Every January, librarians across the country wake up before dawn, refreshing their browsers and checking social media feeds for news that will shape children’s publishing for years. The announcement of the Newbery and Caldecott Medal winners is one of the most anticipated moments in the book world. But behind those early-morning reveals lies a months-long process that most readers never see.
Understanding how the Newbery and Caldecott committees vote to pick a winner means looking at a system built on careful reading, structured debate, and a ballot method designed to produce consensus rather than simple popularity. It is not a casual vote. It is a deliberative process that committee members spend an entire year preparing for.
In this guide, I will walk you through every stage of that process. You will learn how committees form, how books move through three nomination rounds, and how a ranked-choice voting system at the ALA Midwinter Meeting turns a year of reading into a single decision. Whether you are a librarian, a teacher running a mock election, or simply curious about how these medals get awarded, you will find the answers here.
Table of Contents
What Are the Newbery and Caldecott Medals and Why Do They Matter
The Newbery Medal was first awarded in 1922, making it the oldest children’s book award in the world. Frederic G. Melcher, a publisher and editor, proposed the medal to the American Library Association as a way to encourage original creative work in children’s literature. It was named after John Newbery, the eighteenth-century English bookseller often credited as the first publisher to make children’s books a distinct commercial category.
The Caldecott Medal followed in 1938, also proposed by Melcher. Where the Newbery recognizes distinguished writing, the Caldecott honors distinguished illustration in picture books. The medal is named after Randolph Caldecott, a nineteenth-century English illustrator whose work set early standards for visual storytelling in children’s publishing.
Both medals are administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). Winning either medal is widely considered the highest honor in American children’s literature. A medal stamp on a book cover can mean decades of print runs, automatic placement in school and library collections, and a permanent spot on recommended reading lists.
The awards also generate Honor Books, which are essentially runners-up. There is no fixed number of Honor Books. The committee can name as many or as few as it believes deserve recognition, though in practice most committees name between two and five. Both the medal winner and honor recipients are announced on the same morning at the ALA LibLearnX event, which replaced the former Midwinter Meeting as the announcement venue starting in 2022.
What makes these awards different from many others is the rigor behind the selection. The committees do not simply vote for personal favorites. They follow a detailed manual, engage in structured discussion, and use a weighted ballot designed to surface genuine consensus. That process is what gives the medals their authority.
How the Newbery and Caldecott Committees Are Formed Each Year
Each medal has its own separate committee of 15 voting members. The Newbery Committee evaluates text-based literary merit, while the Caldecott Committee focuses on artistic excellence in picture books. These are distinct groups that operate independently of each other, though they follow the same procedural framework.
Committee membership is a mix of elected and appointed positions. Each year, ALSC members vote for a portion of the committee through a ballot process. The ALSC president appoints the remaining members, along with the committee chair. This blend of election and appointment is designed to balance democratic representation with professional expertise.
Serving on a committee is a serious time commitment. Members begin their term early in the calendar year and serve through the following January, when the winner is announced. During that year, they are expected to read virtually every eligible book published in the United States by an American publisher. For the Newbery Committee, that often means reading several hundred titles. For the Caldecott Committee, the volume of picture books can be even higher.
The committee chair plays a distinctive role. Unlike the other 14 members, the chair does not vote during regular balloting rounds. The chair’s vote is reserved as a tiebreaker. The chair only casts a ballot if the committee is deadlocked and cannot reach a decision through the standard process. In practice, this rarely happens, but the rule exists as a safeguard.
Committee members are bound by strict confidentiality rules. They cannot reveal which books they are considering, which titles they have nominated, or what happens during committee discussions. This confidentiality extends beyond the announcement. Members are expected to keep deliberation details private indefinitely, which is one reason the full story of how a winner was chosen often does not surface until years later, if at all.
The selection of committee members also reflects an effort to include diverse professional perspectives. Members typically include school librarians, public librarians, university faculty specializing in children’s literature, and reviewers. The ALSC vice president, who becomes president the following year, is also an ex officio member of both committees, adding another layer of oversight to the process.
How Books Get Nominated Across the Three Reading Rounds
The nomination process is where the committee’s year of reading starts to take shape. It is not a free-for-all. There is a structured system of three nomination rounds, held in October, November, and December, that gradually narrows the field of contenders.
In each round, every committee member may nominate up to three books. However, there is a cumulative limit. Across all three rounds combined, each member can nominate a total of seven books. This forces members to be selective and strategic about which titles they put forward, since they cannot simply nominate every book they enjoyed.
Nominations are anonymous within the committee. When the list of nominated titles is shared with members, the names of the nominators are not attached. This anonymity is intentional. It prevents committee members from voting based on who suggested a book rather than on the book’s own merits. It also reduces social pressure during discussions.
After each round, the full list of nominated titles is compiled and distributed to all members. Books nominated in October remain on the list through November and December. New titles can be added in each round, but the cumulative seven-book limit means members must budget their nominations carefully across all three months.
By the end of December, the committee has a consolidated list of nominated books. This is not the final ballot. Rather, it is the working shortlist that members will focus on most intensely as they prepare for the in-person meeting. Books that were not nominated can still technically be discussed at the meeting, but in practice the nominated list drives most of the conversation.
The nomination rounds serve a second purpose beyond narrowing the field. They also signal to committee members which books are generating interest among their colleagues. A book that receives multiple nominations from different members clearly has broader support, while a book nominated by only one member may need a stronger case made for it during discussion.
Throughout this process, publishers are also sending review copies to committee members. While publishers cannot lobby or campaign for specific titles, they are allowed to submit books for consideration. Committee members also purchase and borrow books independently to ensure they see as many eligible titles as possible.
How the Newbery and Caldecott Committees Vote at Midwinter Meeting
The voting takes place at the ALA LibLearnX event in January, which was formerly known as the Midwinter Meeting. This is where the year of reading, the three nomination rounds, and months of private deliberation culminate in a single decision. The voting process is precise, structured, and unlike almost any other award system in publishing.
Before any vote happens, the committee meets in person for discussion. These discussions follow specific guidelines designed to keep conversation constructive. Members are expected to begin by identifying positives about a book before raising concerns. This positives-first approach is meant to prevent a single negative comment from dominating the conversation and to ensure every book gets a fair hearing.
Discussions are also confidential. What is said in the meeting stays in the meeting. Committee members cannot share notes, quotes, or even general impressions of the discussion with anyone outside the group. This confidentiality is part of what makes the committee’s deliberations so difficult to reconstruct after the fact.
Once discussion concludes, the committee moves to the selection ballot. This is where the voting mechanics come into play, and they are specific. The ballot is a ranked-choice system. Each member votes for three books, ranking them first, second, and third.
Here is how the points work. A first-place vote is worth four points. A second-place vote is worth three points. A third-place vote is worth two points. After all 15 ballots are cast, the tellers, who are designated committee members responsible for counting, tally the results.
To win the medal outright on the first ballot, a book must meet two criteria simultaneously. First, it must receive at least eight first-place votes, meaning a simple majority of the committee ranked it as their top choice. Second, it must accumulate at least 32 total points. And third, it must hold an 8-point lead over the second-place book. If a book meets all three thresholds, it wins immediately.
This is a deliberately high bar. It ensures the winner has not just broad support but deep support, meaning members are not just willing to see the book honored but actively believe it is the single best book of the year. The system is designed to prevent a book from winning through scattered second and third-place votes without genuine enthusiasm.
What happens if no book meets all three criteria on the first ballot? The committee does not simply hand the medal to whoever got the most points. Instead, they reopen discussion. Members can reconsider books, revisit arguments, and then vote again. This process can repeat through multiple ballots until a book meets the winning thresholds.
If the committee continues to struggle with reaching consensus, the process includes a mechanism for compromise. The committee can vote to reopen the ballot to include additional books that had been discussed but not originally on the final shortlist. This ensures that a strong contender is not eliminated simply because it was not on the initial ballot.
Let me walk through a simplified example. Imagine 15 members cast their ballots. Book A receives 7 first-place votes, 3 second-place votes, and 2 third-place votes. That gives Book A 28 points from first-place votes, 9 points from second-place votes, and 4 points from third-place votes, for a total of 41 points. Book B receives 5 first-place votes, 5 second-place votes, and 4 third-place votes, giving it 20 plus 15 plus 8, totaling 43 points. In this scenario, Book A has more first-place votes but fewer total points, and neither book has the required 8 first-place votes. The committee would discuss further and vote again.
Once a book finally meets all three criteria, it is declared the medal winner. The committee then votes on Honor Books from the remaining contenders. Honor Books do not need to meet the same point thresholds as the winner. They simply need enough support from the committee to be recognized as distinguished.
The entire voting session is conducted behind closed doors. No outside observers are present. The results are sealed and held in confidence until the official announcement, which happens the following morning at a press conference attended by publishers, authors, librarians, and media.
What Makes the Caldecott Committee Vote Differently From the Newbery
The voting mechanics are essentially identical between the two committees. Both use the same 15-member structure, the same three-round nomination process, and the same ranked-choice ballot with 4-3-2 point values. The differences lie not in how they vote but in what they evaluate.
The Newbery Committee judges text. Members look for distinguished writing, considering factors such as theme, plot, character development, setting, style, and literary quality. The committee is instructed to focus on the words on the page and how they serve the reader. Illustrations in a Newbery contender are not considered unless they are integral to the text itself.
The Caldecott Committee judges art. The official criteria instruct members to evaluate the artistic technique, the pictorial interpretation of the story, the appropriateness of style to the text, and the overall excellence of the visual presentation. The text still matters in a Caldecott contender, but it is the illustration that must be distinguished. A beautifully written book with mediocre art would not be a Caldecott contender, just as a gorgeously illustrated book with weak text would not win the Newbery.
Because the Caldecott Committee focuses on visual elements, discussions often involve close examination of the artwork. Members may discuss page turns, use of color, composition, how illustrations extend or enhance the text, and whether the art is appropriate for the intended audience. These conversations can be quite technical, involving analysis of artistic choices that a casual reader might overlook.
The two committees also read different volumes of material. The Newbery Committee reads novels, chapter books, poetry collections, and nonfiction for children through age 14. The Caldecott Committee reads picture books, which tend to be shorter individually but far more numerous. Both committees face an enormous reading load, but the Caldecott group often processes a higher total number of titles.
Despite these differences in focus, the deliberative process remains the same. Both committees hold confidential discussions, use the positives-first discussion format, and apply the same winning criteria to their respective ballots. The integrity of the process is consistent across both awards.
Why the Voting Results Stay Secret Until Announcement Day
Confidentiality is not just a courtesy. It is a core principle of the committee process, written into the official manual and enforced through professional norms. Committee members sign confidentiality agreements and are expected to maintain silence about every aspect of their work.
This secrecy serves several purposes. First, it protects authors and illustrators from premature speculation or disappointment. If word leaked that a particular book was a frontrunner and then lost, the author could face public embarrassment that the committee never intended. Second, it prevents outside influence. If publishers, agents, or fans knew which books were under serious consideration, they might attempt to lobby committee members or generate pressure campaigns.
Third, and perhaps most importantly, confidentiality protects the integrity of the discussion itself. Committee members need to feel free to express honest opinions, including changing their minds, without worrying that their words will be scrutinized publicly. The closed-door format allows for genuine intellectual exchange that might not happen if members felt they were performing for an audience.
After the vote, committee members are permitted to share some limited information. They can confirm that they served on the committee and discuss their general experience. But they cannot reveal specific vote counts, disclose which books were under final consideration, or describe the content of discussions. These restrictions remain in place indefinitely, which is why detailed accounts of committee deliberations are rare.
The announcement itself is a carefully staged event. The ALA holds a youth media awards press conference, typically on a Monday morning in January, where the Newbery and Caldecott winners and honor books are revealed alongside dozens of other awards. The timing is coordinated so that all awards are announced in rapid succession, creating a wave of news that dominates children’s publishing coverage for the day.
For authors and illustrators, getting that early-morning phone call from the committee chair is a career-defining moment. For committee members, it is the end of a year of intense, quiet work that they can finally talk about in limited ways. And for readers, it is the beginning of a new wave of books to discover, debate, and cherish.
FAQs
How is the Newbery Award winner chosen?
The Newbery Medal is chosen by a 15-member committee that reads eligible books throughout the year, nominates titles across three rounds in October, November, and December, then votes using a ranked-choice ballot at the ALA LibLearnX event in January. To win outright on the first ballot, a book must receive at least 8 first-place votes, accumulate at least 32 total points, and hold an 8-point lead over the runner-up. If no book meets all three thresholds, the committee reopens discussion and votes again.
How is the Caldecott Award winner chosen?
The Caldecott Medal is chosen through the same voting process as the Newbery Medal, but the committee evaluates illustration rather than text. A separate 15-member committee focuses on artistic technique, pictorial interpretation, and visual excellence in picture books. The nomination rounds, ranked-choice ballot, and winning criteria of 8 first-place votes, 32 points, and an 8-point lead are identical to the Newbery process.
Can a book win both Newbery and Caldecott?
No book has ever won both the Newbery and Caldecott Medals in the same year. The Newbery recognizes distinguished writing while the Caldecott recognizes distinguished illustration, making it extremely rare for a single book to be the strongest in both categories simultaneously. In theory it is possible since the awards have separate committees that do not coordinate, but in practice the different evaluation criteria make a double win unlikely.
How many people are on the Newbery and Caldecott committees?
Each committee has 15 voting members. The committee chair does not vote during regular balloting and only casts a ballot as a tiebreaker if the committee is deadlocked. Members are a mix of elected ALSC representatives and appointed professionals, typically including school librarians, public librarians, and children’s literature specialists.
How many books does the Newbery committee read?
There is no fixed number, but Newbery Committee members typically read several hundred eligible books over the course of their term. They are expected to read virtually every children’s book published by an American publisher during the eligibility year. The Caldecott Committee often processes an even higher volume of titles since picture books are shorter but more numerous.
What happens if no book meets the winning criteria on the first ballot?
If no book receives 8 first-place votes, 32 total points, and an 8-point lead on the first ballot, the committee reopens discussion and votes again. This process can repeat through multiple rounds. The committee can also vote to add additional books to the ballot if they feel a strong contender was excluded, ensuring no worthy book is eliminated prematurely.
Why the Newbery and Caldecott Voting Process Earns Its Prestige
When you look at how the Newbery and Caldecott committees vote to pick a winner, the rigor becomes obvious. This is not a popularity contest or a casual preference poll. It is a structured, confidential, multi-stage process that demands a full year of dedicated reading, careful nomination, and deliberate consensus-building.
The ranked-choice ballot with its 8 first-place vote, 32 point, and 8-point lead thresholds is specifically designed to ensure that the winning book has genuine, deep support from the committee. A book cannot sneak through on scattered second and third choices. It must be the book that committee members believe, after hundreds of hours of reading and debate, is truly the most distinguished of the year.
If you want to experience the process yourself, consider running a mock Newbery or mock Caldecott election with your students, book club, or library group. Just remember that the real committee process, with its confidentiality rules and weighted ballot system, is far more complex than any classroom simulation. Understanding how it actually works is the first step toward appreciating why these medals carry the weight they do.