The not-for-profit awards program was founded in 2007 by
Catherine Goulet and is presented by the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group in cooperation with co-founder Marilyn Allen of Allen O’Shea Literary Agency. The judges are professionals from the book publishing industry, including literary agents, editors, publishing executives, book reviewers, writing teachers, and authors. Cash prizes and medals are awarded to winners and finalists ranging from $100 to $1,500, grand prize winners are also awarded a trophy, and the top books in each category are reviewed by literary agents for possible representation. The Next Generation Indie Book Awards are announced each year during
BookExpo America in a catalog distributed to BookExpo attendees. Winners and Finalists are honored at a reception during BookExpo America. The awards ceremonies are held at landmark locations in New York City including the
Plaza Hotel and the
Harvard Club of New York City. In 2016 the ceremony was held at the
Newberry Library in
Chicago. The Next Generation Indie Book Awards program has been said to be the 'Sundance' of the book publishing world. ==Recipients==