2026 Timeline and Submission Details
CALIBA presents the 2026 Golden Poppy Awards in recognition of the most distinguished books written and illustrated by creators who have made California their home.
Committees for each category are made up of booksellers throughout the state tasked with developing a list of five finalists and one winner.
CALIBA presents the 2026 Golden Poppy Awards in recognition of the most distinguished books written and illustrated by creators who have made California their home.
Committees for each category are made up of booksellers throughout the state tasked with developing a list of five finalists and one winner.
**New** 2026 Timeline: In-Person Awards Ceremony!
Mid to Late January - Open For Submissions (Date TBA)
February 28th - Winter/Spring Titles Deadline
April 30th - Summer Titles Deadline
June 19th - Fall Titles/Final Submission Deadline
July 10th - Final Date for Books to Arrive to Committees
Week of August 17th - Office Notifies Finalists
August 24th - Finalists Announced
September 15th - **In-Person** Fall Fest Golden Poppy Awards Ceremony
Week of November 16th - Open Submissions for 2027 Winter Titles
Eligible Titles Must:
- Have a publication date between November 16, 2025-November 15th, 2026
- Be available for resale through traditional wholesale channels, fully returnable, and at standard industry discounts.
- The author/illustrator must live in California during the writing/illustrating process but does not need to be a resident at the time of publication/consideration.
In the non-fiction categories, work primarily focused on the State of California written by non-residents will be considered. The non-fiction committee will have final approval of these submissions.
- Books by authors who have won in the same category within the last two years would not be eligible for a Golden Poppy in the current year.
- We support human created work. Applicants will be asked to attest that their submission was not created by AI.
2026 Timeline for Submissions:
Beginning in mid-to-late January (date TBA), publishers are welcome to complete the submission form for eligible titles. Once the CALIBA office verifies eligibility, they will provide publishers with committee lists. Review copies should be submitted as early as possible upon receipt of committee lists.
We suggest that publishers send review copies:
- Winter/Spring titles by February 28th.
- Summer titles by April 30th.
- Fall titles by June 19th.
Final submission forms must be submitted by June 19th, 2026 at 5PM PST. The office will not process titles submitted after this date. Judges are not obligated to consider review copies that arrive after July 10th.
In the event of a dispute regarding eligibility, CALIBA will decide whether a book is eligible, and its decision will be binding.
Submissions for the 2026 Golden Poppy Awards will open mid-to-late January.
Cost for Submissions:
General cost for submission: $60
Cost for California-based publisher submission: $30
We have two prizes that celebrate diversity (Martin Cruz Smith Award: Emerging Diverse Voices and Mirrors & Windows: Excellence in Children's Literature). There is no charge for submitting titles to these categories.
2026 Finalists and Winners Announcements:
The shortlist of titles for the ballot will be announced in August 2026. Winners will be announced at Fall Fest on September 15th, 2026 at CALIBA's Fall Fest.