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Carnegie Awards Return to Matilda’s Stage with Host Joseph Coelho and New Sponsor Sora

carnegies.co.uk | #Carnegies2025 | @CarnegieMedals

Wednesday 29 January 2025: The Carnegie Awards Ceremony will return to the iconic Cambridge Theatre, home of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s multi award-winning Matilda The Musical, on 19 June 2025. Celebrating excellence in children’s and young adult literature, the live event will be hosted by Joseph Coelho, winner of the 2024 Carnegie Medal for Writing.

This year also marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Carnegies, with Sora joining as a sponsor for 2025-2027. Sora, the award-winning student reading app from OverDrive, will enhance accessibility by offering free digital access to shortlisted titles for the Carnegie Medal for Writing.

Joseph Coelho to Host Carnegies 2025 Ceremony

Joseph Coelho, celebrated playwright and author of over 50 books and 2022-24 Children’s Laureate, captured hearts in 2024 with his winning title The Boy Lost in The Maze. Reflecting on the Carnegies during his winner speech, Coelho said:

“The Carnegies holds a special place in the hearts of writers and illustrators because it’s judged by librarians […] A book isn’t finished until it is placed into the hands of a child. And librarians do that. They’re on the front line putting the right book into the right child’s hands at the right time.”

Taking the stage at the Cambridge Theatre to host the Carnegies, Coelho brings with him the inspiration drawn from his extensive travels to libraries across the UK. As Children’s Laureate, Joseph joined a library in every region of the UK – 213 libraries in total. The perfect figure to lead this year’s celebration of stories and storytelling, organised by CILIP: the library and information association.

Shadowing Groups: Join Us at the Cambridge Theatre

Hundreds of shadowers will have the opportunity to attend the ceremony in person at the Cambridge Theatre. Group leaders who attended last year praised the experience:

“We had an absolutely wonderful time, both inside and outside the theatre. The Matilda The Musical set lent the proceedings a real sense of occasion, and there was much excitement at the appearance of Mrs Phelps and Manjeet Mann. What an unforgettable way to end our Carnegie Shadowing Book Club.”

“I had such a wonderful time on Thursday and my shadowers had such an amazing day! The experience had a huge impact on them.”

Shadowing group leaders can now express their interest in attending the 2025 ceremony.

To attend the ceremony, groups must also register for 2025 Shadowing.

The ceremony will also be livestreamed, ensuring shadowing groups from across the UK and beyond can join the festivities virtually.

Spotlight on Sponsors

The 2025 Carnegie Awards are supported by three key sponsors: Scholastic, the official book supplier; ALCS; and Sora, the new official digital partner. Named one of TIME’s Best Inventions, the Sora student reading app will provide free access to all available shortlisted digital books for shadowing groups, enhancing inclusivity and fostering a love of reading among young people.

Louis Coiffait-Gunn, CEO of CILIP, welcomed Sora’s partnership, saying: “We are thrilled to collaborate with Sora as the Carnegies’ new digital sponsor. Their commitment to making books more accessible aligns perfectly with the Carnegies’ mission to inspire and empower the next generation to create a better world through books and reading.”

Nick Forster, Regional Manager, EMEA, Global Libraries & Education, OverDrive, added: “We are so excited to amplify our support of these prestigious awards as the new digital sponsor. All around the globe, librarians and teachers are using Sora to make access to digital books easier than ever. By offering free access to the Carnegie shortlists, we hope to inspire young readers, celebrate outstanding literature, and ensure that every student has the opportunity to connect with these incredible stories, no matter where they are.”

Find out more about how to access the shortlisted books through Sora.

The longlist for the 2025 Carnegies will be revealed online on 12 February, and the shortlists will be announced at a panel event at London Book Fair beginning at 3.15pm on Tuesday 11 March. Visit carnegies.co.uk to find out more.

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For further information on the Carnegies 2025 please visit: www.carnegies.co.uk    

The Carnegies logo can be downloaded here.

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For media and interview requests, please contact:
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NOTES TO EDITORS:

KEY DATES

About The Carnegies

About Sora

About Joseph Coelho

About CILIP, the library and information association

About Scholastic

About ALCS