Hurrah for starting to get back to normal. Hurrah for people. For books. And for this fabulous industry of ours that has helped people through the past 18 months. We are reading more than ever before and for that we are truly thankful - on so many levels.

And today we celebrated some of the fabulous work that has been achieved by our incredible independent publishers at the IPG Independent Publishing Awards 2021.

During the event at the Oxo Tower Brasserie in London the IPG unveiled the 13 winners of this year’s awards.

IPG Independent Publisher of the Year went to Nosy Crow, a fitting award to a fantastic publisher in the year of their tenth birthday. It becomes the 15th recipient of the flagship Independent Publisher of the Year Award, and is the first company to win it twice, following success in 2016.

The judges of this Award applauded its remarkable growth, stellar sales in the UK and overseas and superb response to all the challenges of the pandemic. “Even by its own high standards Nosy Crow had an exceptional year,” they said. “They know exactly what they want to achieve and how to go about it… everything they do is professional and passionate.”

Nosy Crow also won the Children’s Publisher of the Year category for the sixth time. Judges in this category particularly admired the way it had sustained international sales, set up its own field sales force in the UK and published a free digital book about coronavirus for children. “There’s so much to like about Nosy Crow. It made some brave decisions in a difficult year, and the Covid book was an important piece of publishing.”

The other winners were:

Paperback Shop Trade Publisher of the Year - Bloomsbury Publishing

Clays Children’s Publisher of the Year - Nosy Crow

PLS Academic and Professional Publisher of the Year - Class Publishing

Westchester Education Services Education Publisher of the Year - Brilliant Publications

IPG Specialist Consumer Publisher of the Year - David & Charles

Nick Robinson Newcomer Award - Magic Cat Publishing

Deanta International Award - Nosy Crow

IPG Marketing Award - Pluto Press

Alison Morrison Diversity Award - SAGE Publishing

IPG Sustainability Award - Cambridge University Press

The Bookseller Young Independent Publisher of the Year - Shanon Rademacher, Class Publishing

GBS Services to Independent Publishers Award - Bookswarm

The judges picked the 13 winners from exceptionally strong shortlists that featured 32 different companies and four individuals.

Congratulations to all the inspiring winners and those who made the shortlists, and to everyone who entered the Awards.

The standard of submissions was exceptionally high—testament to the incredible resilience and agility of independent publishers in 2021.

Bravo!