Founded in 1995, these awards honor the best books about New York City published in a given year, regardless of genre.

The 2019 winners were

• Cynthia Brenwall, The Central Park: Original Designs for New York’s Greatest Treasure (Harry N. Abrams)
• Matthew Goodman, The City Game: Triumph, Scandal, and a Legendary Basketball Team (Ballantine Books)
• Willie Perdomo, The Crazy Bunch (Penguin Books)
• Hugh Ryan, When Brooklyn Was Queer: A History (St. Martin’s Press)
• The Hornblower Award for a First Book: Claire Jimenez, Staten Island Stories (Johns Hopkins University Press)

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no ceremony was held during 2020. Our 2019 winners were honored the following year at the 25th Anniversary New York City Book Awards.

The New York City Book Awards were generously underwritten by Ellen M. Iseman. The Hornblower Award was generously underwritten by Jenny Lawrence.