2025 Newbery-Caldecott-Legacy Awards Banquet Information and FAQs
Celebrate the Newbery, Caldecott, and Legacy Awards
Date and Location
Sunday, June 29, 2025 | Philadelphia Marriott Downtown (1201 Market Street)
General Information
Join ALSC for the annual celebration of the year's Newbery and Caldecott medalists and honorees, and the year's Legacy awardee! This highly-anticipated event brings together the ALSC community to celebrate excellence in children's literature. ALSC is excited to gather together in 2025 to celebrate. Here you can find information on:
Individual Tickets
Table Reservations
Table Prices
Event Schedule
Event FAQs
Individual Tickets
Individual tickets can be purchased as part of your ALA Annual Conference Registration. Please visit the ALA Annual Conference registration page to reserve your ticket! If you are experiencing issues with registration on the ALA Annual Conference registration page, please email alaregistration@csreg.zohodesk.com.
PLEASE NOTE: The Banquet has sold out the last two years. ALSC recommends if you have a group of friends and colleagues that you traditionally meet up with during Annual Conference, that you consider banding together to reserve a table to secure seats and a better location in the room!
We will also have the traditional theater seating (free, first-come first-serve) around the perimeter of the room for non-dinner attendees who come to listen to the awards ceremony and medalist speeches.
Table Reservations
A pre-purchased table can accommodate up to 10 individuals and ensures that attendees will enjoy this exciting evening with their friends and colleagues. Table reservations and locations are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, so order soon to be close to the action make your reservation and payment as soon as possible! Tables are reserved through the ALSC Table Reservation Form.
Q: How many seats are at each table?
A: Each pre-reserved table can accommodate up to 10 individuals. Open seating tables, for individual ticket holders, will have no more than 8 seats to a table.
Q: I want to sit with nine of my friends; can I purchase a table?
A: Yes, and you are encouraged to do so! Anyone attending the Newbery-Caldecott-Legacy Awards Banquet may reserve a table. The table must be purchased as a whole (no partial table sales) and paid for in a single transaction. If you would like to host a table, simply recruit up to nine of your friends and/or colleagues who have not yet purchased individual tickets and purchase a table at one of the below levels in a single transaction. Please note: individually-purchased tickets may not be applied toward the cost of the table.
Q: I need two or more tables. Will they be located together?
A: ALSC makes every effort to locate tables together, as long as tables are ordered at the same time and pricing level. ALSC is not able to guarantee that tables at the same pricing level will be co-located if an additional table is ordered after your initial table order. Please note your co-location request in your table order form.
Q: How do I reserve my table?
A: Fill out the table reservation form; an invoice for the reservation will be issued within two business days of the reservation. A table is not considered final until payment is received in full. For further questions, please contact ALSC Deputy Director, Sarah Polen.
Q: How do I request a vegetarian or other special meal?
A: Each table host will be sent an email in early June with instructions on making meal requests. Table hosts should pass the email instructions on to their table guests.
Q: How will I receive my table tickets?
A: In mid-June, the ALSC office will email you all 10 of your tickets with the table number printed on them. You can then distribute those tickets to your table guests, either in advance of conference or onsite at the banquet. We strongly recommend printing these tickets out. Guests will need their ticket to be seated at a table and receive their meal.
Notable Table - $1,200
- Ten (10) tickets to the banquet dinner with guaranteed assigned seating
- Full slide in the banquet presentation, recognized as a Notable Sponsor
Silver Table - $1,900
- Ten (10) tickets to the banquet dinner with choice seating
- Full slide in the banquet presentation, recognized as a Silver Sponsor
- Post-event acknowledgment from ALSC in ALSC's newsletter
Gold Table - $2,500
- Ten (10) tickets to the banquet dinner with preferred seating
- Full slide in the banquet presentation, recognized as a Gold Sponsor
- Post-event acknowledgment from ALSC in ALSC's newsletter
- Post-event acknowledgment from ALSC in ALSC's journal, Children & Libraries
Newbery-Caldecott-Legacy Awards Banquet Schedule
6:00 pm - Cash Bar Reception
6:30 pm - Doors Open
7:00 pm - Program Begins
7:15 pm - Dinner Begins
8:30 pm - Awards Ceremony Begins
Other Banquet FAQs
Q: Will there be open seating for this year's Newbery-Caldecott-Legacy Awards Banquet?
A: Yes! There will be theater-style seating near the back of the room for conference-goers to sit and enjoy the speeches. These seats are free-of-charge (proof of conference registration is required, so bring your badge) and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. These seats will not be at banquet tables and, as such, will not receive meals; attendees who plan on utilizing the open theater seats are encouraged to eat a large meal beforehand - it's a long, wonderful evening!
Q: Can I catch the conference shuttle to the venue?
A: The conference shuttle will not be made available Sunday evening. The Philadelphia Marriott Downtown is closely located to the convention center; if you are staying further away, we recommend ride-share services.
Q: Help! I've lost my ticket!
A: Please visit the registration desk, located upon entry to the the banquet reception area, as soon as possible upon your arrival. Your name will be verified against a roster, and you will be issued a replacement ticket to present to your server.
Q: Will tickets be available at the door?
A: Tickets will not be available for purchase at the door. On occasion, a guest will not be able to attend. If far enough in advance, they may try to sell the ticket on ALSC social media sites, such as ALAConnect. We have also had situations where those who have extra tickets bring them to the information desk, free to the first person who inquires about extra tickets. If you would like to join for dinner, we strongly recommend pre-purchasing your ticket or organizing a reserved table.
Q: Are there assigned seats? How do I find a seat?
A: Those who purchase an individual ticket are not assigned a seat. Those ticket holders may sit at any unreserved table. As a reminder, doors open at 6:30 pm. Attendees will not be allowed in the room before this time, so ALSC and hotel staff can finish setting the room and making final preparations for this evening.
Those who purchased a table will receive a table assignment in advance, in addition to their table's tickets. For reserved tables, there will be an opportunity for one person to enter the banquet room early to assign seats and otherwise 'set' that table; ALSC will be in touch with all table purchases in June to schedule the logistics of placing seating arrangements for reserved tables.
Q: What should I wear?
A: The Newbery-Caldecott-Legacy Awards Banquet is a special, celebratory evening. Guests are encouraged to dress in cocktail attire. Please bring a wrap, sweater, or jacket, as the room is large and can be cool.
Q: I am a vegetarian. How do I request a vegetarian meal?
A: Guests who provided an email address when registering for their individual ticket will receive an email early-June with a special web URL where they can place special meal requests. Table hosts will be asked to send the same email requests to their guests. Reminders for deadlines on special meal requests will be sent out in early June, and will be determined based on catering deadlines.
Q: Is there a bar?
A: Yes, a cash bar will be open during the pre-event reception and just outside of the banquet room and remain open throughout the course of dinner. The bar will close when the awards portion of the ceremony begins.
Q: Will the authors/illustrators be signing books?
A: The Medalists and Honorees will not be signing books during the banquet. However, please check the conference program guide - there is a good chance they will be signing in their publisher's booth at some point during the conference!
Q: I have another question not answered here.
A: Please send any other questions to Sarah Polen, ALSC Deputy Director.
