[3] It was established in the aftermath of World War II to encourage the development of high-quality children's books.

[4] By 1962, the award's formal criteria were amended "to a living author who is judged to have made a lasting contribution to good juvenile literature by the outstanding value of his or her work.

In reflection of what IBBY considered to be a trend of increasing quality in picture books,[5] the award was expanded to include illustrators in 1966.

[9] The winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Awards is selected by a jury which is put together by IBBY's executive committee.

Other notable presidents have included Virginia Haviland (1970–1974), Patricia Crampton (1982–1986), and Ana Maria Machado (1986–1990).

[11] The award's regulations read: "The Hans Christian Award is presented every two years by IBBY to an author and to an illustrator, living at the time of the nomination, who by the outstanding value of their work are judged to have made a lasting contribution to literature for children and young people.

[13] To nominate a candidate, a dossier is prepared that provides information including a list of works and biographical sketch.

[13] After receiving the award, many authors and illustrators have their works gain wider recognition, particularly in the form of more translations.