The 2026 longlist will include 20 books—five books across four categories.

Four winners (one from each category) will be chosen.

Books can be entered in the following categories:

• Leadership & Management | Seeing the big picture, making decisions, guiding processes, motivating people, and inspiring the organization.
• Innovation & Creativity | Imagining the future, exploring possibilities, designing solutions, and fostering entrepreneurship.
• Current Events & Public Affairs | Learning from the stories of individuals, companies, and industries. Expanding awareness and exploring systems, culture, and trends. 
• Personal Development & Human Behavior | Growing as people, understanding others, building a life and career. 

As the world speeds up, reading books is becoming an even greater competitive advantage. A book’s ability to make us slow down, read deeply, and focus is a benefit to us both personally and professionally. The world is saturated with books, and while finding the right ones can be a challenge, finding the right one at the right time can change your life, even the life of your company and community. One of our jobs as a bookseller to highlight the very best books in our annual book awards so you can find them—and apply them. We know books. You know your life. Put the two together, and magic can strike.

Any book published in the U.S. in 2026 is eligible for entry, and all submissions to the awards are free. All books are judged on the quality of the writing, the originality and applicability of their ideas, and their ability to help readers understand and navigate the world.

Entries close on October 2.