50 Books | 50 Covers
AIGA's annual 50 Books | 50 Covers competition is turning 100! Starting in 1923 as the Fifty Books of the Year competition, this time-honored competition identifies the 50 best-designed books and book covers of the year. Together, we celebrate powerful and compelling book design and the community‘s most inspired creations.
About AIGA 50 Books | 50 Covers
This survey of book design represents perhaps the longest-standing legacy in American graphic design. Beginning in 1923, the Fifty Books of the Year competition was a yearly mainstay of AIGA. As dust jackets became more common, covers were added to the competition. AIGA is delighted to usher in another year of amazing book and cover design.
Even in an era of digital books and Insta stories, AIGA understands the timeless, magnetic power of design to engage readers and encourage them to turn the page. That is why the AIGA 50 Books | 50 Covers competition continues to recognize the best of book and book cover design from around the world. Selections from past competitions have been added to the AIGA Design Archives—one of the richest online resources available to those who practice, study, and appreciate great design—as well as the physical archives at the Denver Art Museum (1980–2012) and at the RBML at Columbia University's Butler Library in New York City. From 2012–2018 Design Observer hosted the competition with AIGA through a joint venture and winners can be seen on Design Observer (2011–2017). Recent winner galleries include: 50 Books | 50 Covers of 2018, 50 Books | 50 Covers of 2019, 50 Books | 50 Covers of 2020, 50 Books | 50 Covers of 2021, and this year's 50 Books | 50 Covers of 2022.
Winners Gallery
50 Books | 50 Covers of 2022
“For me, there was a greater overall sophistication in book design, with a mix of aesthetically beautiful and graphically brash approaches in the final choices.” —Andrew Satake Blauvelt, Cranbrook Art Museum
Explore the GalleryCompetition Details
Entry Fees & Deadlines
The call for entries open December 12, 2023. All deadlines are at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Entry Fees | Early Discount Deadline: | Regular Deadline: | Final Deadline: |
AIGA Members | $75 | $100 | $150 |
Nonmembers | $110 | $135 | $185 |
Call for Entries Cycle
Call for Entries Open
December 2023
Call for Entries Close
April 2024
Earliest Notification
June 2024
Earliest Announcement
August 2024
As a book designer, book lover, and book collector, I'm honored and thrilled to be returning to the 50 Books | 50 Covers jury this year as its Chair. 100 years is a significant milestone for any competition, but at a time when the future of the book is an ongoing topic, we saw last year the vibrancy and vitality of the book form in the hands of both new and expert designers shaping stories that demanded a broader audience with care and commitment. In our recognition, we not only selected for quality but also relevance to our time — why these books were deserving of this award today, and how offering it could help them go even further in finding passionate readers and audiences. It's been said that 'books make friends' — as much as this is a competition about great objects, it's also hopefully a catalyst for new relationships between publishers, creators, and the public.
Rob Giampietro
50 Books | 50 Covers of 2023, Chair
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Book Competition
Add your creations to the stacks.
The AIGA 50 Books | 50 Covers competition recognizes the best of book and book cover design from around the world. Enter today!
Learn MoreThe exciting part about opening any new book for the first time is the power it has to influence your relationship to typography or images—by its placement, position or scale on a single page.
Kelly Walters
50 Books | 50 Covers of 2020 Juror
![[field.undefined]](jpg/kelly_walters0928.jpg "Kelly Walters")
More to Explore
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