Regional
Ohioana Book Awards
Ohioana Library Association
In short
The Ohioana Book Awards are given by the Ohioana Library Association to authors and illustrators born in Ohio, living in Ohio, or who lived there three years or more, in seven categories. There is no fee, and the copies sent with a nomination also join the library's Ohio collection. Anyone may nominate, including the author. Check whether your publisher will send the form and two copies; if you are self-published, confirm eligibility with Ohioana first, since the form asks for five copies and older guidance differed.
Deadline December 31, 2026Checked September 13, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Every label is a fact from the official rules, never a judgment about whether the award is worth entering. How we describe awards.
The Ohioana Book Awards, given by the Ohioana Library Association, recognize Ohio authors and illustrators in seven juried categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Young Adult Literature, Middle Grade Literature, Juvenile Literature, and Book About Ohio or an Ohioan. A Readers' Choice Award is decided by a public online poll, and a separate Marvin Grant is presented at the same ceremony.
An author or illustrator qualifies by having been born in Ohio, currently living in Ohio, or having lived in Ohio for at least three years; the Book About Ohio or an Ohioan category is open to non-Ohioans. Books must have a copyright date within the last two calendar years and reach the library during the calendar year before the award year. Anyone may nominate as many titles as they wish, and authors and illustrators may nominate themselves. No fee is listed on the form.
For the 2027 awards, nomination forms must be postmarked by December 31, 2026 and sent with two copies of the book to the Ohioana Library in Columbus. The 2027 form asks for five physical copies for self-published works; older guidance on the site said self-published and subsidized titles were ineligible, so confirm with Ohioana before shipping. Winners are announced at a ceremony in the autumn (the 2026 ceremony is October 15, 2026, online).
Why it may matter
Ohioana is a long-established state program run by a library that collects books by Ohio authors, so the copies sent with a nomination also reach a state collection. The two-year copyright window is more forgiving than most state awards, which helps books that missed a first-year deadline.
2027 cycle: 2027 Ohioana Book Awards
- Eligible publication dates
- January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026
- Final deadline
- December 31, 2026Checked September 13, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Deadline note
- Nomination form and copies postmarked by December 31, 2026; books must have a copyright date within the last two calendar years
- Entry fee
- No fee is listed on the nomination formChecked September 13, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Results
- Finalists and winners announced in 2027; the ceremony is normally held in the autumn
Worth knowing
Our reading, not a rule the organization published. We judge an award on the rubric in how we describe awards.
A book is ordinarily considered only once, so choose the award year carefully when a book has a late-year copyright date. Finalist and winner announcement dates for 2027 are not on the form; Ohioana posts them on its site.
Rules and deadlines change. We last checked this information on September 13, 2026. If you see something that needs updating, please tell us.
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