Australian Book Design Awards 2026 winners announced

Monday, 11 May 2026 Books+Publishing

The winners of the 2026 Australian Book Design Awards, presented by the Australian Book Designers Association (ABDA), have been announced.

Winning and highly commended works in each category are:

OPUS Group ABDA Cover of the Year

Dymocks Classics (Dymocks), designed by Susan Le

OPUS Group ABDA Book of the Year

Textiles x Art (Ramona Barry & Beck Jobson, Thames & Hudson), designed by Hope Lumsden-Barry

Hachette Australia Designers’ Choice Award

Dymocks Classics (Dymocks), designed by Susan Le

Dymocks Classics collection, designed by Susan Le.

OPUS Group Best Designed General Fiction Cover

Stinkbug (Sinéad Stubbins, Affirm Press), designed by George Saad

Highly commended:

Signs of Damage (Diana Reid, Ultimo Press), designed by George Saad

Simon & Schuster Australia Best Designed Literary Fiction/Poetry Cover

The Furphy Anthology 2025 (Furphy Literary Awards, Hardie Grant Books), designed by Design by Committee

Highly commended:

I Want Everything (Dominic Amerena, Summit Books), designed by Sandy Cull

C&C Offset Printing Best Designed Nonfiction Cover

Gather Up Your World in One Long Breath (S Shakthidharan, Powerhouse Publishing / Thames & Hudson), designed by Rekha Dhanaram (with internal design by Rekha Dhanaram & Susiman Nirmalavasan)

Highly commended:

No Filters (Christie Watson & Rowan Egberongbe, Chatto & Windus), designed by Hazel Lam

HarperCollins Publishers Australia Best Designed Series

Dymocks Classics (Dymocks), designed by Susan Le

Highly commended:

Intrepid (HG Explore), designed by George Saad, illustrated by George Saad and Susan Le

Hardie Grant Books Best Designed Illustrated Book under $50

Trinkets (Cat Rabbit, Smith Street), designed by Michelle Mackintosh

Highly commended:

Shifting Ground (Felicity Fenner, Evi O & Formist Editions), designed by Evi O | Evi-O Studio

Smith Street Books Best Designed Illustrated Book over $50

Textiles x Art (Ramona Barry & Beck Jobson, Thames & Hudson), designed by Hope Lumsden-Barry

Highly commended:

Artists by Artists (Michelle Grey & Susan Armstrong, Thames & Hudson), designed by Daniel New

Australian Book Connection Best Designed Catalogue/Exhibition Book

Westwood Kawakubo (NGV), designed by Karina Soraya and Dirk Hiscock

Highly commended:

After the Rain (National Gallery of Australia), designed by Tony Albert and Evi O | Evi-O Studio

Adams Print Best Designed Cookbook

The Japanese Art of Pickling & Fermenting (Yoko Nakazawa, Smith Street Books), designed by Michelle Mackintosh

Highly commended:

Ramen for Days (Deborah Kaloper, Smith Street Books), designed by Evi O | Evi-O Studio

C&C Offset Printing Best Designed Children’s Nonfiction Book

Diary of a Marine Biologist (Anita Thomas, illus by Sarah Wilkins & Anita Thomas, Walker Books), designed by Sarah Mitchell

Highly commended:

Wonders Under the Moon (Tai Snaith, Thames & Hudson), designed by Hope Lumsden-Barry

Penguin Random House Australia Best Designed Children’s Picture Book

Gone (Michel Streich, Thames & Hudson), designed by Sasha Beekman and Michel Streich

Highly commended:

My Name Is Jemima (Allison Colpoys, Scribble), designed by Allison Colpoys

Designer Sasha Beekman with Gone (Thames & Hudson).

Best Designed Children’s Fiction Book

Willow Bright’s Secret Plot (A L Tait, Scholastic), designed by Grace Felstead

Highly commended:

Inked (Karen Wasson, illus by Jake A Minton, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing), designed by Kelly Elphick and Jake A Minton

Gildings Best Designed Children’s/YA Series

How to Help | What to Do | What to Say (Davina Bell, illus by Hilary Jean Tapper, Lothian), designed by Kirby Armstrong

Highly commended:

Ebb & Flo (Laura Bunting & Philip Bunting, illustrated by Philip Bunting, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing), designed by Kelly Elphick

Best Designed YA Cover (joint winners)

Black River (Ruby Jean Cottle, Atria), designed by Hannah Janzen, illustrated by Carolina Rodriguez Fuenmayor
This Fatal Kiss (Alicia Jasinska, Walker Books), designed by Nicolette Treanor