VIEW THE OFFICIAL PHOTOS: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD51jQ

The Business Book Awards celebrates its largest-ever shortlist, recognising 130 books across 14 categories, with Tiny Experiments by neuroscientist and entrepreneur Anne-Laure Le Cunff named Business Book of the Year 2026.

Authors, publishers, business leaders and influencers from across the globe gathered at The Drum, Wembley in London on Wednesday 16th September 2026 for The Business Book Awards 2026, an evening celebrating the year’s most influential business books, the authors behind them and the ideas shaping the future of business. 

In a year that saw unprecedented growth in the number of titles submitted, the awards celebrated their largest-ever shortlist, with 130 books by business leaders from across the globe named as finalists across 14 categories. The achievement reflects the growing influence of business publishing and the importance of sharing knowledge, experience and insight to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs, leaders and professionals. 

A Night of Celebration, Inspiration and Business Insight 

Hosted by presenter, stand-up comedian and DJ Tommy Sandhu, the evening combined entertainment, networking and thought-provoking business conversations, creating a vibrant, feel-good and celebratory atmosphere for guests.

Attendees enjoyed an insightful and humorous keynote speech delivered by Brompton Bicycle Group CEO Will Butler-Adams OBE. Bringing his distinctive personality and passion for innovation to the event, Will cycled to the awards in his tuxedo on one of Brompton’s iconic folding bicycles, before personally gifting signed copies of his book The Brompton – Engineering For Change to authors who had travelled internationally to attend the awards. 

Celebrating the 2026 Winners 

The 2026 awards recognised a diverse range of authors whose books explore leadership, entrepreneurship, sustainability, business growth and professional development. 

Among the winners were: 

• James Reed CBE, CEO of the UK’s number one job site, Reed.co.uk, who won Change & Sustainability Book 2026 for his sixth book, Karma Capitalism. 

• Vidya Murali, Business Operations Director at Skyscanner, who won Startup / Scaleup Book 2026 for her book, How to Survive in a Scale-Up Business. 

• Gary Beckwith, UK tourism pioneer and Founder of City Cruises PLC, who won Business Journey Book 2026 for his book, How To Make A Million In Business. 

The awards highlighted the breadth of expertise and experience represented within the business publishing community, from building and scaling companies to navigating change and sharing hard-earned lessons from entrepreneurial journeys. 

Tiny Experiments Named Business Book of the Year 2026 

The evening culminated in the reveal of Tiny Experiments by neuroscientist and entrepreneur Anne-Laure Le Cunff as the Business Book of the Year 2026. 

Grounded in neuroscience and behavioural science, Tiny Experiments encourages readers to move beyond rigid long-term planning and embrace a more curious, experimental approach to personal and professional growth. By encouraging readers to take action, learn from experience and adapt along the way, the book offers a practical framework for navigating uncertainty and creating sustainable, meaningful progress. 

The judges highlighted the book’s practical and thought-provoking approach, which is particularly relevant in an increasingly unpredictable world of work and life. Its central message provides readers with a way to transform uncertainty into opportunity while rethinking how they approach progress and success. 

Following the win, Anne-Laure was interviewed on BBC News, bringing further attention to the book’s ideas and the wider importance of conversations around neuroscience, behavioural science and modern approaches to growth. 

A Growing Celebration of Business Publishing 

Founded in 2017, The Business Book Awards, in partnership with Pathway Group, celebrates authors who share their industry insight, market expertise and professional experience through published works that inform, inspire and drive business success. 

Over the past nine years, the awards have established themselves as a key date in the publishing and business calendar, providing opportunities for authors, publishers, business leaders and influencers to connect, exchange ideas and celebrate the impact of business literature. 

The 2026 ceremony continued this tradition, bringing together a global community for an evening of entertainment, celebration, fine dining and recognition of outstanding business books and their authors. 

With its record-breaking shortlist and diverse range of winners, The Business Book Awards 2026 reaffirmed the importance of business storytelling, practical knowledge and the power of published ideas to influence individuals, organisations and the wider business community.

 

2026 Winners 

• Business Book of the Year 2026 – Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff (Profile Books) 

• Startup / Scaleup Book 2026 – How to Survive in a Scale-Up Business by Vidya Murali (Routledge) 

• Sales & Marketing Book 2026 – Pitch by Danny Fontaine (Profile Books) 

• People, Culture & Management Book 2026 – The Power of a Lollipop by Feena May, PhD (Girl Friday Productions) 

• Change & Sustainability Book 2026 – Karma Capitalism by James Reed CBE (Ebury Edge) 

• Leadership Book 2026 – Shadows At Work by Steven D’Souza (LID Publishing) 

• Work & Life Book 2026 – Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff (Profile Books) 

• Business Self-Development Book 2026 – Cut-Through by Dominic Colenso (Practical Inspiration Publishing) 

• Wellness & Wellbeing Book 2026 – Unlearning Masculinity by Cassandra Andrews (Self-Published) 

• Short Business Book 2026 – The Easy Yes by Janine Coombes (Do It On Purpose Publishing) 

• Specialist Business Book 2026 – Governing the Machine by Ray Eitel-Porter, Paul Dongha & Miriam Vogel (Bloomsbury) 

• Diversity, Inclusion & Equality Book 2026 – DEI and Me by David Otudeko (Stone Quill Press) 

• Business Journey Book 2026 – How To Make A Million In Business by Gary Beckwith (Wrate’s Publishing) 

• Smart Thinking Book 2026 – Defy by Dr. Sunita Sah (Blink Publishing) 

• International Business Book 2026 – A CEO for All Seasons by Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, Vik Malhotra & Kurt Strovink (John Murray Business)