Nancy Baym Annual Book Award

The Nancy Baym Annual Book Award seeks to recognize the best work in the field of Internet Studies. In doing so, the award helps to highlight the breadth of work that is done relating to the social and cultural dimensions of networked media. Until 2013, the award was known as the AoIR Annual Book Award. Beginning in 2014, the award was renamed for Nancy Baym in recognition of her generous and various contributions to the Association.

The award is given to a single or co-authored book of Internet research published during the prior calendar year. The books will be reviewed by three eminent scholars in the field. The award includes a cash prize and an award presentation at the annual conference.

To be eligible for the award:

  1. The book must be authored or co-authored as a monograph and must explore a single topic (edited collections are not eligible).
  2. All of the book’s authors must be current members of AoIR at the time of submission (date TBC). Memberships may be purchased here.
  3. The book must have been published between January 1 and December 31, 2022.

Please see here for all submission details.

Each book should be accompanied by an emailed letter of nomination. Self-nominations from AoIR members are welcome. The letter of nomination, which must be written by a current member of AoIR, should outline:

  • How the book contributes to AoIR’s intellectual community.
  • The book’s unique contributions and overall strengths.
  • If not a self-nomination, the letter should also include a statement that the nominated author has been contacted prior to its submission and accepts the nomination.

Books submitted without a meaningful nomination letter outlining both the strengths of the book and the book’s contribution to the AoIR community to AoIR will not be eligible.

Past Award Recipients: