Winners
Biography & Autobiography
2021 FINALISTS - BIOGRAPHY
On March 24, 2021, IBPA announced the following three finalists in the BIOGRAPHY category. Register to attend the virtual award ceremony on May 13th to learn which book wins Gold.
2020 WINNERS - BIOGRAPHY
Watch the following video to see which of the three finalists below won gold, and which won silver.
2024 WINNERS - BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY
See below for the list of 2024 winners in the BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY category, for books with a copyright date of 2023.
Under the Naga Tail: A True Story of Survival, Bravery, and Escape from the Cambodian Genocide
2024 Gold Winner
Author: Mae Bunseng Taing with James Taing
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press
ISBN: 9798886450187
Forced from his home by the Khmer Rouge, Mae Taing struggles to endure years of backbreaking work, starvation, and ruthless cruelty from his captors—supposed freedom fighters who turned against their own people. Mae risks death to escape into the dark tropical jungles, trekking across a relentless wilderness crawling with soldiers.
Always Moving Forward: A memoir of friends, family, and building Humana
2024 Silver Winner
Author: David A. Jones with Bob Hill
Publisher: Old Stone Press
ISBN: 9781938462634
In 1961, David A. Jones and another young lawyer borrowed $1,000 each to build a nursing home. That modest investment turned into Humana: first the largest nursing home company in the U.S., then the largest hospital corporation, and today one of the nation’s largest health insurance and integrated care companies.
Gentleman of Jazz: A Life in Music
2024 Silver Winner
Author: Ramsey Lewis with Aaron Cohen
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
ISBN: 9798200951727
An evocative tour of Lewis’s life from the club circuit of the early 1960s and recording with Chess Records to working with producer Maurice White and musicians such as Stevie Wonder. In this deep dive into an exceptional life and expansive career, Lewis takes us through the artistic challenges, offers insight and perspective on his own musical growth and the creative process, and describes his eventual foray into symphonic composition and performance.
2023 WINNERS - BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY
See below for the list of 2023 winners in the BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY category, for books with a copyright date of 2022.
Century's Witness: The Extraordinary Life of Journalist Wallace Carroll
2023 Gold Winner
Author: Mary Llewellyn McNeil
Publisher: Whaler Books
ISBN: 978-1-7378864-4-0
Century’s Witness tells the story of Wallace Carroll, one of the most respected and influential journalists of the 20th Century. Filled with “you are there” stories and interviews, Century’s Witness is “the best roadmap I know if we aim to restore journalism’s power to persuade and inform,” according to Jon Sawyer, executive director, the Pulitzer Center.
Lady of the Army: The Life of Mrs. George S. Patton
2023 Silver Winner
Author: Stefanie Van Steelandt
Publisher: Minnegate Press
ISBN: 979-8-9869280-0-5
Lady of the Army tells the story of Beatrice Ayer Patton, the woman who shaped the man, fortified the soldier, and created the legend. If anyone considered an army wife to be merely the kite’s tail, Beatrice had the perfect retort, "How high can a kite soar without its tail?”
Saving Wildlife: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Dr. Kurt Benirschke
2023 Silver Winner
Authors: Rolf Benirschke with James Lund
Publisher: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Press
ISBN: 978-1-935442-82-0
Physician scientist. Wildlife conservationist. Visionary leader. Family man. The inimitable Dr. Kurt Benirschke ("Dr. B") was a trailblazer―passionate about gathering and sharing knowledge to make the world a better place for both humans and wildlife. This heartfelt and engaging memoir, written by Dr. B's son Rolf Benirschke, describes his fascinating life and many adventures. With vivid detail, it captures Dr. Benirschke's accomplishments, from his early years as a young doctor learning English in a new country to his world-changing role as the founder of the San Diego Zoo's research division, which established the wildlife conservation movement in zoos as we know it today.
2022 WINNERS - BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY
See below for the list of 2022 winners in the BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY category, for books with a copyright date of 2021.
Note: In 2022 the Biography category was changed to Biography & Autobiography. For earlier autobiographies, please see the Memoir category.
Leeteg: Babes, Bars, Beaches and Black Velvet Art
2022 Gold Winner
Author: CJ Cook with Michael Ashley
Publisher: South Pacific Dreams
ISBN: 978-0-9984224-2-8
In 1933 Edgar Leeteg, the American Gauguin, left California for Tahiti with oil paints and a few brushes. He conquered the South Pacific art scene and its nightlife. Hard-drinking, constantly womanizing, and endlessly painting, Leeteg the Legend, the original “Tiki Man,” started the black velvet craze linked to South Pacific-themed restaurants.
Find a Trail or Blaze One: A Biography of Dr. Reatha Clark King
2022 Silver Winner
Author: as told to Kate Leibfried
Publisher: Beaver's Pond Press
ISBN: 978-1-64343-757-6
The story of Reatha Clark King shines a light on a woman who broke barriers in the pursuit of knowledge and justice. She shattered the corporate glass ceiling, shaped a university, and advocated for underestimated students. This book is a loving and grateful tribute from the countless people Reatha inspired.
Life Lived Wild: Adventures at the Edge of the Map
2022 Silver Winner
Author: Rick Ridgeway
Publisher: Patagonia
ISBN: 9781938340994
Rick Ridgeway calculates that he’s spent over five years of his life sleeping in tents: “Small tents pitched in the world’s most remote regions.” Whether at elevation or raising a family at sea level, those years taught him, he writes, “to distinguish matters of consequence from matters of inconsequence.”
2021 WINNERS - BIOGRAPHY
See below for the list of 2021 winners in the BIOGRAPHY category, for books with a copyright date of 2020. Click here to watch the Gold and Silver winner speeches.
Chasing Excellence: The Remarkable Life and Inspiring Vigilosophy of Coach Joe I. Vigil
2021 Gold Winner
Author: Pat Melgares
Publisher: Soulstice Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-7331887-3-9
Coach Joe I. Vigil rose from poverty to inspire Olympic runners, All-Americans, and “Vigilantes” everywhere to chase excellence. Driven by curiosity, a deep faith in people, and unwavering loyalty to his hometown of Alamosa, Colorado, his life is an American dream—and a guide to timeless qualities of a leader.
Dalko: The Untold Story of Baseball's Fastest Pitcher
2021 Silver Winner
Authors: Bill Dembski, Alex Thomas, Brian Vikander
Publisher: Influence Publishers
ISBN: 978-1-64542-710-0
A fascinating and tragic story in baseball history, Dalko: The Untold Story of Baseball's Fastest Pitcher explores Steve Dalkowski's unmatched talent and the forces that worked against him. Eyewitness accounts offer readers unparalleled insight into the game of baseball and the complex relationship between athletes and the sports they love.
Radical Spirits: India's First Woman Doctor and Her American Champions
2021 Silver Winner
Author: Nandini Patwardhan
Publisher: Story Artisan Press
ISBN: 978-1-7340631-1-0
Radical Spirits is the inspiring story of India’s first woman doctor. Married at 10, mother at 13, MD at 22. Takes the reader to the fraught social and religious frontier between India and America in the late 1800s. Makes for a captivating story, every page granting insights into the age-old struggle to surmount entrenched borders and barriers.
2020 WINNERS - BIOGRAPHY
See below for the list of 2020 winners in the BIOGRAPHY category, for books with a copyright date of 2019.
Gertie: The Fabulous Life of Gertrude Sanford Legendre, Heiress, Explorer, Socialite, Spy
2020 Gold Winner
Author: Kathryn Smith
Publisher: Evening Post Books
ISBN: 978-1-929647-44-6
Gertrude Sanford Legendre, an heiress, explorer, socialite and spy, lived a 20th century life full of fun, adventure, derring-do and drama.
From Red Earth: A Rwandan Story of Healing and Forgiveness
2020 Silver Winner
Author: Denise Uwimana
Publisher: Plough Publishing House
ISBN: 978-0874869842
An exceptional personal account of a strong woman who survived against all odds and used her gifts to help others.
Mani/Pedi: A True-Life Rags-to-Riches Story
2020 Silver Winner
Author: Krista Beth Driver
Publisher: She Writes Press
ISBN: 978-1-63152-626-8
Charlie risked everything to escape from Vietnam with her young family and immigrated to the U.S. for a better life. She lived the American dream.
About the
Independent Book Publishers Association
Founded to support independent publishers nationwide, the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) leads and serves the independent publishing community through advocacy, education, and tools for success. With over 3,200 members, IBPA is the largest independent publishing association in the U.S. Its vision is a world where every independent publisher has the access, knowledge, and tools needed to professionally engage in all aspects of an inclusive publishing industry.
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