The Change Ninja Book Awards
Uncovering the hidden gems in business and self-development. No self-nominations. No pay-to-play. No big publishing machines. Just real readers recommending real books.
#TCNBA2026
Why These Awards Exist
The industry has an echo-chamber problem. The same few names get spotlighted, the same algorithm-friendly titles get reviewed, and the genuinely useful stuff — written by independent thinkers who don't have PR machines behind them — gets buried.
TCNBA exists to fix that. These awards are reader-nominated and deliberately designed to surface the books that actually make a difference to how people think and work.
No one pays to enter. No one self-nominates. If your book is here, it's because someone read it and said "this matters."
The Anti-Rules
This is a Ninja awards programme. Focused on change and learning, breaking the rules, and most importantly being human.
Reader-nominated only
Every book is recommended by someone who's actually read it and can vouch for it.
No self-nominations
If you wrote it, you can't nominate it. Someone else has to believe in it first.
Independent and under-the-radar
Self-published or smaller publishing groups. No big PR machines allowed.
No bestsellers
Already in the big lists with heaps of reviews? You don't need the Ninja's help.
Completely free to enter
No fees, no pay-to-play, no catch. Just recognition and support for fellow authors.
No money-making schemes
No prizes given or fees charged. This is about good old recognition, not profit.
The 2025 Categories
Seven categories emerged from the nominations. Each one packed with books that deserve a wider audience.
Category
Thinking Differently
5 winners
Category
Leadership
6 winners
Category
Stories & Conversations
3 winners
Category
Ninja'ing You
4 winners
Category
Business Brains
3 winners
Category
Facilitating Differently
6 winners
Category
Inspirational Stories
5 winners
The 2025 Awards Brochure
Every winner, every category, every recommendation — all in one place. Distributed digitally across the change, L&D and leadership community.
15 pages of hidden gems you won't find in the usual bestseller lists.
Download the Brochure (PDF)2025 Awards Endorsed By
Professor Eddie Obeng
Human-Centred Future Leader
Pentacle The VBS / QUBE
Richard Woods
Founder
Million Dollar Sprint / LinkedIn for Breakfast
Margo Waldorf
Founder
The Change Awards
Become a Category Sponsor
£500 per category
Eight sponsors, one per category. Your brand attached to the category and every winner in it — not lost in a corporate logo wall.
- Named category sponsorship — your brand attached forever
- Full profile page in the awards brochure
- Option to choose your personal favourite from the shortlist
- Social and newsletter features across the campaign
- Early access to the full longlist of nominated authors
- TCNBA 2026 Sponsor badge for your website and decks
Confirmed so far: APMG (overall sponsor), Innovate21 (category sponsor) — six category slots remaining.
Got a Hidden Gem to Recommend?
Entries open September 2026
Know a book that deserves a wider audience? An under-the-radar masterpiece that changed how you think or work? When entries open, we want to hear about it.