Which 1997 prize did J.K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter novel win in the 9–11 years category?

J.K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter novel won the Smarties Book Prize in the 9–11 years category in 1997.

The award was then known as the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone received the Gold Award in its age category, helping establish the book as a major success among young readers soon after publication.

The prize was notable because its winners were selected through voting by children, rather than solely by an adult judging panel. That child-reader connection matched the novel’s immediate appeal to its target audience and helped distinguish the award from other British children’s-book honors.

The Smarties Book Prize was later discontinued, so it should not be confused with the Carnegie Medal or later awards Rowling and the series received. The 1997 result belongs specifically to the first novel and its 9–11 years category.