J.K. Rowling won the Gold Award for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in the 1997 Smarties Book Awards.
The Smarties Book Awards were British children’s book prizes associated with Nestlé and voted for by child readers. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone won the Gold Award in the 9-to-11-years category in 1997, giving the newly published novel an important early mark of popularity.
The award came soon after Bloomsbury released the book in Britain. Recognition from children’s readers helped distinguish the novel in a crowded market and contributed to the attention surrounding Harry’s first adventure. The book also received other honors as its readership expanded internationally.
The Smarties result should not be confused with the Carnegie Medal, another major British children’s literary prize, or with later Harry Potter awards. The Gold, Silver, and Bronze structure belonged to the Smarties category, and Rowling’s first novel took the top award in its age group.