The 77th National Book Awards Ceremony will be hosted by Kyle MacLachlan and feature musical guest Michelle Zauner.

The Ceremony will be livestreamed from Cipriani Wall Street, free for readers everywhere.

Join us in celebrating the 2026 honorees—and learn the Winners in real time—by registering to watch!

Join from Home

Host Your Own Watch Party

Read Along

Step One

Tune in to watch the 77th National Book Awards on Wednesday, November 18, 2026 at 8:00pm EST.

Step Two

Download the 2026 National Book Awards ballot to read along and make your own predictions! (download here)

Step Three

Gather the book lovers in your life—in-person or virtually—and join us in real time to hear this year’s Winners announced! The National Book Awards will be livestreamed on nationalbook.org/awards and YouTube, and you’ll be joined by comedian and author Jo Firestone in the YouTube Live chat. If you’re in NYC, our friends at McNally Jackson Seaport are hosting a watch party—RSVP here.

Step Four

Tag the @nationalbookfoundation on Instagram and Threads, and use the hashtag #NBAwards for a chance to be featured across Team Book’s social media channels!