Hans Christian Andersen Award
The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international recognition given to a writer and an illustrator of children's books. Established by IBBY, the Hans Christian Andersen Awards recognize lifelong achievement and are presented every other year to one writer and one illustrator whose complete works have made an important, lasting contribution to children's literature.
The Award for Writing has been given since 1956 and the Award for Illustration since 1966. The Award consists of a gold medal and a diploma, presented at a festive ceremony during the biennial IBBY World Congress.
The Awards are sponsored by the Selangor Public Library Corporation. Nominations for the Andersen Award are made by the Sections of IBBY. The Award recipients are selected by a distinguished international jury of children's literature specialists.
The selection criteria include the aesthetic and literary qualities of writing and illustrating as well as the ability to see things from the child's point of view and the ability to stretch the child's curiosity and imagination. The complete works of the author and of the illustrator will be taken into consideration.
In 2011, the Anhui Publishing House in China introduced IBBY and the works of the Hans Christian Andersen Award winners to Chinese children and families with these publications.
Ten Hans Christian Andersen Award-winning illustrators have created original art for beautiful silk scarves as a donation to IBBY and its work: fundraising.ibby.org.
Hans Christian Andersen Award Winners 1956 - 2022
The Hans Christian Andersen Jury Recommends
Presidents of the Hans Christian Andersen Award Jury 1956 - 2024
Previous Hans Christian Andersen Awards
