The International Latino Book Awards (ILBA) are annual literary awards given to authors, translators, and illustrators for books written in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. The stated objective of these awards is “to recognize the greatness in both Latino writers and in non-Latinos who are writing on Latino topics.” The ILBA is a nonprofit organization founded in 1997 and headquartered in California. The overarching mission is to uplift voices and promote literacy within and beyond the Latino community.
The awards are produced by Empowering Latino Futures (ELF), formerly Latino Literacy Now, an organization co-founded by actor Edward James Olmos, Kirk Whisler, and REFORMA. REFORMA is an affiliate of the American Library Association which was formed in 1971 to promote library services to Latinos and the Spanish-speaking. Additional information about the awards can be found at https://www.latinobooks.org/
The 2025 Awards Ceremony will be held later this month on October 25, 2025, at the Concert Hall at MiraCosta College in Oceanside, CA. The ILBA ceremony is the largest awards ceremony in the USA for Latino literature, recognizing authors in over 80 categories. More than 200 judges were needed for the 2025 competition. My mom was one of those judges.
My mother, Nohemi “Mimi” Lozano Holtzman, is active in the Latino community and has served as a judge for many years. She has also served as a presenter. In 2020, the Legend Awards were created, named after literary and community notables, including my mom. “The Mimi Lozano Best Family History Book” category in the Nonfiction Awards was named after her. My mother was the editor of the Somos Primos publication for twenty years (initially in print and then posted online). https://www.somosprimos.com/ She also was a founding member of the Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research (SHHAR) and served as the president for many years. https://shhar.org/board
The Awards recognize the greatness in books by and about Latinos around the world. The event is more than an awards ceremony—it’s a celebration of identity, creativity, and community.
