By Erin L. Cox, Publisher | @erinlcox
Yesterday, the International Publishers Association announced the shortlist for their annual Innovation in Publishing Award.“There were many great nominations for this 3rd IPA Innovation in Publishing Prize,” said IPA President, Gvantsa Jobava. “Innovation is happening at so many different levels in publishing and it is great to be able to celebrate some of them through this short list.”
The award was founded in 2022 and is awarded every two years to those companies, groups, and individuals whose work, platform, products, or practices help the industry adapt to new circumstances and challenges. As an international organization, the IPA seeks to recognize those groups or individuals whose work can be replicated by others and benefit the global industry.
Past winners include the Brazilian Book Chamber’s Conexão Livraria and the Publishing 2030 Accelerator.
The 2026 IPA Innovation in Publishing Award shortlist nominees are:
- Abbecedario Inclusivo is an innovative, fully accessible alphabet-learning system designed to transform early literacy into a multisensory, inclusive, and engaging experience for every pupil. Rooted in the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), it offers a flexible, repeatable model that recognizes different learning approaches as a natural and valuable aspect of human diversity.
- Ailaysa Technologies is a multilingual AI company with dedicated solutions for publishers, and the creator of Chai Reader, an innovative reading and book-discovery platform.
- APA: Australia Reads is a nonprofit organization established by the Australian Publishers Association (APA) and with partners including Australian Libraries & Information Association, Society of Authors, Copyright Agency and BookPeople booksellers association with a goal to help encourage more people to read. Australia Reads uses world-first research to interrogate the barriers to reading and provide solutions to address them.
- Shimmr created an Advertising as a Service (AaaS) platform: an autonomous, subscription-based AI system that makes continuous book marketing economically viable for entire catalogues.
- Supadu Smart Buy Buttons were created to fix a persistent problem in the industry – readers would find the books they love, but not buy them. Designed with publishers and industry experts, Supadu’s Smart Buy Buttons simplify the buying journey, reduce friction, and turn browsing into buying.
The IPA Innovation in Publishing Award and the IPA Champion Award will be awarded at the 35th International Publishers Congress taking place in Kuala Lumpur, July 5-9, 2026.