Earlier tonight (October 8, 2025), the 2025 Kirkus Prize winners were announced at TriBeca Rooftop in New York City. The annual prizes are awarded to titles of exceptional merit in the categories of fiction, non-fiction and young readers. Canadian author-illustrator Thao Lam took home the $50K prize in the young readers' category for her picture book Everybelly (Groundwood Books). Fellow Canadian Sydney Smith was named a finalist this year for his picture book collaboration with American author-illustrator Brian Floca (Neal Porter Books).
The winners are chosen from books that received a starred Kirkus review between November 1, 2024 and October 31, 2025. The jury—comprised of Annette Y. Goldsmith, a librarian and co-founder of “Building a Global Youth Literature Collection 101”; Erika Long, a librarian, lecturer, and founder/consultant at Not Yo Mama’s Librarian, LLC; and Kirkus young readers’ editors Mahnaz Dar and Laura Simeon—selected Everybelly from 497 titles. Their jury citation is below.
"This joyful celebration of humanity springs to life through masterful, vibrant collages and text that’s both poignant and witty.”
To watch the awards presentation, click here. For more information, visit kirkusreviews.com.