The winners of the UK’s longest-running book awards for children and young people, The Carnegies, managed by CILIP, the library and information association, have been announced in front of an audience of over 600 young people at a live-streamed ceremony at the Cambridge Theatre, home of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s award- winning Matilda The Musical. The character of Matilda’s beloved librarian Mrs Phelps welcomed the audience to the theatre, with the event expertly hosted by the 2024 Carnegie Medal for Writing winner, and former Waterstones Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho.

The Carnegie Medal for Writing Winner

In a year where new talent triumphed, twenty-seven-year-old debut author Margaret McDonald was announced as the Carnegie Medal for Writing winner, the youngest in its almost ninety-year history for her “life changing and emotional” novel Glasgow Boys. This “honest” and “hopeful” story explores mental health, trauma, inequality and identity through the friendship between two boys who have grown up in foster care.

The Carnegie Medal for Illustration Winner

The winner of the Carnegie Medal for Illustration is Olivia Lomenech Gill for Clever Crow, written by Chris Butterworth. This “innovative” and detailed non-fiction picture book illustrated in “earthy” watercolours, charcoal, gouache and collage encourages readers to look afresh at a fascinating, but often maligned, bird.

What are The Carnegies?

The Carnegies celebrate achievement in children’s writing and illustration and are unique in being judged by an expert panel of children’s and youth librarians, including 14 librarians from CILIP: the library and information association’s Youth Libraries Group. Each year thousands of reading groups in schools and libraries in the UK and around the world also get involved in the Awards, with young people ‘shadowing’ the judging process, debating and choosing their own winners from this year’s shortlist.

The Winner of the Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Writing

The winner of the Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Writing is King of Nothing by Nathanael Lessore, a YA novel about a bully whose new friendship with an unpopular classmate proves a catalyst for change, exploring young masculinity with “warmth, humour and authenticity.” Commenting on why they chose King of Nothing, Aditi from shadowing group Bexley GS admired “the way the author has written about the challenges of being a teen and how to handle peer pressure,” with Mariam from Safa Shadowers finding the central character’s transformation “really captivating.” Other shadowers commented on the book’s “relatability” and “humour,” with Nyles from South Wolds Book Worms adding that the book “inspires readers to be honest about who they are and the choices that they make.”

The Winner of the Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Illustration

The second debut to triumph this year is Homebody by author-illustrator Theo Parish, which has won the Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Illustration. Homebody is an “empowering” graphic novel exploring identity, self-discovery and the importance of living authentically. Jasmine from shadowers group Rebel Readers described Homebody as “a magical and powerful book” while Lacie-Mae from KSA Book Wolves admired the book’s “fun comic-like design” and the “unique” use of the colour palette of the trans flag throughout. Freya from Loyal Judging Society commented that the book could “help people who are struggling with their identity.”

What the Judges and Winners Had to Say

Ros Harding, Chair of Judges for The Carnegies 2025, said, “Glasgow Boys is an immersive and visceral read that completely draws the reader into the present and past lives of Finlay and Banjo. It is a book that will stay in the minds of the reader long after finishing it. Clever Crow is full of stunning, innovative and detailed illustrations that elevate this fascinating non-fiction book into something even more special that demands reading over and over again. Congratulations to the 2025 winning authors and illustrators and a huge thanks to the judging panel who give up so much time and energy for these awards. Thanks also to all the young readers who took part in the Shadowing programme and to the teachers and librarians who support them in discovering the very best of writing and illustration for young people.”

Scottish author Margaret McDonald formerly worked for the NHS and started writing Glasgow Boys when she was a student. She has weaved her own experience of Crohn’s Disease and pain medication dependency after bowel surgery into Glasgow Boys, as well as drawing on her working- class background and experiences of being a first-generation university student. McDonald worked with a care experienced children’s therapist to ensure her depiction of the care system was authentic. The judges praised her “sensitive” and “emotionally honest” exploration of the lack of support young people get when leaving care, which is balanced with a message of “hope” for the future offered by the boys' friendship. Featuring Scots dialect, Glasgow Boys is a homage to McDonald’s vibrant, multicultural hometown, with judges describing the setting as “very well realised and explored” and “a real reflection of how our world is”. Margaret McDonald will be donating her prize money to Action for Children, one of the UK’s leading children’s charities. Driven by love, it takes action, so vulnerable children and young people living in care and out of care don’t miss out on a safe and happy childhood.

Carnegie Medal for Writing winner, Margaret McDonald, said, “I’m utterly delighted to be the recipient of this year’s Carnegie Medal for Writing. With Glasgow Boys, it was my intention to bring into the light things that are often overlooked as a working class, disabled and first-generation university student, but mainly the difficulties of making your way through a world that is essentially not built for you. We don’t often speak of these invisible barriers but navigate them regardless. It was something that was deeply important for me to showcase the strength, the community, the humour and the love of the people within Glasgow Boys, including but not exclusive to care experienced people, healthcare workers, hospitality staff, queer people, immigrants, and the working class. My central characters Banjo and Finlay feel as real to me as everyone here right now. They are genuinely standing up here with me to accept this award, and I want to thank the judges for championing them and their story, for giving them this platform and welcoming them into such a legacy as the Carnegies.”

Olivia Lomenech Gill is a British fine artist and illustrator who was previously shortlisted for the Medal for Illustration for Where My Wellies Take Me, written by Michael and Clare Morpurgo. Lomenech Gill’s interest in birds and the natural world stems from her scientist father and a childhood enjoyment of studying oological collections at the Natural History Museum in Oxford. Clever Crow features “stunning” endpapers depicting nineteen different coloured eggs drawn to scale, and the corresponding adult birds, introduce readers to members of the crow family from around the world, whilst a dark colour palette used throughout creates a “raw, organic and earthy feel” appropriate to the birds and synergistic with the text. The judges praised Lomenech Gill’s “immersive artwork” which gives a sense of movement and “energy” to the playful crows and the “clever” use of “deliberately messy techniques” such as ink splats, torn notebook pages and water staining to give the birds a “playful” and “childlike quality” which “links them to the reader.” Olivia Lomenech Gill plans to use her prize money on a project to support schools, education, and libraries in Palestine.

Carnegie Medal for Illustration winner, Olivia Lomenech Gill, said, “I have always had an immense respect for librarians and the vital work they do, so I cannot think of a greater honour than being selected for this award, and I am very grateful to the judges for choosing me as this year’s winner. Working on Clever Crow was a great opportunity to learn more about these very clever and sociable birds, and I hope that the book might encourage readers to look at crows from a different viewpoint than the rather negative stereotype as portrayed in fairy tales, horror movies, and Hitchcock!”

The Prizes

The winners of the Carnegie Medals for Writing and Illustration will each receive a specially commissioned golden medal and a £5,000 Colin Mears Award cash prize.

The winners of the Shadowers’ Choice Medals – voted for and awarded by the children and young people – will also receive a golden medal and, £500 to donate to a library of their choice, generously provided by the English and Media Centre for the writing winner and by CILIP for the illustration winner.

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For more information on all the shortlisted titles, see our feature Marginalised male perspectives explored with empathy and hope as Carnegies 2025 shortlist announced

Browse the winning books below to read our expert reviews, buy or download an extract.