MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The National Book Development Board (NBDB) and the Manila Critics Circle (MCC) are proud to present the complete list of winners of the 39th National Book Awards, announced during the awards ceremony on the evening of July 30.
This year’s cycle marks the comeback of the awards after its postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There were a total of 110 finalists selected, all published in 2019 and 2020.
Out of the 110, 27 winners took home the prestigious prize across 25 categories. For the Drama and Poetry (English) categories, there were two winners selected for both awards. The Ateneo de Manila University Press was named the Publisher of the Year with a total of 8 winning titles.
“The National Book Awards, by empowering agents of creativity to bring their ideas to fruition, aligns with the daring, yet hopeful economic outlook of the NBDB to reinvigorate the Philippine publishing industry,” said NBDB Chairman Dante Francis Ang II in his message.
“By increasing access points for books across the country through our programs such as the Book Nook and by expanding the market for publishers through our participation in international fairs, the NDBB is set to leverage the power of our number — our archipelago of stories from the islands of Batanes to Tawi-Tawi and our global diaspora that knows no boundaries.”
“While some people might say that awards are really just secondary to what is truly important—which is the book—I believe, like many of you, that the prestige and attention that they bring to creative work amounts to something greater,” said NBDB Executive Director Charisse Aquino-Tugade during her welcome remarks.
“They encourage wider readership and spotlights what are otherwise overlooked voices, which then encourages sales and helps our booksellers and publishers, which in turn encourages wider authorship,” she said.
Below is the full list of winners for the 39th National Book Awards:
LITERARY DIVISION
| Award | Title | Author | Publisher |
| BEST NOVEL IN ENGLISH | Tiempo Muerto: A Novel | Caroline S. Hau | Ateneo de Manila University Press |
| BEST NOVEL IN FILIPINO | Topograpiya ng Lumbay: Imus Novel 6 | RM Topacio-Aplaon | University of the Philippines Press |
| BEST BOOK OF SHORT FICTION IN ENGLISH | Voyager and Other Fictions: The Collected Stories of Jose Dalisay | Jose Dalisay, Jr. | Anvil Publishing, Inc. |
| BEST BOOK OF SHORT FICTION IN FILIPINO | The Next Great Tagalog Novel at Iba Pang Kuwento | Allan N. Derain | University of the Philippines Press |
| BEST BOOK OF NONFICTION PROSE IN ENGLISH | Biyaheng Pinoy: A Mindanao Travelogue | Edilberto N. Alegre | Ateneo de Manila University Press |
| BEST BOOK OF NONFICTION PROSE IN FILIPINO | Balager | Emmanuel T. Barrameda | Isang Balangay Media Productions |
| BEST BOOK OF ESSAYS IN ENGLISH | The Philippines Is Not a Small Country | Gideon Lasco | Ateneo de Manila University Press |
| BEST ANTHOLOGY IN ENGLISH | Mindanao Harvest 4 | Jaime An Lim, Christine F. Godinez-Ortega, Ricardo M. De Ungria (Editors) | Far Eastern University Publications |
| BEST BOOK OF DRAMA | Salvador/Javier at Iba Pang Dula | Lito Casaje | University of the Philippines Press |
| Two Women as Specters of History: Lakambini and Indigo Child | Rody Vera | Ateneo de Manila University Press | |
| BEST BOOK OF LITERARY CRITICISM IN ENGLISH | Sensing Manila | Gary C. Devilles | Ateneo de Manila University Press |
| BEST BOOK OF LITERARY HISTORY IN ENGLISH | Songs Sprung from Native Soils: More Conversations with Eight Mindanao Writers | Ricardo M. De Ungria (Editor) | Xavier University Press |
| BEST BOOK OF LITERARY CRITICISM IN FILIPINO | Faustino Aguilar: Kapangyarihan, Kamalayan, Kasaysayan | Epifanio San Juan, Jr. | University of Santo Tomas Publishing House |
| BEST BOOK OF POETRY IN ENGLISH | When Bridges Are Down, Mountains Too Far: New Poems | Gémino H. Abad | University of the Philippines Press |
| We Shall Write Love Poems Again | Dinah Roma | University of Santo Tomas Publishing House | |
| BEST BOOK OF POETRY IN FILIPINO | Ruta: Mga Bago at Piling Tula | Benilda S. Santos | Ateneo de Naga University Press |
| BEST GRAPHIC LITERATURE | Tarantadong Kalbo Volume 1 | Kevin Eric Raymundo | Komiket Inc. |
| BEST TRANSLATED BOOK | The World is Still Beautiful | Lazaro Francisco, translated by Mona Highley | Ateneo de Manila University Press |
NON-LITERARY DIVISION
| Award | Title | Author | Publisher |
| BEST BOOK ON ART | Philippine Cinema, 1897-2020 | Gaspar A. Vibal and Dennis S. Villegas; edited by Teddy O. Co | Vibal Group |
| BEST BOOK ON PROFESSIONS | Cool Minds, Brave Hearts: The People of the Philippine Central Bank | Roel R. Landingin | Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas |
| BEST BOOK IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES | Rethinking Filipino Millennials: Alternative Perspectives on a Misunderstood Generation | Jayeel Cornelio (Editor) | University of Santo Tomas Publishing House |
| BEST BOOK ON HISTORY | Clothing the Colony: Nineteenth-Century Philippine Sartorial Culture, 1820-1896 | Stephanie Coo | Ateneo de Manila University Press |
| BEST BOOK IN JOURNALISM | Press Freedom Under Siege: Reportage that Challenged the Marcos Dictatorship | Ma. Ceres P. Doyo | University of the Philippines Press |
| BEST BOOK ON HUMOR, SPORTS, AND LIFESTYLE | Walk Manila | Lorelei D.C. de Viana | Far Eastern University Publications |
| BEST BOOK ON FOOD | Lasa ng Republika Dila at Bandila: Ang Paghahanap sa Pambansang Panlasa ng Filipinas | Ige Ramos | Anvil Publishing, Inc. |
| BEST BOOK IN SCIENCE | The Zanjeras of Ilocos: Cooperative Irrigation Societies of the Philippines | Jose A. Rivera | Ateneo de Manila University Press |
| BEST BOOK DESIGN | A Watercolor Journey | Claude Tayag, Design by Miguel Mari | Holy Angel University, Inc |
