The Independent Publishers Guild is delighted to announce the 12 shortlists for the 2021 Independent Publishing Awards.

The shortlists feature a total of 43 nominations and celebrate 32 different companies and four individuals. They range widely across the UK publishing spectrum, and recognise the remarkable achievements of the independent publishing sector in a tumultuous 2020. 

Two businesses, Bloomsbury Publishing and Nosy Crow, have three places apiece on the shortlists, while three more, Jolly Learning, Sweet Cherry Publishing and Unbound, have two. More than a third of the nominated companies — 13 in total — appear on the Independent Publishing Awards shortlists for the first time. 

One more Award, for the prestigious title of IPG Independent Publisher of the Year, will be chosen from a shortlist made up of the winners of the five Publisher of the Year categories. 

The shortlists are:

Paperback Shop Trade Publisher of the Year

Atlantic Books, Bloomsbury Publishing, Faber & Faber, Hardie Grant

Clays Children’s Publisher of the Year

Nosy Crow, Sweet Cherry Publishing, Usborne Publishing

PLS Academic and Professional Publisher of the Year

Bloomsbury Publishing, Bristol University Press, Class Publishing, Edward Elgar Publishing

Westchester Education Services Education Publisher of the Year

Bloomsbury Publishing, Brilliant Publications, Jolly Learning

IPG Specialist Consumer Publisher of the Year

David & Charles, How2Become, Unbound, Vertebrate Publishing

Nick Robinson Newcomer Award

Chelsea Green Publishing UK, Magic Cat Publishing, Swift Press

Deanta International Award

Jolly Learning, Nosy Crow, Sweet Cherry Publishing

IPG Marketing Award

Kogan Page, Nosy Crow, Pluto Press

Alison Morrison Diversity Award

Emerald Publishing, Oneworld, Princeton University Press, SAGE Publishing, Unbound

IPG Sustainability Award

Cambridge University Press, Hawthorn Press

The Bookseller Young Independent Publisher of the Year

Nia Beynon, Boldwood Books; Shanon Rademacher, Class Professional Publishing; Michael Watson, Watkins Publishing

GBS Services to Independent Publishers Award

The Book Publicist, Bookswarm, Edelweiss, Glassboxx, Inpress, Suzanne Collier

IPG chief executive Bridget Shine says: “2020 was an exceptionally challenging year for us all, so we are thrilled to be celebrating the outstanding success of so many superb independent publishers and people. They have all performed brilliantly during the pandemic, showing all the extraordinary resilience, flexibility and commercial success of our sector. After more than a year and a half of remote working and virtual events, it will be even more exciting than usual to celebrate IPG members’ successes in person in September.”

The winners of all the Awards will be revealed at a very special lunch on Tuesday 21 September 2021 at the OXO Tower Brasserie in London. Tickets for the event are available now. 

For any further information about the 2021 IPG Independent Publishing Awards, please contact Bridget Shine, IPG chief executive

Tel 01437 563335 Email bridget@independentpublishersguild.com