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Awards & Events

The Carnegies

About

The Carnegies are the UK’s longest running and best loved children’s book awards, recognising outstanding reading experiences created through writing and illustration in books for children and young people, which aim to ‘spark’ a lifelong passion for reading.

The Carnegie Medal for Writing is awarded by children’s librarians for an outstanding book written in English for children and young people. The Carnegie Medal for Illustration is awarded by children’s librarians for an outstanding book in terms of illustration for children and young people.

EDPR has worked on the Awards since 2022. Our mission from the outset has been to ensure the pre-eminence of the awards as a celebration of the work of librarians, writers and illustrators whilst ensuring we centre children’s reading experiences and connect more children with the books that will change lives.

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What we did

To reach children directly, as well as teachers, librarians and parents, we brokered a media partnership with First News. They supported each stage of the awards cycle across print, online and social media platforms. This relationship continues for 2025.

We created greater access for children to previous winners and shortlisted writers/illustrators via select events and author Q&As whilst also targeting parents and teachers via media placements, both traditional and social, to increase visibility beyond schools and libraries.

Since we started working on the Yoto Carnegies, one of our key ambitions has been to centre children at the heart of the Carnegies celebrations. We advised on the winner’s ceremony event to make it more child-friendly with readings, special video content and children from the shadowing groups in the audience, all contributing to a lively and engaging atmosphere.

In 2024, we were delighted to secure the Cambridge Theatre, home of Matilda, the Musical, for the winner’s ceremony, along with participation from Mrs Phelps, Matilda’s inspirational librarian. This move allowed a theatre full of children to come together against a perfectly fitting backdrop to celebrate their favourite books and a love of reading against a perfectly fitting backdrop.

We secured over 250 pieces of coverage including 8 x national press in The Guardian, The i and the Sunday Times, 8 x national broadcast including BBC Radio 4’s Front Row, BBC Radio 5 Live Drive Time, BBC Radio 2’s Book Club, plus 20 trade stories and regional press.

Our campaigns for The Carnegies were shortlisted for the Publishers’ Publicity Circle Annual Awards in 2022, 2023, and 2024, the most recent of which was Highly Commended for Best Generic Campaign.

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