Nominations for the 2026 High Plains International Book Awards will be accepted through March 9. Information and nomination forms are on our websiteat
http://highplainsbookawards.org
.
The Billings Public Library Board of Directors established the High Plains Book Awards in 2007 to recognize regional authors and/or literary works that examine and reflect life on the High Plains. The High Plains region includes Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
The 2026 awards feature 13 book categories: Art and Photography, Children’s Picture Book, Children’s Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fiction, First Book, Indigenous Writer, Nonfiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Short Stories, Woman Writer and Big Sky Award.
Nominated books must be published for the first time in 2025.
Winners of each category will be announced at an awards event held in October 2026 in Billings, Montana, and each winner will receive $500 provided by sponsors.
Each nominated book is read and evaluated by four different community readers.
Finalist books in each category will be announced in June. Winners in each category will be determined by a panel of published writers with connections to the High Plains region.
For more information about the High Plains Book Awards, visit
www.highplainsbookawards.org
or contact Kim Garcia, High Plains International Book Awards, at 406-696-4570 or highplainsmediakim
@gmail.com
