Hans Christian Andersen Award

The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international recognition given to an author and an illustrator of children's books.

Every other year IBBY presents the Andersen Award to a living author and illustrator whose complete works have made a lasting contribution to children's literature.

The Patron of the Andersen Awards is Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

The selection criteria include the aesthetic and literary qualities of writing and illustrating as well as the ability to see things from the child's point of view and the ability to stretch the child's curiosity and imagination.

The complete works of the author and of the illustrator will be taken into consideration.

Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing

2018 Eiko Kadono (Japan)

2016 Cao Wenxuan (China)

2014 Nahoko Uehashi (Japan)

2012 Maria Teresa Andruetto (Argentina)

2010 David Almond (UK)

2008 Jürg Schubiger (Switzerland)

2006 Margaret Mahy (New Zealand)  (R)

2004 Martin Waddell (Ireland)  (R)

2002 Aidan Chambers (UK)

2000 Ana Maria Machado (Brazil)

1998 Katherine Paterson (USA)   (R)

1996  Uri Orlev  (Israel)

1994  Michio Mado  (Japan)

1992  Virginia Hamilton  (USA)

1990  Tormod Haugen  (Norway)

1988  Annie M. G. Schmidt  (Netherlands)

1986  Patricia Wrightson  (Australia)

1984  Christine Nöstlinger  (Austria)

1982  Lygia Bojunga Nunes  (Brazil)

1980  Bohumil Riha  (Czechoslovakia)

1978  Paula Fox  (USA)

1976  Cecil Bødker  (Denmark)

1974  Maria Gripe  (Sweden)

1972  Scott O'Dell  (USA)

1970  Gianni Rodari  (Italy)

1968  James Krüss (Germany) & José Maria Sanchez-Silva (Spain)

1966 Tove Jansson  (Finland)  (R)

1964  René Guillot  (France)

1962  Meindert DeJong  (USA)    (R)

1960  Erich Kästner  (Germany)    (R)

1958  Astrid Lindgren  (Sweden)

1956  Eleanor Farjeon  (UK)   (R)

Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration

2018 Igor Oleynikov (Russia)

2016 Rotraut  Susanne Berner (Germany)

2014 Roger Mello (Brazil)

2012 Peter Sís (Czech Republic)

2010 Jutta Bauer (Germany)

2008 Roberto Innocenti (Italy)   (R)

2006 Wolf Erlbruch (Germany)

2004 Max Velthuijs (The Netherlands)

2002 Quentin Blake (UK)   (R)

2000 Anthony Browne (UK)   (R)

1998  Tomi Ungerer (France)   (R)

1996  Klaus Ensikat  (Germany)

1994  Jörg Müller  (Switzerland)

1992  Kveta Pacovská  (Czech Republic)

1990  Lisbeth Zwerger  (Austria)

1988  Dusan Kállay  (Czechoslovakia)

1986  Robert Ingpen  (Australia)   (R)

1984  Mitsumasa Anno  (Japan)

1982  Zbigniew Rychlicki  (Poland)

1980  Suekichi Akaba  (Japan)

1978  Svend Otto S.  (Denmark)

1976  Tatjana Mawrina  (USSR)

1974  Farshid Mesghali  (Iran)

1972  Ib Spang Olsen  (Denmark)

1970  Maurice Sendak  (USA)   (R)

1968  Jirí Trnka  (Czechoslovakia)

1966  Alois Carigiet  (Switzerland)