Founded by Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, the international initiative enters its fourth cycle across three core categories, accepting entries until January 12, 2027.
SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates — October 9, 2026 : PublisHer, the international initiative dedicated to advancing female leadership across the book publishing sector, has officially opened nominations for the fourth cycle of the PublisHer Excellence Awards.
The global platform, established by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, aims to address gender disparities in executive leadership while spotlighting women who have shaped literature, book trade operations, and publishing technology worldwide.
Submissions for the 2027 edition remain open through January 12, 2027, with the official awards ceremony scheduled to take place in April 2027.
The initiative was established in 2022 to provide tangible career equity, executive visibility, and sustained mentorship networks for women across every tier of the publishing ecosystem. Over three preceding cycles, the awards have drawn contenders from editorial offices, rights and licensing agencies, marketing divisions, distribution chains, and independent publishing startups.
The 2026 edition underscored this expanding geographic footprint, logging 102 verified nominations spanning 34 countries.
“Every PublisHer Excellence Awards cycle reaffirms how much female talent, creativity and vision there is in every corner of our industry,” said Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, Founder of PublisHer. “Opening nominations for a fourth year is a chance to bring more of that leadership into the light, because the more women we recognize, the more we change what leadership in publishing looks like.”
The 2027 cycle features three dedicated competitive categories:
- Emerging Leader Award: Tailored for early-career professionals demonstrating exceptional initiative, strategic thinking, and the capacity to drive structural progress within their organizations or wider communities.
- Innovation Award: Presented to leaders spearheading transformative shifts across storytelling, modern editorial curation, corporate governance, publishing technologies, or sustainable business models.
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Conferred upon an established publisher whose career-long dedication has delivered sustained, measurable progress to the global literary landscape.
PublisHer has called upon publishing houses, literary agencies, industry associations, and academic presses to actively participate. Nominations may be submitted directly by peers, employers, or industry colleagues—regardless of gender—while direct self-nominations from qualifying candidates are also accepted.
Submissions will undergo a comprehensive review process led by an independent panel of international publishing professionals ahead of the shortlist announcement early next year.
