NABA is currently seeking qualified judges for the 2026 North American Book Awards contest.

Do you have a passion for books and the written word? Are you interested in recognizing excellence from among the multitude of books published every year? The North American Book Awards is seeking volunteer judges for our 2026 contest.

As a judge you will receive a collection of books to review based on your area of expertise and interest. After reading and evaluating each book you will then score it based on criteria that include writing quality, originality of ideas and stories, level of detail in character development or research accuracy (as applicable), quality of editing, overall impact on the reader, etc. Judges should be experienced readers but not necessarily authors.

Besides the collection of books which are yours to keep, judging can serve as a fulfillment of service/professional development hours. 

Apply by Friday, September 1, 2026, to be considered.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Name *

First

Last

Employment Status *

• Employed
• Student
• Retired

Employment Status Detail *

Please provide a few sentences of background information explaining your current/former industry or program of study.

I would like to judge *

• Physical books
• Digital books
• Both physical and digital books

Address *

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

— Select state —AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingState

Zip Code

(If selected as a judge, this is the address to which we will mail books for review)

Phone

Email *

Previous Experience *

Please list any book awards programs (including the North American Book Awards) in which you have worked as a judge.

Statement of Interest *

In the space provided, please tell us why you think you would be a great fit to judge the North American Book Awards:

Preferred Genres for Judging *

• Fiction
• Non-Fiction
• Children’s
• Poetry

How many books would you like to review? *

• Up to 5
• Up to 10
• Up to 15
• Up to 20
• As many as possible

to judge Does

All judges are required to submit their scores online via Google Forms (links provided via email). Are you able and willing to submit scores online? *

• Yes
• No

We will begin shipping books to judges as early as the beginning of September and complete all shipments by mid-October. All judging forms must be completed by November 30, 2026. Does this timeline work for you? *

• Yes
• No

Submit