In what year was the Booker Prize first awarded?

The Booker Prize was first awarded in 1969. The inaugural winner was P. H. Newby, whose novel Something to Answer For received the prize.

The award was established as the Booker Prize for Fiction after the publishing company Booker, McConnell Ltd began sponsoring it. The first ceremony took place on 22 April 1969 at Drapers’ Hall in London. The prize initially recognised novels by authors from the Commonwealth, Ireland, and South Africa, with eligibility later broadened.

The award has changed names and sponsors over time. It was commonly called the Booker Prize from its beginning, became the Man Booker Prize from 2002 to 2019, and returned to the Booker Prize name in 2019. A 1971 rules change aligned eligibility more closely with the year of publication, which is why the prize’s early chronology can sometimes cause confusion.