Beautifully designed books are in the spotlight with the announcement today of the finalists for the 2025 PANZ Book Design Awards.

The Publishers Association of New Zealand Te Rau o Tākupu (PANZ) established the awards to promote excellence in, and provide recognition for, the best book design in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“The exceptional calibre of entries this year made some of the categories near-impossible to narrow down into a shortlist, and there was just one category that the judges could agree upon without lively debate,” says convenor Chloe Blades, an artist and manager at Unity Books Auckland.

“This is a testament to the brilliance of the people dedicating their time to bringing New Zealand’s finest books to life.”

Chloe was joined by Eva Charlton, graphic designer for design studio Extended Whānau and Jo Bailey, designer and educator and researcher at Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts, Massey University. Together they spent many hours selecting the shortlist from a pool of 112 entries.

The judges were particularly struck by the strength of submissions for the Scholastic New Zealand Award for Best Children's Book, where they struggled to narrow down the submissions and settled on a larger shortlist of seven titles to reflect the depth and quality of the books entered.

A more sombre, muted colour palette emerged across the entries this year, with the judges noting the predominance of greens and neutrals, a contrast to last year which was dominated by bold, flashy neon.

“This was a nod perhaps to the trend-setting Pantone Colour of the Year for 2025, Mocha Mousse, and the calming, grounding presence of books, especially amidst a tumultuous political and economic climate,” says Chloe.

Chloe also noted that open spine binding was another recurring feature which she believes suggests a strong shift in the traditional format as a future looms where books could be regurgitated and thoughtlessly designed by AI.

“From my perspective, seeing what’s coming in to the bookshop, New Zealand is pushing the boundaries and challenging what a book is and can be and AI has nothing on our designers.”

The judges must now select the winners of the nine categories and choose the recipient of the main prize, the Gerard Reid Award for Best Book sponsored by NielsenIQ BookData. The winners will be announced at a special ceremony in Auckland on Thursday 18 September where attendees will also be able to vote for the BookHub People’s Choice Award.

The industry’s design talent will assemble the next day for the PANZ Book Design Workshop which provides the opportunity to dissect the awards, enjoy panel sessions led by leading book designers and network with peers.

The 2025 PANZ Book Design Awards finalists are:
Penguin Random House New Zealand Award for Best Illustrated Book

• Eileen Mayo's Rare and Endangered Birds of Aotearoa New Zealand by Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū (Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū). Designed by Aaron Beehre

• Fenoga Tāoga Niue I Aotearoa: Niue Heritage Journey In Aotearoa edited by Molima Molly Pihigia QSM, Toluma'anave Barbara Makuati-Afitu, Kolokesa Uafa Mahina-Tuai, Hikule'o Fe'aomoeako Melaia Mahina and Janson Chau (Mafola Press). Designed by Janson Chau (Alt Group)

• Herbst: Architecture in context by John Walsh (Massey University Press). Designed by Alan Deare and Anna Wilkinson (Area Design)

• Sight Lines: Women and Art in Aotearoa by Kirsty Baker (Auckland University Press). Designed by Katie Kerr (Studio Katie Kerr)

• worm, root, wort... & bane by Ann Shelton (Alice Austen House Press). Designed by Duncan Munro (Lucky Stairs Studio)

Upstart Press Award for Best Non-Illustrated Book

• Becoming Tangata Tiriti: Working with Māori, Honouring the Treaty by Avril Bell (Auckland University Press). Designed by Gideon Keith (Seven)

• Grid: The life and times of First World War fighter ace Keith Caldwell by Adam Claasen (Massey University Press). Cover designed by Nathanael Claasen and Kate Barraclough, interior by Kate Barraclough (Kate Frances Design)

• In the Half Light of a Dying Day by C. K. Stead (Auckland University Press). Designed by Duncan Munro (Lucky Stairs Studio)

• Japan: An Autobiography by Peter Shaw (Six Point Press). Cover designed by Arch MacDonnell, interior by Arch MacDonnell & Jane MacDonnell (Inhouse)

• Slender Volumes by Richard von Sturmer (Spoor Books). Designed by Katie Kerr (Studio Katie Kerr)

Scholastic New Zealand Award for Best Children’s Book

• A Lot of Silly by Joy Cowley & David Barrow (Gecko Press). Designed by Vida Kelly

• The Beach Activity Book: 99 Ideas for Activities by the Water around Aotearoa New Zealand by Rachel Haydon & Pippa Keel Situ (Te Papa Press). Designed by Kate Barraclough (Kate Frances Design) with illustrations by Pippa Keel Situ

• The Dream Factory / Te Wheketere Moemoeā by Steph Matuku & Zak Ātea (Huia Publishers). Designed by Te Kani Price & Sophie Hooper (Huia Publishers)

• Five Wee Pūteketeke by Nicola Toki & Jo Pearson (Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand). Designed by Kate Barraclough (Kate Frances Design)

• Nanny Rina's Amazing Nets/Ngā Kupenga a Nanny Rina by Qiane Matata-Sipu & Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Penguin Random House New Zealand). Designed by Cat Taylor (Cat Taylor Design)

• Piki te Ora: Your Wellbeing Journal by Hira Nathan and Jessie Eyre with illustrations by Huriana Kopeke-Te Aho (Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand). Designed by Megan van Staden

• The Witch of Maketu and the Bleating Lambs by Anika Moa & Rebecca ter Borg (Penguin Random House New Zealand). Designed by Cat Taylor (Cat Taylor Design)

PANZ Award for Best Education Book or Series — Primary

• Kiwi Bees Have Tiny Knees: Native Bees of Aotearoa New Zealand by Rachel Weston (Weston Books). Designed by Sarah Elworthy

• My Matariki Colouring and Activity Book by Rangi Matamua, Miriama Kamo & Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Scholastic New Zealand). Cover designed by Vida Kelly, interior by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White and Vida Kelly,

1010 Printing Award for Best Cookbook

• The Food Fountain of Youth by Lonneke Botello Hernandez (Bateman Books). Designed by Floor van Lierop, (thisisthem.com)

• Kai Feast: Food Stories & Recipes from the Maunga to the Moana by Christall Lowe (Bateman Books). Designed by Christall Lowe and Katrina Duncan

• Oikos — An Ode to Food, Family & Friends by Theo Papouis (Oikos). Designed by Seachange

• That Green Olive by Olivia Moore (Penguin Random House New Zealand). Designed by Cat Taylor (Cat Taylor Design)

Allen & Unwin Award for Best Commercial Book for Adults

• 101 Ways to Find Calm: How to Use Your Body to Soothe Your Mind by Rebekah Ballagh (Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand). Designed byKate Barraclough (Kate Frances Design), with illustrations by Rebekah Ballagh

• All That We Know by Shilo Kino (Moa Press). Cover designed by Rachel Clark, interior by Simon Paterson Bookhouse

• Amma by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press). Cover designed by Megan van Staden, interior by Simon Paterson Bookhouse

• At The Grand Glacier Hotel by Laurence Fearnley (Penguin Random House New Zealand). Designed by Cat Taylor (Cat Taylor Design)

• Feijoa by Kate Evans (Moa Press). Designed by Megan van Staden with interior line illustrations by Ruby Watson

• Wild Walks Aotearoa: A Guide to Tramping in New Zealand by Hannah-Rose Watt (Penguin Random House New Zealand). Designed by Carla Sy

HarperCollins Publishers Award for Best Cover

• Bad Archive by Flora Feltham (Te Herenga Waka University Press). Designed by Todd Atticus

• Dummies & Doppelgängers by Felicity Milburn (Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū). Designed by Peter Bray

• Oikos — An Ode to Food, Family & Friends by Theo Papouis (Oikos). Designed by Seachange

• Old Black Cloud: A cultural history of mental depression in Aotearoa New Zealand by Jacqueline Leckie (Massey University Press). Designed by Sarah Elworthy

• Sight Lines: Women and Art in Aotearoa by Kirsty Baker (Auckland University Press). Designed by Katie Kerr (Studio Katie Kerr)

• worm, root, wort... & bane by Ann Shelton (Alice Austen House Press). Designed by Duncan Munro (Lucky Stairs Studio)

Te Papa Press Award for Best Typography

• Fenoga Tāoga Niue I Aotearoa: Niue Heritage Journey In Aotearoa edited by Molima Molly Pihigia QSM, Toluma'anave Barbara Makuati-Afitu, Kolokesa Uafa Mahina-Tuai, Hikule'o Fe'aomoeako Melaia Mahina and Janson Chau (Mafola Press). Designed by Janson Chau (Alt Group)

• Japan: An Autobiography by Peter Shaw (Six Point Press). Cover designed by Arch MacDonnell, interior by Arch MacDonnell & Jane MacDonnell (Inhouse)

• Oikos — An Ode to Food, Family & Friends by Theo Papouis (Oikos). Designed by Seachange

• Rēwena and Rabbit Stew: The Rural Kitchen in Aotearoa, 1800–1940 by Katie Cooper (Auckland University Press). Designed by Kalee Jackson

• Sight Lines: Women and Art in Aotearoa by Kirsty Baker (Auckland University Press). Designed by Katie Kerr (Studio Katie Kerr)

• worm, root, wort... & bane by Ann Shelton (Alice Austen House Press). Designed by Duncan Munro (Lucky Stairs Studio)

Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand Emerging Designer Award

Sarah-Louise Crawford

• Charlie Tangaroa and the God of War by T K Roxborogh (Huia Publishers)

• Te Huarahi Māori: A Māori-Medium Initial Teacher Education Programme edited by Peter J. Keegan, Tania Cliffe-Tautari, Ruth Lemon and Tauwehe Tamati (Huia Publishers)

Tahlia Conrad-Hinga

• The Eldest Girl by Olivia Aroha Giles (Huia Publishers)

• Migration by Steph Matuku (Huia Publishers)

• Te Takarangi series: Weeping Waters, Mana Tangata, Terror in our Midst, Huia Histories of Māori, The Parihaka Album, Māori and Parliament, Resistance by various (Huia Publishers)