Past Winners

Each year, the BookTok Indie Author Awards recognize outstanding independent authors and stories across multiple genres, craft disciplines, and reader-driven categories.

Below are the official winners.

2025 Award Winners

Age/Audience

M.D. LaBelle — Mr. Creeper’s Chiller Book 2: The Girl with No Reflection

Ariel N. Anderson — Under Your Scars

Tambi Smith — Where to Find Your Dragon: Michael’s Adventure to Find His Fire

General Fiction

M.L. Burns — Heavy

Becca Storm — The Last Coven

Kelly Scriven — Taking Flight

Romance

M.D. LaBelle — It Had to Be You

Emily Klepp — Until I Break

Tina S. Transformation — Broken

Tylor Paige — Slash or Pass

Fantasy & Speculative

Whit Stanfield — A Sea of Song and Sirens

Ezekiel Eversand — Kingfall

Izzy Elliot — My Pucking Family

Loren Little — A House of Cloaks and Daggers

C.K. Franziska — Dreamcursed

Fantasy & Speculative

Phineas Delgado — Where Nightmares Walk

Alexis Patton — Us Dark Few

Thriller/Mystery

Spencer Guerrero — My Mother-in-Law Must Die

M.D. LaBelle — Just Love Me

Tee Harlowe — Potions and Prejudice

Horror

Luna K. Wicked — Painter’s Obsession: Volume 1

Aiden Pierce — Burn for Jack

Representation & Inclusion

Gretchen Powell Fox — Smoke and Scar

Format Based Fiction

Cara Blaine — Blood Loss & Dandelions

Non-Fiction

C.A. Baynam — The Candy Man

Craft & Writing

Rae Knight — Why Don’t You Save Me

Rae Knight — Why Don’t You Make Me

M.A. Savino — You Should’ve Kept Driving

Rae Knight — Why Don’t You Make Me

L.O. Gold — The Devil Within

Kier Smelcer — A Thousand Burning Ravens

Ezekiel Eversand — Kingfall

Reader Experience

S.J. Tilly — Mountain Boss

M.D. LaBelle — Lusting After Mr. Knight

Ariel N. Anderson — Under Your Scars

Rae Knight — Why Don’t You Make Me

Series & Character Awards

C.N. Crawford & Alex Rivers — Fae Academy for Spies

Cassie Kennedy — Now Is the Time of Monsters — A.G. Mock

Ryder — Why Don’t You Make Me — Rae Knight

Ryder — Why Don’t You Make Me — Rae Knight

Creator & Community

Rae Knight — Why Don’t You Save Me

M.A. Savino — You Should’ve Kept Driving

Rae Knight — Why Don’t You Make Me

Production

Luna K. Wicked — Painter’s Obsession

Ariel N. Anderson — Under Your Scars
Narrated by Joe Arden

© 2026 BookTok Indie Author Awards. All rights reserved.

Independently organized. Not affiliated with TikTok or ByteDance.