The OWL Awards

Outstanding Works of Literature

Recognizing the books that change how organizations work, how educators teach, and how communities understand one another.

Years of the OWL Awards

Titles honored since 2017

Categories judged each year

Open Now

2026 Submissions Are Now Open!

Publisher submissions for the 2026 OWL Awards are open through September 4, 2026. Titles must be submitted as physical copies — email us for mailing instructions and full submission guidelines.

Email for submission details

About the Awards

The Outstanding Works of Literature (OWL) Awards spotlight the books shaping society today. Each year our team of book experts reads and assesses thousands of newly published titles, looking for the ones that change how organizations do business, how educators build curriculum, and how communities understand and pursue wellbeing. We do the reading so you don't have to.

See the winners

How the OWL Awards Work

Submissions Open

Publishers nominate noteworthy titles across our award categories. Submissions open in August and close at the end of September.
Longlist Selected

Our book experts review every submission against our criteria. Five titles per category advance.
Shortlist Selected

The longlist narrows to the three titles in each category that made the strongest case.
Winners Announced

One book per category is named an Outstanding Work of Literature.

Award Categories

OWL Awards go to titles that are, simply, outstanding — impactful, distinguished, one of a kind, and genuinely useful. Our categories reflect the topics that matter most to the companies, schools, and organizations we work with every day.