Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry

Depending on the year, there were several awards conferred, as some of the awards were only bestowed biannually. The awards were co-produced by the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers and the Manitoba Writers' Guild. Awards include the Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book, the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction, the Carol Shields Award for best Winnipeg book, the Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher, the Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction, the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award and others. Past winners include Miriam Toews, David Bergen, Joan Thomas, W.P. Kinsella, Carol Shields and others.

Manitoba Book Awards winners • Year — Award — Author — Title — Ref. • 2007 — Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction — Faith — A Great Restlessness: the Life and Politics of Dorise Nielsen • Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry — Laurie — Time out of Mind • Best Illustrated Book of the Year — Early Masters: Inuit Sculpture 1949-1955 • Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award — Serena — Winnipeg Modern: Architecture 1945 to 1975 • Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book — Faith — A Great Restlessness: the Life and Politics of Dorise Nielsen • John Hirsch Most Promising Writer Award — Anita • le Prix littéraire Rue-Deschambault — Bathélemy — Manguiers têtus • Manuela Dias Award for Book Design — Relish — Going Downtown: A History of Portage Avenue • Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction — Melissa — Beautiful Girl Thumb • Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher — Faith — A Great Restlessness: the Life and Politics of Dorise Nielsen • McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award - Older — Larry — Lost Treasures: True Stories of Discovery • McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award - Younger — Colleen — Raise a Little Stink • McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award — Faith — A Great Restlessness: the Life and Politics of Dorise Nielsen • 2008 — Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction — Jim — Canada's Wheat King: The Life and Times of Seager Wheeler • Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry — Alison — Wolf Tree • Best Illustrated Book of the Year — Frank Reimer Design (design) and Ernest Mayer (photography) — Take Comfort: the Career of Charles Comfort • Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award — Roland — A Glowing Dream: A Memoir • Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book — Alison — Wolf Tree • John Hirsch Most Promising Writer Award — Carolyn • Manuela Dias Award for Book Design — Frank Reimer Design (design) and Ernest Mayer (photography) — Take Comfort: the Career of Charles Comfort • Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction — Lois — The Penance Drummer and Other Stories • Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher — John — The North End: Photographs by John Paskievich • McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award - Older — Kevin Marc — Sandbag Shuffle • McNally Robinson Book of the Year — Wayne — Be Wolf • 2009 — Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction — J.M. — Lord Selkirk: A Life • Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry — Rosanna — this is a small northern town • Best Illustrated Book of the Year — Darlene and Frank Reimer — The Harry Winrob Collection of Inuit Sculpture • Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award — André Carol J. Harvey — Saint-Boniface 1908-2008: reflets d'une ville • Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book — Daria — The Prairie Bridesmaid • John Hirsch Most Promising Writer Award — Michael • le Prix littéraire Rue-Deschambault — Lise — L'endroit et l'envers • Manuela Dias Award for Book Design — Louise and Susan Chafe — Pauline Boutal, Destin d'artiste • Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction — David — The Retreat • Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher — Louise — Pauline Boutal, Destin d'artiste • McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award - Older — Colleen — My Mother is a French Fry and Further Proof of my Fuzzed-Up Life • McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award - Younger — Joe and Matrine McLellan — Goose Girl • McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award — David — The Retreat • 2010 — Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction — Robert J. — An American by Degrees: The Extraordinary Lives of French Ambassador Jules Jusserand • Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry — Jan — Mama Dada • Best Illustrated Book of the Year — Gerry — All Our Changes: Images from the Sixties Generation • Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award — Esyllt W. Gerald Friesen — Prairie Metropolis: New Essays on Winnipeg Social History • Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book — Michael — Talk • John Hirsch Most Promising Writer Award — Ariel • Manuela Dias Award for Book Design — Zach — Dead on Arrival: Faculty of Architecture, University of Manitoba Journal 2009 • Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction — Deborah — an unexpected break in the weather • Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher — Heather and Barbara Huck — Wild West: Nature Living on the Edge • McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award - Older — Eva — Puppet • McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award - Younger — Colleen — Timmerman Was Here • McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award — Allan — Coming of Age: A History of the Jewish People of Manitoba • 2011 — Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction — Emma — When the Other Is Me: Native Resistance Discourse, 1850-1990 • Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry — Ariel — Hump • Best Illustrated Book of the Year — Greg and John Toone with James Rewucki — The Imagination Manifesto • Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award — David — The Matter With Morris • Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book — Sheila — High Speed Crow • John Hirsch Most Promising Writer Award — Michelle • Le Prix Littéraire rue-Deschambault — Lise — Lointaines • Manuela Dias Award for Book Design — Jess — A Dogs Breakfast: A Chef's Guide to Healthy Home Cooking for Your Favorite Pooch • Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction — David — The Matter With Morris • Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher — Michelle — I Still Don't Even Know You • McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award - Older — Maureen — Ortega • McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award — Dora — This Hidden Thing • 2012 — Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction — Allan — King: William Lyon MacKenzie King: A Life Guided by the Hand of Destiny • Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry — J. R. — Poème Pierre Prière • Best Illustrated Book of the Year — Miriam — David's Trip to Paraguay: The Land of Amazing Colours • Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award — Sandi — Ravenscraig • Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book — Sue — A Large Harmonium • John Hirsch Most Promising Writer Award — Jennifer • Manuela Dias Award for Book Design — J. R. — Poème Pierre Prière • Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction — Alison — The Girl in the Wall • Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher — W. P. — Butterfly Winter • McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award - Older — Colleen — Tori by Design • McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award - Younger — Larry — S is for Scientists: A Discovery Alphabet • McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award — Esmé Claire — Not Being on a Boat • Michael Van Rooy Award for Genre Fiction — Susie — The Thirteen • 2013 — Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction — Darlene — Creation and Transformation: Defining Moments in Inuit Art • Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry — Jonathan — The Politics of Knives • Best Illustrated Book of the Year — Esyllt — Imagining Winnipeg: History through the Photographs of L.B. Foote • Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award — David — The Age of Hope • Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book — Kristian — Sonar • John Hirsch Most Promising Writer Award — Kristian • Le Prix Littéraire rue-Deschambault — Raymond M. — La Révolution Tranquille • Lifetime Achievement Award — Dennis • Manuela Dias Award for Book Design — Nicole and Brandon Bergem — Warehouse Journal Vol. 21 • Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction — David — The Age of Hope • Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher — Chadwick — Thunder Road • McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award - Older — Kevin Marc — The Green-Eyed Queen of Suicide City • McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award — Meira — The House on Sugarbush Road • 2021 — Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction — David — Black Water: Family, Legacy, and Blood Money • Book Design — Julie (editor) — Becoming Our Future: Global Indigenous Curatorial Practice • Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award — David — Black Water: Family, Legacy, and Blood Money • Chris Johnson Award for Best Play by a Manitoba Playwright — Lara — Dragonfly • Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book — Andrew — Once Removed • Graphic Novel — Kateri et al. — This Place: 150 Years Retold • Illustration — Lisa — I Will See You Again • Le Prix Littéraire rue-Deschambault — Amber — Boussole Franche • Manitowapow Award — Duncan and Lenard Monkman • Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction — Jonathan — The Lightning of Possible Storms • Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher — Magdalene — Making Believe: Questions about Mennonites and Art • McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award - Older — Colleen — Harvey Comes Home • McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award — David — Here the Dark • 2022 — Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction — Helen Olsen Agger — Dadibaajim: Returning Home through Narrative • Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award — Seream — Mont-Blanc-Winnipeg Express • Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book — Rowan McCandless — Persephone's Children: A Life in Fragments • Co-winner, Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book — Jillian Horton — We Are All Perfectly Fine: A Memoir of Love, Medicine and Healing • John Hirsch Emerging Manitoba Writer Award — Chimwemwe Undi • Manuela Dias Book Design and Illustration Awards: Book Design — Chelsea Colburn & Teresa Lyons — Warehouse Journal, Volume Thirty • Manuela Dias Book Design and Illustration Awards: Illustration — Category held over until 2023 • Manuela Dias Book Design and Illustration Awards: Children's Illustration — Brenlee Coates, illustrations by Roberta Landreth — You Came From My Heart • Lansdowne Prize for Poetry — Joel Robert Ferguson — The Lost Cafeteria • Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction — Patricia Roberston — Hour of the Crab • Co-winner, Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction — Bob Armstrong — Prodigies • Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher — Ed. by Andrew Woolford, authors Survivors of the Assiniboia Indian Residential School — Did you See Us?: Reunion, Remembrance, and Reclamation at an Urban Indian Residential School • Michael Van Rooy Award for Genre Fiction — Catherine Macdonald — So Many Windings: A Reverened Charles Lauchlan Mystery • McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award — David Bergen — Out of Mind • McNally Robinson Book for Young People (Younger Category) — Tasha Spillett-Sumner — I Sang You Down from the Stars • Le Prix littéraire Rue-Deschambault — Amber O'Reilly — Boussole Franche • 2023 — Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction — Meeka Walsh — Malleable Forms: Selected Essays • Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award — David A. Robertson — The Theory of Crows • Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book — Linda Trinh, illustrations by Clayton Nguyen — The Secret of the Jade Bangle • Co-winner, Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book — Jonathan Dyck — Shelterbelts • Manitowapow Award — CO-WINNERS: William Dumas, David A. Robertson, Joshua Whitehead • Manuela Dias Book Design and Illustration Awards: Book Design — Alieha Pascua, Dave Castillo, & Joanna Babadilla — Warehouse Journal, Volume 31 • Manuela Dias Book Design and Illustration Awards: Illustration — Jackie Traverse, foreword by Gramma Shingoose, illustration by Jackie Traverse, cover and interior design by Melody Morrissette — Resilience: Honouring the Children of Residential Schools • Manuela Dias Book Design and Illustration Awards: Graphic Novel — David A. Robertson, illustrations by Scott B. Henderson, colouring by Donovan Yaciuk, lettering by Andrew Thomas, cover and interior design by Jennifer Lum — Version Control • Lansdowne Prize for Poetry — Sarah Ens — The World Is Mostly Sky • Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction — Méira Cook — The Full Catastrophe • Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher — Elizabeth Yeoman, cover design by David Drummond — Exactly What I Said: Translating Words and Worlds • McNally Robinson Book for Young People (Younger Category) — Primrose Madayag Knazan — Lessions in Fusion • Co-Winner, McNally Robinson Book for Young People (Younger Category) — David A. Robertson — The Stone Child: The Misewa Saga, Book Three • McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award — Jonathan Dyck — Shelterbetls • Le Prix littéraire Rue-Deschambault — Lise Gaboury Diallo — Petites déviations • 2024 — Awards placed on hiatus, November 2023