The richest literary prize in the nation, the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards recognises the significant contributions Australian writers make to the country’s cultural and intellectual life. The winners and shortlisted authors will share in a tax-free prize pool of $600,000, with each shortlisted entry receiving $5,000 and the winner of each category receiving $80,000.

The winners for 2026 are:

Fiction

A Piece of Red Cloth - Leonie Norrington, Merrkiyawuy, Ganambarr-Stubbs, Djawa Burarrwanga and Djawundil Maymuru

Non-fiction

The Red House by Kate Wild

Poetry

Two Hundred Million Musketeers by Ender Başkan

Australian History

The Southern Frontier by Rohan Howitt

Young Adult Literature

Drift by Pip Harry

Children's literature

Song of a Thousand Seas by Zana Fraillon