Hello, friends – what a pleasure it was to co-host the 2025 Australian Business Book Awards (The ABBA’s) with my good friend and co-founder, Michael Hanrahan . After having some time to reflect, I’m impressed by the passion and camaraderie of the judging process and most importantly the extraordinary calibre of this year’s business books.
Seven Years On: The Evolution of the ABBAs
Can you believe it’s been seven years? When we first launched the ABBAs, Michael and I had no idea it would become such a mainstay in the Australian publishing calendar. The ABBA’s are thriving, growing, and increasingly recognised as a benchmark for nonfiction and business writing excellence, something we’re very proud of.
This year’s ceremony felt different, in all the best ways. Not only did we live stream the event, but for the first time, we had a live watch party in Melbourne (shout-out to Tess McCabe for making that happen). There’s a real sense of community with these awards, both online and in person, and we are so grateful for what has been created.
Acknowledgement & Gratitude
None of this would be possible without the tireless work of our supporters and sponsors. The Wheeler Centre gave us the perfect backdrop for our shortlist day (as bookish as it gets!), Booktopia and Wiley came on board as new sponsors, and old friends like Scott Eathorne from Quikmark Media, and Lesley Williams from Major Street Publishing, were right beside us again.
I’ve got to give a special thank you to Leslie, as many of you know, I was out of action at the start of the year, and Leslie stepped up to keep everything running smoothly. And to Anna (Michael’s partner), you may try to “not be involved,” but we keep finding reasons to pull you back in!
How the ABBAs Work: Judging with Integrity
We take judging incredibly seriously. Every single book entered first faces our shortlist day with a roomful of book nerds (as Kate Christie joyfully puts it). Each title is reviewed by nine judges, an impressive blend of publishing experts, successful authors, and specialists from across industries.
If you get through that, your book then goes to three independent judges per category, six if you’ve entered two categories. We score based on nine defined criteria, ranging from cover design and originality of thought to structure, clarity, and depth. Importantly, we’re rigorous about conflicts of interest: judges never assess works they’ve been directly involved with.
The logistics of this are huge, with well over a hundred books, a mountain of PDFs, print copies criss-crossing the country, and thousands of lines entered in our judging spreadsheets. But it’s absolutely worth it to ensure the awards stand up to scrutiny and truly reflect the best business publishing in Australia.
We extremely aware of possible ‘conflict of interest’ – as the publishing world is relatively small. If any of the judges have played any role in a book, no matter how remotely, they acknowledge this and have no part in the judging of that particular book.
Raising the Bar (And Supporting Literacy)
I’m genuinely thrilled at the ever-increasing quality and professionalism of the entries. We seen an increase in the quality of books published over the seven years we’ve been running the awards. Judges like Kate Christie , Bushy Martin , and Annie Reid all commented on just how hard it was to distinguish this year, not because the books weren’t up to scratch, but because they were all so strong. The gap between traditional and self-published books continues to shrink, and our finalists really do represent the pinnacle.
Best of all, the ABBAs remain not-for-profit. Aside from covering costs, any extra funds go directly to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation , a perfect match for our mission. This year alone, we’ll donate around $8,500, bringing our total to an amazing $73,500 since the awards began. Here’s to $100,000 in our first decade!
The 2025 Australian Business Book Awards Winners: Celebrating Excellence
We awarded across eight categories, plus the coveted Book of the Year. I wish we could highlight every single finalist, but a special congratulations goes to the category winners:
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Entrepreneurship & Small Business: The Business Bible by Victoria Devine
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General Business: The Chairman’s Lounge by Joe Aston
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Health & Wellbeing: Demystifying Dementia by Rose Cap
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Leadership: Breaking the Boss Bias by Catherine Fox
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Management & HR: The Negotiation Playbook by Glyn Bailey
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Personal Development: The Negotiation Playbook by Glyn Bailey (again, two categories, an absolute standout!)
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Personal Finance & Investment: Quick Start Guide to Investing by Glenn James & Nick Bradley
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Specialist Business: Six Figures While You Sleep by Kate Toon
Book of the Year
And the grand finale, Book of the Year went to Quick Start Guide to Investing by Glen James & Nick Bradley, a engaging and truly accessible finance book that judges praised for being clear, actionable, and perfectly targeted to its audience. Published by the great Australian publisher, Wiley.
This standout title captured the judges’ attention for its clarity, accessibility, and powerful impact on readers new to investing. The book rose above a highly competitive field, impressing with its user-focused approach and practical advice, making the complex world of investing approachable for every reader. The judges noted that it’s one of the first books they encountered that genuinely empowers those lacking financial confidence to become more informed and proactive with their money.
Glenn James and Nick Bradley, both highly regarded for their expertise, have crafted a conversational, welcoming resource that demystifies investment basics. Their achievement in winning Book of the Year reflects not only the outstanding quality of their work but also the importance of promoting financial literacy in Australia.
One Last Word
To everyone who entered: you have achieved something significant. Writing and publishing a book, let alone being recognised as a finalist, is no small feat. Please, don’t measure success solely by an award or a trophy. Know that you are part of a vibrant, growing tradition that uplifts Australian business thinking.
Thank you to our judges, sponsors, and the broader bookish community. It’s your passion that makes the ABBAs so incredibly special.
Here’s to another year of inspiring books, courageous authors, and a community that champions the written word. Onward to 2026.
If you want to get involved, sponsor, or have ideas on how to make the ABBAs even better, reach out to Michael Hanrahan or myself. We’d love to hear from you.
Cheers,
Andrew Griffiths
You can watch the entire recording of the awards ceremony below.
