Illustrator

Complete list with commended authors

Complete list with commended illustrators

 Hans Christian Andersen Award 

What is the Hans Christian Andersen Award?

The Hans Christian Anderson Award is the most distinguished prize in children's literature and is often referred to as the "Little Nobel Prize."  The award is given to an author and an illustrator, living at the time of the nomination, whose complete works have made a lasting contribution to children's literature.

Who decides the winner?

 The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) selects the winners.  Her Magesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is the Patron of the Andersen Awards, and the Nisson Motor Company supports the Andersen Awards program.

Each section of IBBY may propose a candidate.  The medal winner is selected by an international jury (The Hans Christian Andersen Jury) composed of the jury president, the president of IBBY and eight children's literature experts elected by the executive committee of IBBY.  No jurer may serve more than two consecutive terms.  To alleviate the large amount of reading necessary to consider both awards, they have split the duties so that currently the jury is divided into five members to select the author and five to select the illustrator.

When did the award begin?

The Hans Christian Andersen Award began in 1956 when they gave the first author's award.  In 1966, they began giving both an author and an illustrator award.  The award is given biennially.  Originally, the award was given for one specific work; now the author's and illustrator's complete works are considered.

What special criteria are used to select this award?

Works are judged on literary and artistic merit.  Judges look for exceptional aesthetic qualities in writing or illustration, including treatment of plot, character, style, structure or language and for a portrayal of universal themes with lasting human virtues. Candidates who have been highly commended may be proposed again after an interval of five years. During the first years, the jury listed "runnersup," then "highly commended," and, in the last few years, "author or illustrator finalist" for the books that were in the final consideration.

Why is it called the Hans Christian Andersen Award?

Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) is recognized as one of the masters of the fairy-tale genre. His writings encompassed fairy tales, plays, novels and travel books.  

What does the award look like?

Medalists receive both a diploma and a gold medal.  The round gold medal portrays the face of Hans Christian Andersen surrounded by the words "HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN MEDAILLE."