Jon Klassen is the winner of the 2026 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the world’s largest children’s book prize, with the laureate receiving 5 million Swedish kronor (SEK) (roughly $530,000 U.S. at present exchange rates). The award honors writers, illustrators, and organizations who work in Lindgren’s spirit and contribute to children’s literature at “the highest level of excellence.” The award was announced live from Stockholm on April 14, and broadcast simultaneously at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

Klassen was chosen from 263 nominees from 74 countries . The jury’s citation stated, “Through his subtle and evocative storytelling in words and pictures, Jon Klassen opens new perspectives on our place in the universe. Jon Klassen’s brilliant tales stand out for their effortless elegance and ambiguous depth, where the reader becomes a co-creator.”

Reached by phone by ALMA award jury chair Boel Westin, professor emeritus of literature at University of Stockholm, during the live feed, Klassen—who reported he had just dropped his kids off at school—said, “This is incredible news. I’m so blown away. I can’t say what this means. You do this work by yourself and when it goes out to children and see the results it’s very moving and you’re never prepared for it. I have to hang up and cry for a few minutes. “

Klassen was born in 1981 in Winnipeg, Canada, and grew up in Niagara Falls. He studied illustration and worked first as a designer and illustrator on films such as of Coraline (2009) and Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) as well as in video production. Cats’ Night Out (2010) was his debut as a picture book illustrator. Klassen’s Hat Trilogy (I Want My Hat Back, This Is Not My Hat, and We Found a Hat) have sold millions of copies around the world and have been translated into 22 languages. In addition to his own books, Klassen has illustrated eight books by other authors, and his illustrations have also appeared in various anthologies. His work has received the German Prize for Youth Literature (2013), the Caldecott Medal (2013), the Kate Greenaway Medal (2014), and the United Kingdom Literary Association’s Book Award (2014). Klassen currently lives in Los Angeles with his family.

Astrid Lindgren was born in 1907 on a farm near Vimmerby, Sweden. She was the author of 34 chapter books and 41 picture books, which have sold more than 165 million copies and been translated into more than 100 languages. Lindgren died in 2002 in Stockholm. Pippi Longstocking, Lindgren’s most enduring character, turned 80 in 2025 and was celebrated with the “Be More Pippi” campaign sponsored by the Astrid Lindgren Company.

In remarks made during the announcement, Karin Höglund, Sweden’s ambassador to Italy, said that Lindgren created a world filled with “play and profound wisdom.” Lindgren’s impact on the Swedish people and on the world “transcends generations,” she added. “She serves as a kind of moral compass. She inspires others to stand up, use your voice, to be brave in the face of challenges, and to never give up.” Höglund stressed the power of children’s literature to “transcend borders, allow children to explore lives unlike their own, and give language to feelings that can be hard to express.”

The award was created in 2002 by the Swedish government to highlight the importance of reading. Past ALMA award winners include Marion Brunet (2025), Indigenous Literacy Foundation (2024), Laurie Halse Anderson (2023), and Jaqueline Woodson (2018).

The ALMA award ceremony will take place in Sweden in late May.