Congratulations to the 2026 IRDA Winners!

Winner Categories

Use the code DISCOVERYAWARDS27 to receive 15% off your 2027 Discovery Award entry until June 14!

Genre Category Winners

GENRE SUB-CATEGORIES

FICTION
Action/Adventure​
Audiobook​
indie book winners 2026

by Suhail Rafidi, narrated by Ryan Hurtgen

Chick-Lit​
Illustrated book cover for Follow You Down by Katie Walsh. A man in shorts kneels, holding a shoe, as a woman in a striped dress with a wine glass sits above the title. Ocean and sunset line art accent the bottom, reflecting the novel’s themes.

by Katie Walsh

Children’s (Board Books & Pre-Reading)
indie book winners 2026

by Katherine Davis-Gibbon

Children’s (Early to Intermediate)
Coming of Age
Dark Fantasy​
indie book winners 2026

by Rhiannon Hargadon

Dystopian
indie book winners 2026

by W.H. Hilf

Erotica
Fantasy
Gift/Holiday/Speciality
A Halloween comic book cover shows teens and a dog facing glowing Pumpkin Guts and roots rising from the ground, with a shadowy figure looming behind a pumpkin patch at night under a full moon.

by Jacoby A. Matott

Graphic Novel
indie book winners 2026

by Hungry Minds (collective fictional author Noah Kaplan)

Historical Fiction
THE GYRE by Stacy Carlson

by Stacy Carlson

Horror
Humor
Inspirational
indie book winners 2026

by Michael A. Pyle

LGBTQ+
Literary Fiction
indie book winners 2026

by Kathleen J. Waites

Middle Grade
indie book winners 2026

by Nancy Schutt McCorkle

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
indie book winners 2026

by Leighton Kirby Richards

New Adult
indie book winners 2026

by Elias Axel

Paranormal
A book cover for The Seer: A Novel by Raquel Y. Levitt features a young woman with wide, expressive eyes, looking out from a softly lit, dreamy background with swirling colors and floral elements.

by Raquel Y. Levitt

Poetry
Book cover for Colorscapes: Poetry by Lee Woodman. The background is a brick wall painted with large, overlapping shapes in red, orange, blue, green, yellow, pink, and black. The title and author are in bold white text.

by Lee Woodman

Popular Fiction
Book cover for The Game by Brandon Keller, featuring a large gold coin, poker chips stacked in the background, colorful blurred lights, and a blue award finalist badge in the top left corner.

by Brandon Keller

Romance
Romantasy
Science Fiction
Short Stories
Spiritual
Socially Conscious
indie book winners 2026

by Pete Clements

Women’s Fiction
Book cover for Every Step of the Way by Sofía Ramírez Castillo, featuring a sunset over mountains and water, floating sheets of paper, a guitar, and a bird in the sky. The tagline: Sometimes healing begins with goodbye.

by Sofía Ramírez Castillo

Young Adult
indie book winners 2026

by Genevieve Morrissey

YA Horror
A person in a school uniform sits at a desk with a spilled glass of red liquid, a knife, and a book. Text above reads, “Death doesn’t forget those who are complicit.” Mortal Vengeance award and bestseller badges are shown below.

by Alejandro Torres De la Rocha

NONFICTION
Aging/Death & Dying
Biography
Business
Coming of Age
Education
Entertaining
indie book winners 2026

by Natalie MacMaster

Finance/Investment/Economics
Health/Medicine/Nutrition
indie book winners 2026

by Darcie Wells and James Malinchak

History
How-To
indie book winners 2026

by Philippe Johnson

Humor
Inspirational
indie book winners 2026

by Christina H. Wilson

Kids
indie book winners 2026

by Jeannette Greulach

LGBTQ+
indie book winners 2026

by Osvaldo Calixto Amador

Memoir
Parenting (Child Care/Family)
Photography
Poetry
A leafless tree silhouetted against a dramatic, cloudy sky. Text on the image reads Exits and Stephen C. Pollock, Selected Poems. The overall mood is dark and moody.

by Stephen C. Pollock

Politics/Current Events
Pop Culture
Psychology/Mental Health
Religion
Self-Help
Sexuality/Relationships
Socially Conscious
Sports/Fitness/Recreation
Spiritual
Travel
True Crime
Women’s Issues
Young Adult

Thank you to the 2026 IndieReader Discovery Awards Sponsors!