The Topp Twins scored a bestseller with their life story. Photo: RNZ
The Topp Twins' memoir has come in tops at the 2024 Aotearoa New Zealand Book Industry Awards.
Untouchable Girls: The Topp Twins' Story is the best selling New Zealand title for 2024.
The prize was presented to The Topp Twins at a gala dinner emceed by Paddy Gower in Auckland on Saturday night.
The book's publisher, Allen and Unwin, won the Marketing and Publicity Strategy of the Year Award for its campaign promoting it.
The awards were among 15 honours presented for excellence, success and innovation in the book industry between April 2023 and March 2024.
Other awards include the Nielsen BookData NZ International Bestseller Award which went to Atlas - The Story of Pa Salt by Lucinda Riley and Harry Whittaker, and Libro.fm Audiobook of the Year Award went to Māori Made Easy by Scotty Morrison.
Two stores jointly won the Nielsen BookData NZ Bookshop of the Year: Petronella's Bookstore in Tekapo and The Booklover in Milford.
The judges said in a statement they were impressed with all entries in this category which reflected the strategy and effort tbehind selling books.
"The decision was difficult, but ultimately Petronella's and The Booklover share the award for their business success, place in the community, inviting stores and for their outstanding knowledge of their respective markets."
Other awards included:
- Moa Press, Nielsen BookData NZ Publisher of the Year
- BookHub website, Innovation Award
- Penguin Random House New Zealand, Mana Māori Award
- Fungi of Aotearoa New Zealand by Liv Sisson (Penguin Random House NZ) and The Observologist by Giselle Clarkson (Gecko Press), joint Booksellers' Choice Winners
- Mike Hill and Susan Holmes, the founders of sales and distribution agency BookReps, Lifetime Achievement Award.
- HarperCollins NZ sales and marketing coordinator Laura Jager and Penguin Random House NZ sales representative Paula Pengelly, joint winners, Sales Professional of the Year Award
- Melissa Oliver of Unity Books Wellington, Emerging Bookseller of the Year Award
- Grace Wang, campaign manager at Allen and Unwin NZ, Emerging Publisher of the Year Award
- Gisborne Paper Plus Paper Plus, Book Retailer of the Year Award
Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand association manager Renee Rowland said she is delighted for each of this year's winners in a challenging time for booksellers.
"Booksellers, like most retailers, are impacted by the softening in sales across the motu. The winners celebrated this evening have all pushed the boat out, working extremely hard, as all our bookseller members do, to ensure success now and in the future.
"On behalf of the association, I thank and salute you all."