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The National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) Awards are one of the biggest literary awards in the U.S., and what makes them special is that they’re judged by book critics, not industry insiders or booksellers.

That means the focus is purely on literary merit—no marketing gimmicks, just a deep appreciation for great storytelling and insightful writing.

Key Dates & What’s New in 2025

This year is extra special because it’s the 50th anniversary of the NBCC Awards!

To celebrate, they introduced longlists for the first time to give more books a chance to be recognized before the finalists are announced.

Finalists were revealed on January 23, 2025

Winners will be announced on March 20, 2025, at The New School in New York City

That gives me just enough time to try and read as many of the nominated books as possible before the ceremony.

I’ll be making my predictions along the way, and honestly, this is one of my favorite parts—trying to guess which book will win based on both my own opinions and what the critics seem to love.

Who Are the Judges?

Unlike other big literary prizes, the NBCC Awards aren’t judged by a secret panel.

Instead, they’re decided by the NBCC board of directors, a group of respected book critics who review books for major outlets.

Some key names on the board this year include:

Heather Scott Partington (President) – She writes for places like The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Colette Bancroft (Secretary) – The book critic for Tampa Bay Times who has been reviewing books for over 35 years.

Jacob M. Appel (Treasurer) – A psychiatrist and bioethicist (which makes me wonder what kinds of books he favors!).

Mandana Chaffa (Vice President for the Barrios Prize and Emerging Critics) – Founder of Nowruz Journal, which highlights literature from the Iranian diaspora.

Knowing who’s on the board can help in predicting winners because each critic has their own tastes and tendencies.

I’ll be paying close attention to their past reviews to see if I can spot patterns in what they like.

The Awards & Special Honors

The NBCC Awards recognize books in six categories – fiction, nonfiction, biography, autobiography, poetry, criticism – and I’ve listed all the books below.

But they also give out special awards, and this year, some really cool people are being honored:

Toni Morrison Achievement Award – Third World Press, a publisher that has supported Black literature for decades.

Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award – Sandra Cisneros, best known for The House on Mango Street. She’s an absolute legend.

NBCC Service Award – Lori Lynn Turner, for her dedication to making the NBCC better.

Past Winners & Why They Matter

NBCC winners tend to be the kind of books that stand the test of time.

Some of my all-time favorites have won this award, including:

Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon (1977)

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah (2013)

Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns (2010)

Louise Glück’s The Wild Iris (1992)

Susan Sontag’s On Photography (1977)

These books show that NBCC winners aren’t just hype.

They focus on books that continue to influence literature for years.

Between now and March, I’ll be reading as many of the nominated books as I can to see which ones truly deserve the win (and which ones don’t).

If history has taught me anything, it’s that sometimes my favorites don’t win—but that doesn’t stop me from making predictions!

I’ll also be keeping an eye on past trends.

The NBCC Awards tend to favor books with deep literary merit, rather than commercial hits, so I’m expecting some beautifully written but emotionally intense reads.

I’ll be sharing my thoughts along the way, so if you’re as obsessed with book awards as I am, stay tuned!

Who do you think will take home the top prizes this year?