Indigo Books & Music Inc. Announces First Teen Read Awards Winners

J.K. Rowling and Suzanne Collins Among 10 Authors Honoured at Inaugural Awards Celebration

TORONTO, Sept. 26 /CNW/ - Legions of passionate teenage readers came together in Toronto on September 25th, 2010 to celebrate their favourite authors and books at Indigo Books & Music's first Teen Read Awards. Whether rooting for the "Best Hero" or "Best Lip Lock", teens fervently cast over 334,000 votes at www.teenreadawards.ca and more than 500 excited fans attended the Awards ceremony hosted by Dan Levy and Jessi Cruickshank to witness the winner announcements. The Awards stage welcomed winning authors and entertaining talent including hip hop dance pack Mayhem's Finest, pop sensations Alex Lacasse and Alyssa Reid, and very special guest and Hannah Montana co-star, Emily Osment, to round out the truly memorable evening.

Competition for the most votes was tight within the categories and after 12 weeks of intense online voting at teenreadawards.ca, teen book lovers' top choices are finally revealed:

    
    1st Annual Teen Read Awards Winners
    -----------------------------------

    -   Best New Writer - Fallen, Kate Lauren
    -   Best Teen Series - Vampire Academy, Richelle Mead
    -   Best Lip Lock - Bella & Edward from Breaking Dawn, Stephanie Meyer
    -   Best Hottie - Jace Waylaynd from Mortal Instruments: City of Glass,
        Cassandra Clare
    -   Best Book-to-Flick, sponsored by Cineplex - Harry Potter & the Half-
        Blood Prince, JK Rowling
    -   Best Hero, sponsored by Indigo Love of Reading Foundation - Percy
        Jackson from The Last Olympian, Rick Riordan
    -   Best Villain - Alice Milthorpe from Prophecy of the Sisters, Michelle
        Zink
    -   Best All Time Fave - Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, JK Rowling
    -   Best Canadian Read - The Reckoning, Kelley Armstrong
    -   Best Read - Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins
    

"As some of our most passionate customers, thousands of teens across the country made their voices heard, and voted everyday, while hundreds more lined up for hours to get their spot at this event" said Trevor Dayton, VP Kids and Entertainment, Indigo Books & Music Inc.. "We're blown away by the excitement and enthusiasm Canadian teens have shown in this celebration of teen reading and books."

The enthusiasm and excitement was also shared by the winning authors, including J.K. Rowling, author of Best All Time Fave winner Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows and Best Book-to-Flick winner Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince.

"Wow. I've just received the news that the Harry Potter books received forty thousand votes in the Indigo Teen Read Awards! And won in two categories! And what is more, the awards went to my two favourite books in the series," said award winner J.K. Rowling. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, to everybody who voted. I'm thrilled, honoured and humbled to receive the awards, especially from Canada, where I have spent many happy hours with some of Harry's most devoted and knowledgeable fans. ... (I) send my love and gratitude to the Canadian branch of Dumbledore's Army."

The tremendous voter response and attendance to the first Teen Read Awards confirms that the jump in popularity of teen literature is a phenomenon set to continue. Over the last five years, the category's sales at Indigo and Chapters have increased by 150%. The Teen Read Awards program encouraged teens to share their enthusiasm for reading, support their favourite books and authors while connecting with other fans across the country.

For more please visit www.teenreadawards.ca and www.facebook.com/chaptersindigo.

About Indigo Books & Music Inc.

Indigo is a publicly traded Canadian company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (IDG). As the largest book and specialty retailer in Canada, Indigo operates in all provinces under different banners including Indigo Books & Music; Indigo Books, Gifts, Kids; IndigoSpirit, Chapters, The World's Biggest Bookstore, and Coles. The online division, www.chapters.indigo.ca, features books, eBooks, toys, music and DVDs, and hosts the award winning Indigo Online Community. Chapters and Indigo are rated as the number one and number two retailers in Canada by the Kubas Major Market Retail Report, and have been on that list since 2000.

To learn more about Indigo, please visit the About Our Company section of www.chapters.indigo.ca.

/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/

For further information: Natasha Newell-Vieira, MS&L, 416-847-1335, [email protected]; Mary Attard, MS&L, 416-847-1343, [email protected]