMBER 2021
- SEP – 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize Longlist
- SEP – 2021 National Book Awards Longlist
- SEP – 2021 Booker Prize Shortlist
OCTOBER 2021
- OCT – 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize Shortlist
- OCT – 2021 National Book Awards Finalists
- OCT – Kirkus Prize Finalists
Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize Shortlist
NOVEMBER 2021
- Nov. 06 – 2021 World Fantasy Award Winners
- NOV – Kirkus Prize Winners
- NOV – 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize Winner
- NOV – 2021 National Book Awards Winners
- NOV – 2021 Booker Prize Longlist
Here’s a link to the Book Awards Calendars for 2020 and 2019.
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