2025 Hall of Fame Winners Announcement
The Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) celebrate the professionals in the book business – the dedicated individuals and teams who bring stories to life, and books to the right readers.
Congratulations to the new Hall of Fame recipients, recognising outstanding contributions to the industry.
Hall of Fame: Lloyd O’Neil Award – Ross Gibb
Ross Gibb, former Managing Director, Macmillan Publishers ANZ is named the recipient of 2025 Lloyd O’Neil Award.
Ross began his career in publishing in 1981 at William Collins in Western Australia and moved to their head office in Sydney in 1986. In 1988 he was appointed managing director of Pan Books Australia, which became Pan Macmillan Australia. He moved to MD of Macmillan Publishers ANZ in 1997, which at the time encompassed the trade, education and tertiary businesses. He remained at the helm of the company until his retirement at the end of 2022.
A driving force behind the Australian Publishers Association’s establishment of the industry-owned price and availability service TitlePage, Ross sat on the APA’s Trade Publishers Committee for 30 years and served on the APA board, including multiple terms as vice president. He was a member of the Book Industry Study Group and played a role in lobbying both sides of parliament for the retention of PIRs on each of the three occasions an open market was sought.
Under Ross’s leadership, Pan Macmillan made a significant contribution in the development and growth of Australian publishing, constantly achieving sales of Australian authors and books at record levels that were once the sole domain of imported books. Ross has also been a great developer of publishing talent.
On receiving the award, Gibb says: ‘I am honoured and humbled to accept this award. While it is presented to me individually I genuinely feel it reflects the work, passion and dedication of the incredible teams I have had the privilege to lead. Our company was built on the foundation of collaboration, innovation and mutual respect. It is that spirit that has made this achievement possible. I also want to acknowledge the publishing and bookselling community, our partners and importantly, our authors. Without their creativity, hard work and loyalty, none of this would be possible.’
The Lloyd O’Neil Award recognises outstanding service to the Australian Book Industry by an individual from within its ranks, including publishers, booksellers, authors and other industry representatives with exceptional long service to the industry.
Lloyd O’Neil (1928 – 1992) was a pioneer of Australian publishing, beginning his career as a bookseller and becoming an insightful and talented publisher, printing popular mass market titles that captured the mood of the nation and developing hugely successful educational and travel lists.
View the honour roll and previous winners here.
Hall of Fame: Pixie O’Harris Award – Rachel Bin Salleh
Rachel Bin Salleh OAM, Publisher at Magabala Books is named the recipient of 2025 Pixie O’Harris Award.
Rachel is descended from the Nimunburr and Yawuru peoples of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. She has worked in publishing for over 20 years and is passionate about Indigenous people telling their stories.
Starting her career in publishing at Magabala Books in the 1990s, Rachel became publisher in 2014. In 2025 she was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for outstanding contributions to First Nations literature.
Rachel has quietly changed the Australian publishing landscape. From Broome in WA, she has encouraged the Australian publishing industry to deepen our understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, while also being incredibly generous in sharing her knowledge of publishing First Nations stories.
Rachel is uncompromising in her commitment to Magabala’s ideals of ‘spreading the seeds of our culture’. Over her career, she has introduced generations of children to the riches of First Nations history, culture, beliefs, hopes and truths.
On receiving the award, Rachel says: ‘I am honoured and deeply humbled to receive such an accolade from the judges and my peers in the industry. Thank you for your belief and support in this space, not only for me but for Magabala Books and all those I work with. Publishing stories, experiences and ways of being for First Nations children (and all our children) is one the most important jobs we have. To create safe spaces, develop imaginations, challenge the status quo and to let children laugh like no one is listening, sustains my journey on this planet. It has been a joy and a privilege to serve my community.’
The Pixie O’Harris Award recognises publishers, editors, creators, booksellers, publicists and other industry representatives who have worked consistently in the field of children’s literature, demonstrated commitment beyond the call of duty, and who have developed a reputation for their contribution.
The award is named in honour of children’s book author and illustrator, Pixie O’Harris (1903 – 1991), who had a longstanding career in publishing and painted many murals in hospital wards, health centres and schools.
View the honour roll and previous winners here.
Book and Business Awards shortlists and ABIA 2025 Ceremony
The the shortlists for the ABIA Book Awards and Business Awards were announced last month.
Join your industry colleagues to celebrate the Hall of Fame winners and all those shortlisted for awards – and of course, to be there on the night as the winners are announced!
The Awards Ceremony takes place on Wednesday 7 May at Zinc Fed Square in Melbourne.