The Financial Times (FT) and Standard Chartered have agreed a new partnership for the FT Business Book of the Year Award, now in its 22nd year, and the return of the Bracken Prize for Young Authors.
The prize celebrates books that offer fresh insight into today’s most pressing economic and business issues. The winner will receive £30,000, with £10,000 awarded to each shortlisted title.
This year, the partnership will also support the return of the Bracken Prize for Young Authors, added the FT. The award, open to writers aged under 35, recognises the business book proposal which offers a new perspective on the forces shaping modern business.
FT Editor Roula Khalaf said: “I’m delighted to welcome Standard Chartered as partner for the FT Business Book of the Year Award and to announce the return of the Bracken Prize for Young Authors. Together, these prizes celebrate compelling ideas and those who offer timely perspectives on business today.”
Diego De Giorgi, group chief financial officer, Standard Chartered said: “The ideas we champion today move the world forward tomorrow – from digital transformation and sectoral innovation to sustainable growth with social impact. For more than twenty years, the FT Business Book of the Year Award and the Bracken Prize have celebrated perspectives that drive performance and shape global commerce. We're proud to support platforms that encourage deeper understanding of the trends that challenge assumptions, spark debate and define the future.”
Tanuj Kapilashrami, chief strategy and talent officer, Standard Chartered added: “We play a role as a super-connector across global markets, allowing us to see first-hand how innovation, policy and economic shifts are transforming industries at unprecedented speed. These awards shine a light on the thinkers helping the world make sense of that complexity. We look forward to celebrating the voices – both established and rising talent – who allow us to contribute to a richer and more diverse global conversation.”
Submissions for both the Business Book of the Year Award and the Bracken Prize for Young Authors will open in spring 2026, with closing dates for entry on June 30 (Business Book of the Year) and September 25 (Bracken Prize). The shortlist for the Business Book of the Year Award will be announced in the autumn. Winners of both awards will be named at a dinner in London at the end of the year.
Previous winners of the Business Book of the Year Award include: Stephen Witt in 2025 for The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the World’s Most Coveted Microchip, an account of the company and CEO at the heart of the AI boom; Parmy Olson in 2024 for Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT and The Race that will Change the World, an exploration of the rivalry between founding AI companies and Amy Edmondson in 2023 for Right Kind of Wrong; Why Learning to Fail Can Teach us to Thrive, which emphasised the importance of learning from failures.
Previous winners of the Bracken Prize include: Âriel de Fauconberg in 2022 for a book proposal exploring the pioneering work of climate technology entrepreneurs; Ines Lee and Eileen Tipoe in 2021 for their proposal examining the future of higher education; and Stephen Boyle in 2020 for his proposal on how central bank digital currencies could reshape the global economy.
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