Celebrate Black Literary Excellence: Nominations Now Open for the 20th Annual African American Literary Awards Show!
3 min read
The African American Literary Awards Show (AALAS), a cornerstone in the Black literary community, is back for its 21st incredible year—and it’s time to make your voice heard! The nomination process for the 2025 African American Literary Awards Show is officially open, and this is your chance to shine a spotlight on the authors, publishers, and literary creatives who inspire, challenge, and uplift us.
📚 What Is the African American Literary Awards Show?
Founded to celebrate the best in Black literature and publishing, the African American Literary Awards Show has grown into a cultural institution over the past two decades. It honors both emerging and established voices across multiple genres—recognizing the creative power of the African American literary community and the vital role it plays in shaping cultural conversations.
The 21st annual ceremony will take place live on Saturday, October 4, 2025—a night of brilliance, community, and unapologetic Black storytelling.
🗳️ How to Participate: Nominate Your Favorites
Whether you’re part of a book club, a casual reader, or a passionate supporter of Black literature, your input is needed! AALAS is calling on readers across the globe to nominate their favorite authors and books for this year’s awards.
Nomination Period:
🗓️ Now through Friday, June 27, 2025
Eligibility Requirements:
To qualify for nomination, books must be published between July 2024 and July 2025.
📬 How to Submit Nominations
Please select three (3) books or authors for each category you’re submitting. For each nomination, you must include:
- Name of the Author
- Title of the Book
- Year the Book Was Published
- Publishing House
➡️ Submit your completed nominations via email to yvette@literaryawardshow.com.
Important:
Submissions that only include an author’s name and book title will not be accepted. Only complete submissions will be considered.
🏆 Award Categories
AALAS accepts nominations in the following categories:
- Fiction
- Non-Fiction
- Science Fiction
- Christian Fiction
- Street Fiction
- Mystery
- Historical
- Romance
- Erotica
- Biography/Memoir
- Short Stories/Anthologies
- Children’s Books
- Self-Help
- Finance
- Cookbook
- Breakout Author of the Year
- Author of the Year (Male & Female)
- Independent Publisher of the Year
- Self-Published Author of the Year
- Publisher of the Year
- Magazine (Non-Literary)
- Literary Magazine
- Comedy Book Author of the Year
- African American Bookstores (including online retailers)
💌 A Message from Founder Yvette Hayward
“We are deeply grateful to you—our valued community—for standing beside us for the past 20 years. Your support has made it possible to amplify the voices of Black authors and keep Black literature thriving. Now, as we prepare for our 21st year, we’re launching a new fundraising campaign to ensure this powerful legacy continues.”
Join the $21 Fundraising Pledge
To help support the future of AALAS and its mission, we’re inviting our community to make a $21 pledge—just $1 for every incredible year of this movement.
This donation is not for a ticket but a show of support for the continued celebration of Black literary excellence.
You can donate via:
- PayPal: yvette@literaryawardshow.com
- CashApp: $YvetteHayward
As a thank you, all donors will be listed on the AALAS website.
Spread the Word
Whether you’re a reader, a writer, a book lover, or an industry professional, we encourage you to share this opportunity far and wide. Help honor the voices that shape our narratives and affirm the brilliance of Black literature.
For questions or more details, please contact yvette@literaryawardshow.com.
As proud champions of Black literary voices, Intellectual Ink Magazine is thrilled to support the African American Literary Awards Show. This is more than a celebration—it’s a movement. If our work has informed, inspired, or empowered you, we would be honored to receive your nomination in the Literary Magazine category. Your support helps amplify the stories that matter.
Nominate. Donate. Celebrate.
Mark your calendars: October 4, 2025.
We’ll see you there—dressed in Black literary excellence.
