National Book Awards

The National Book Awards were established in 1950 by three book industry organizations and the nonprofit National Book Foundation, whose mission is to celebrate the best literature in America, expand its audience, and ensure that books have a prominent place in American culture. The National Book Awards are currently given to one book annually in each of four categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young people's literature and also presents two lifetime achievement awards each year. The National Book Awards are the most important awards in literature.