Libby Book Awards 2026: Recap from the “Read” carpet

The Libby Book Awards was a bookish night to remember! The awards brought together authors, librarians, publishers, and book influencers for a memorable evening on March 3rd to celebrate the books that connect us. Taking place at The Brooklyn Center for History in New York and hosted by the iconic Ross Mathews, the night was filled with laughter, community, and bookish joy.

Host Ross Mathews — Emmy-winning TV host & producer Ross Mathews hosts the third annual Libby Book Awards at The Brooklyn Center for History in New York City on March 3, 2026.

Joe Skelley and Daniel Henning — Book Lounge by Libby podcast host Joe Skelley (left) and New York Times bestselling audiobook narrator Daniel Henning (right) at the Libby Book Awards.

Guests arrived in style, stepping on the Libby Book Awards “Read” carpet for photos before heading over for an interview with Book Lounge by Libby podcast host Joe Skelley.

Authors, librarians, publishers, and guests gathered for cocktail hour to connect and share winner predictions and book recs.

Upstairs in the lounge, poet, social media content creator, and podcast host Zoe Branch set the tone for the night by creating custom poems for our guests.

Khalilah Denson and Jéla Lewter attend the third annual and first live Libby Book Award.

When it was time for the award ceremony to begin, everyone took their seats for a celebration of books! The show was narrated by audiobook narrator Daniel Henning and the room was full of laughter, cheers, and excitement from a community that truly loves books.

🌟 Want to see who took home a Libby Book Award? See the full list of winners and runners up here!

Author Sherry Thomas accepts the award for Best Mystery.

After the awards concluded, the celebration continued. Guests enjoyed cocktails and light refreshments while sharing the moment of being at the first ever in-person Libby Book Awards together. Many authors, influencers, librarians, and publishing partners took another turn on the “Read” carpet for photos, while others recorded videos and created content to share with their social media fans.

Libby Book Award attendees — The 2026 Libby Book Awards attendees at The Brooklyn Center for History.

Casey Mitchell and Camille Milot — Casey Mitchell (left) and Camille Milot (right) on the Libby Book Awards “Read” carpet.

As the evening ended, guests headed home with Libby swag bags to remember the night. More than anything, the Libby Book Awards served as a reminder of the incredible community behind libraries, storytelling, and the readers who bring books to life.

📺 Tune in Saturday, March 7th to watch the recording of the award ceremony on Kanopy and YouTube!

Visit the Libby Book Awards website to learn more about the event that celebrates books and libraries.

Published Mar 06, 2026

Nahomy Ortiz-Garcia

Nahomy Ortiz-Garcia is a social media specialist for OverDrive. When she’s not working, she’s most likely reading or creating bookish content for @NahomysLibrary. Nahomy’s current favorite book is Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker.