J.K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter manuscript won the Smarties Book Prize in 1997.
The award recognition followed the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first novel in the series. The book won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize in the 9-to-11-years category, helping establish Rowling as a major new children’s author in the United Kingdom.
The 1997 award came during the book’s first year in print. Its success was not limited to prizes: the novel also achieved strong sales and attracted attention from readers, booksellers, and publishers. The growing response helped create momentum for the later books in the series.
The award is sometimes confused with honors received by later Harry Potter novels. The Smarties recognition here specifically concerns the first book and the year 1997, not the publication year of the complete series or a film award.