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The UK has two new major book awards launching – the TikTok book awards and the Nero Book Awards (NBAs) from the Café Nero chain. Both have been warmly received by booksellers.
The TikTok Book Awards sees users vote for books through an in-app vote. They can vote for books in nine categories, including Best Book of the year, the BookTok author of the year and BookTok creator of the year. There will also be quirky categories that are best described as ‘very TikTok’, among them ‘Best Book to End a Reading Slump’ and ‘Best Book I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time’.
James Stafford, general manager, operations and marketing, at TikTok UK and Nordics, says: “Every day billions of people come to TikTok to share recommendations, discover new reads and connect through their love of literature. We have seen the #BookTok community impact book sales and even bring new customers to local bookshops, so we thought it was about time they got a vote too! The TikTok Book Awards is not just about the ’best new books’, but also celebrating the unapologetic love of reading that we see shared on TikTok, from the content makers to the rediscovered classics.”
The Nero Book Awards have been launched in association with the UK Booksellers Association, Brunel University and the grass roots football organisation Right to Dream. They are open for submissions on 19 June across four categories: fiction, debut fiction, non-fiction and children’s fiction. Shortlists of four per category will be announced in November, with category winners announced in January 2024. From these four winners, an overall Nero Gold Prize for Book of the Year will be selected. Category winners receive £5,000 with the overall winner receiving an additional £30,000.
Meryl Halls, MD of the Booksellers Association, commented: “This is a hugely exciting moment for the world of books. The Nero Book Awards do that rare thing of celebrating books across multiple genres, with an emphasis on commercial books with wide appeal. With its brand values centred around quality, craft and community, plus its strong existing connection to the arts, Caffè Nero is a perfect partner with whom to establish these brand-new awards.
“The Nero Book Awards are first and foremost for readers, but their impact will be felt widely – by authors, publishers, agents, book retailers, libraries and festivals – as they create discussion around nominated books and drive consumer engagement with bookshops and libraries. We at The Booksellers Association, and on behalf of our bookshop members, welcome the opportunities these awards offer the world of books, by celebrating and showcasing the writing talent in the UK and Ireland.”
