Prime Minister’s Literary Awards 2025

About the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards

The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards will be opened for entries on Tuesday 3 December. Subscribe here for updates on the richest literary prize in the nation, with awards in six categories: fiction, non-fiction, young adult literature, children’s literature, poetry and Australian history. 

The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, established in 2008, recognise individual excellence and the contribution Australian authors make to the nation’s cultural and intellectual life. Initially with two categories of non-fiction and fiction, in 2010 the young adult and children’s literature categories were introduced, with the addition of the Poetry category in 2012 and the incorporation of the pre-existing  Prime Minister’s Prize for Australian History. 

This is the third year that the awards have been delivered by Creative Australia, following the release of the Australian Government’s 2023 National Cultural Policy,  Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place.  

This annual Award accepts books published in the previous calendar year. Entries are sought for books of high literary merit, and in the case of the Prime Minister’s Prize for Australian History, outstanding works of scholarly accomplishment that contribute significantly to an understanding of Australian history. 

The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards are the richest literary prize in the nation, with a tax-free prize pool of $600,000 in recognition of the outstanding literary talents of established and emerging Australian writers, illustrators, poets, and historians.  

Awards are presented in six categories: fiction, non-fiction, young adult literature, children’s literature, poetry and Australian history. Up to $100,000 will be awarded in each category—$80,000 for the winning entry and $5,000 each for a maximum of four shortlisted entries. All prizes are tax-free.  

Works may be entered by publishers, literary agents, authors, or, in the case of the Australian History category only, producers or broadcasters. The person submitting the entry must ensure that the author or producer’s consent is obtained before entering the work.  

There is no entry fee for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards.  

A list of previous recipients is  available here.