Teachers, librarians, authors, reviewers, former booksellers and passionate advocates for reading and te reo Māori make up the two experienced panels announced today by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust Te Ohu Tiaki i Te Rau Hiringa as judges of the 2026 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
The English and bilingual panel will be convened by Simie Simpson (Te Ᾱti Awa), a former bookseller and publishing sales manager who is now programmes manager for Read NZ Te Pou Muramura. She is joined by author, editor and public librarian Cassie Hart (Kāi Tahu, Pākehā), high school teacher, writer and reviewer Chris Reed (Ngāti Porou, Pākehā), experienced school and public librarian Lauryn Urquhart, and writer, reviewer and school librarian Lucy Black.
Simie, who was a judge of the 2019 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, says she is honoured and excited to work with fellow judges who bring such a wealth of knowledge and experience to an extremely important kaupapa. “This is a group of people who are thoughtful and passionate about children’s books and cognisant of the importance they play in the wider literary landscape. It is a huge privilege to spend time reading, discussing and celebrating these magical portals that open worlds, reflect ourselves, and encourage tamariki in Aotearoa to believe that their stories matter,” she says.
Convening the panel judging the Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Awards for books written in, or translated into, te reo Māori will be kaiako and translator Te Wairere Puāwaitanga O Te Whakaaro Ngaia (Waikato-Maniapoto, Taranaki Tūturu, Te Ātiawa, Ngāruahinerangi, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue). She is joined by content editor – te reo Māori at the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa Eva Mahara (Waikato, Ngāti Te Wehi), and Māori language academic, author and educator Hona Black (Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Apanui, Tūwharetoa).
Te Wairere, who was a judge of the 2023 awards, says she is deeply honoured to join Te Kura Pounamu panel again, this time as convenor alongside two passionate advocates for te reo Māori. “Te Kura Pounamu is special as it celebrates the best of Māori literature for our rangatahi, and acknowledges the depth of expertise and skill of our people,” she says. “He mea hirahira hei whakaawe i te tangata, ahakoa ko wai. There is inspiration for everyone.”
The 2026 judges will read, appraise and deliberate on the more than 150 anticipated entries in six categories: Picture Book, Junior Fiction (the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award), Young Adult Fiction, Non-Fiction (the Elsie Locke Award), Illustration (the Russell Clark Award) and te reo Māori (the Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Awards). They will select up to five finalists in each category, as well as up to five finalists for the NZSA Best First Book Award, and then winners in each category. The supreme winner, the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year, will be decided by both panels from the main category winners.
Submissions for the 2026 awards are open for books published between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. The first deadline, for books published up to 30 November 2025, is Friday 12 December 2025. Entries for books published between 1 December 2025 and 31 March 2026 will be accepted from Monday 15 December. More details about how to enter can be found here: http://www.nzbookawards.nz/new-zealand-book-awards-for-children-and-young-adults/how-to-enter/
The judges will reveal their 2026 shortlist on 10 June 2026 and winners will be announced at an awards ceremony hosted in Wellington on 19 August 2026.
The New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults are governed by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust Te Ohu Tiaki i Te Rau Hiringa. They are made possible through the generosity, commitment and vision of funders and sponsors Creative New Zealand, HELL Pizza, Wright Family Foundation, LIANZA Te Rau Herenga o Aotearoa, Wellington City Council and City Libraries, The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa, and NielsenIQ BookData.
For more information about the 2026 judges, see: http://www.nzbookawards.nz/new-zealand-book-awards-for-children-and-young-adults/2026-awards/judges/
Any queries about the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults should be directed to Awards Administrator Joy Sellen at childrensawards@nzbookawards.org.nz.