Winners of the Carnegie Medals 2025 are announced

The winners of the UK's longest-running book awards for children and young people, The Carnegies, were announced today at a ceremony in London.

Debut author Margaret McDonald has won the Carnegie Medal for Writing for her "life changing and emotional" novel Glasgow Boys (Faber), which explores mental health, trauma, inequality and identity through the friendship between two boys who have grown up in foster care. 

The winner of the Carnegie Medal for Illustration is Olivia Lomenech Gill for Clever Crow, written by Chris Butterworth (Walker Books), which encourages readers to look afresh at a fascinating, but often maligned, bird.

The Carnegies award, which celebrates achievement in children's writing and illustration, is judged by an expert panel of children's and youth librarians, including 14 librarians from CILIP: the library and information association's Youth Libraries Group. The winners were chosen from a strong shortlist of 16 books.

This year's event was hosted by the 2024 Carnegie Medal for Writing winner, and former Children's Laureate, Joseph Coelho.

Carnegie Medals Shadowers' choices

Each year thousands of reading groups in schools and libraries in the UK and around the world also get involved in the Awards, with young people 'shadowing' the judging process, debating and choosing their own winners from this year's shortlist.

The winner of the Carnegie Shadowers' Choice Medal for Writing is King of Nothing by Nathanael Lessore (Bonnier Books UK), a YA novel about a bully whose new friendship with an unpopular classmate proves a catalyst for change, exploring young masculinity with "warmth, humour and authenticity". Shadowing groups commented on the book's relatability and humour as it describes the challenges of being a teenager. 

The winner of the Carnegie Shadowers' Choice Medal for Illustration is Homebody by author-illustrator Theo Parish (Macmillan Children's Books), an empowering graphic novel exploring identity, self-discovery and the importance of living authentically. Shadowers commented on the book's powerful storyline and comic-like design and its exploration of identity.

Ros Harding, chair of judges for The Carnegies 2025, said: "Glasgow Boys is an immersive and visceral read that completely draws the reader into the present and past lives of Finlay and Banjo. It is a book that will stay in the minds of the reader long after finishing it. Clever Crow is full of stunning, innovative and detailed illustrations that elevate this fascinating non-fiction book into something even more special that demands reading over and over again."

Carnegie Medal for Writing winner Margaret McDonald

Former NHS worker, 27-year-old Scottish author Margaret McDonald is the youngest winner of the award in its nearly 90-years history for Glasgow Boys, which she started writing when she was a student. She has weaved her own experience of Crohn's Disease and pain medication dependency into Glasgow Boys, as well as drawing on her working-class background and experiences of being a first-generation university student.

The judges praised her "sensitive and emotionally honest" exploration of the lack of support young people get when leaving care, which is balanced with a message of hope for the future offered by the boys' friendship. Featuring Scots dialect, Glasgow Boys is described as "a homage to McDonald's vibrant, multicultural hometown". Margaret McDonald will donate her prize money to Action for Children, one of the UK's leading children's charities supporting children and young people living in care.

Margaret McDonald said she was "utterly delighted" to have won the award. "With Glasgow Boys, it was my intention to bring into the light things that are often overlooked as a working class, disabled and first-generation university student, but mainly the difficulties of making your way through a world that is essentially not built for you. We don't often speak of these invisible barriers but navigate them regardless.

"It was something that was deeply important for me to showcase the strength, the community, the humour and the love of the people within Glasgow Boys, including but not exclusive to care experienced people, healthcare workers, hospitality staff, queer people, immigrants, and the working class."

Carnegie Medal for Illustration winner Olivia Lomenech Gill

Olivia Lomenech Gill is a British fine artist and illustrator who was previously shortlisted for the Medal for Illustration for Where My Wellies Take Me, written by Michael and Clare Morpurgo. Lomenech Gill's interest in birds and the natural world stems from her scientist father and a childhood enjoyment of studying zoological collections at the Natural History Museum in Oxford.

Clever Crow features endpapers depicting 19 different coloured eggs drawn to scale, and the corresponding adult birds, introducing readers to members of the crow family from around the world, whilst a dark colour palette used throughout creates a "raw, organic and earthy feel", said the judges.

The judges praised Lomenech Gill's immersive artwork, which they said gives a sense of movement and energy to the playful crows and her use of "deliberately messy techniques" such as ink splats, torn notebook pages and water staining to give the birds a playful and childlike quality. Olivia Lomenech Gill plans to use her prize money on a project to support schools, education, and libraries in Palestine.

Olivia Lomenech Gill said she was grateful to the judges for choosing her as this year's winner. "I have always had an immense respect for librarians and the vital work they do, so I cannot think of a greater honour than being selected for this award." Working on Clever Crow was, she added, "a great opportunity to learn more about these very clever and sociable birds, and I hope that the book might encourage readers to look at crows from a different viewpoint than the rather negative stereotype as portrayed in fairy tales, horror movies, and Hitchcock!"

The winners of the Carnegie Medals for Writing and Illustration will each receive a specially commissioned golden medal and a £5,000 Colin Mears Award cash prize. The winners of the Shadowers' Choice Medals - voted for and awarded by the children and young people - will also receive a golden medal and £500 to donate to a library of their choice

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