The Utah Book Awards

 The 2025 Utah Book Awards

 The Utah Book Awards honor works of outstanding literary merit by Utah authors. An award is given based on the strength of the publication’s literary merit, lasting importance, and overall quality. We are particularly interested in prioritizing excellent works created by authors of communities that have been historically marginalized and excluded.

The Utah Book Awards are a project of The Utah Center for the Book at Utah Humanities (an affiliate of The Library of Congress Center), the Utah Division of Arts & Museums, the Utah State Library Division, and The League of Utah Writers.

Selection Process

A panel of judges composed of librarians, booksellers, and authors evaluate every book submitted. They determine the list of notable books, finalists, and winners from each genre.

Submitting a Book for Consideration

A book is eligible if it is written by an author currently living in the state of Utah and published between January 1, 2022 and October 1, 2024. Please see the submission guidelines to ensure you and your book meet the eligibility requirements.

You’ll also find the online entry form on that same page, coming soon. Submissions will be accepted from October 1 to December 31, 2024.

The 2025 Utah Book Award includes:

Winners: A cash prize and an engraved plaque

Winners, Honorable Mentions, and Notable Reads 

•  A banquet in their honor during the Utah Humanities Book Festival in October 2025
• Opportunity to join classrooms and speaker’s engagements across the state of Utah
• Statewide publicity surrounding the announcement of the Utah Book Awards
• Branded promotional materials

Judging Process

Round One

Panel chair works with the administrative team to come up with a longlist of 12 Notable Books in each genre.

Round Two

Panels work together to choose one Award winner and two Honorable Mentions from the longlist.

Round Three

Our Guest Judges Select Winners

Contact Kase Johnstun at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions.