The KBU Awards 2025 have announced the winners: Ukraine’s best non-fiction books of the year have been honoured

The award recognises books by Ukrainian authors that explore important contemporary themes — ranging from business and personal development to history, national identity and the Russian-Ukrainian war.

This year, the award covered five main categories: ‘Business Development’, ‘Personal Development’, ‘History of Ukraine’, ‘National Identity’ and ‘The Russian-Ukrainian War’. The winners were selected by an independent jury following several stages of selection — from compiling a longlist to the final assessment of shortlists.

The ceremony brought together authors, publishers, representatives of the business and cultural communities, and partners of the awards. The organisers emphasise that the event is designed to support Ukrainian non-fiction as a vital part of the country’s intellectual development, even in the midst of war.

Winners of the KBU Awards 2025 in the following categories

Business Development

• Artur Lupashko — ‘More Than a Team’ (Punkt Publishing)

National Identity

• Radomir Mokryk — ‘Cultural Colonisation. Fear, Humiliation and Resistance in Ukraine under the Soviet Empire’ (Local History Publishing House)

• Anna Nikolaeva — ‘And Now There Is No One to Ask… How to Research Your Family History?’ (Laboratory Publishing House)

The Russian-Ukrainian War

• Yevhen Mochalov and Vitalii Kryzhevskyi — ‘First Energy’ (Vikhol Publishing)

Personal development

• A team of authors — ‘How to Write a Book: A Concise Course in Creative Writing’ (Stretovych Publishing)

History of Ukraine

• Viktor Horobets — ‘Mazepa. The Many-Faced Hero of Ukrainian History’ (Vikhol Publishing House)

• Vadym Miskyi and Tamara Huseynova — ‘Ukrainian Radio. A History of a Turbulent Century’ (Laboratory Publishing House)

Co-founder of the awards Dmytro Lappo noted that the KBU Awards were created to ensure Ukrainian non-fiction receives wider public recognition.

According to him, over the course of four seasons of the awards, it has become clear that there is a great demand in Ukraine for books that help people gain a deeper understanding of history, war, business development and the role of personal responsibility in society.

Several special awards were presented by the award’s partners and organisers.

In particular, the following books received awards:

• ‘More Than a Team’ by Artur Lupashko

• “Soft Skills: Being Yourself” by Olena Zhiltsova and Volodymyr Stanchyshyn

• “Sweet and Bitter Business” by Anna Zavertaylo

• “Stoicism as a Way of Life” by Oleksandr Poltavtsev

• “Business Between War and Life” by Anastasia Shevchenko

• “People Buy from People” by Yulia Kolesnik

The book “Hemingway Knows Nothing” by writer and veteran Artur Dron, published by Vydavnytstvo Staroho Leva, received a special commendation from the organising committee.

The KBU Awards is a Ukrainian prize for non-fiction literature, established in 2020. It recognises books by Ukrainian authors that help to make sense of contemporary reality, societal development and cultural identity.

The organisers emphasise that sponsorship does not influence the jury’s decision — the winners are selected by independent experts from the book industry.