The New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults are a series of literary awards presented annually to recognise excellence in children's and young adult's literature in New Zealand.

[4] In 2004, the Senior Fiction category was renamed to Young Adult Fiction and the name of the awards changed to New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.

In addition, two new categories were introduced via the LIANZA Russell Clark Award for Illustration and the LIANZA Te Kura Pounamu Award for works written in te reo Māori (the Māori language).

[9] Now called the New Zealand Post Margaret Mahy Book of the Year,[19] this award is presented to a book "which, in the opinion of the judges, achieves outstanding excellence in all general judging criteria".

With 6,000 students putting their votes in for all 149 of the titles submitted for the awards, the finalists were announced on 9 June.

[10][26][57] The Picture Book category is for titles in which the illustrations "carry the impact of the story" along with the text.

[9] As of 2012[update], winners receive a prize of $7,500, split evenly between the author and the illustrator.

[9] Titles for children or young adults can be included in this category, but not textbooks, resource kits, poetry, folklore, or retellings of myths and legends.

[9][35] The Non Fiction category was added in 1986 to the New Zealand Government Publishing Awards, but removed again in 1987.

[3] The category was not resurrected until 1993, as part of the AIM Children's Book Awards.

[73][74] The Fiction category is for works of creative writing, in which the text constitutes the "heart of the book".

[73][81] Honour Awards are given at the judge's discretion to outstanding finalists that don't win in their category.

[9] As of 2012[update], finalists presented an Honour Award receive a prize of $500.