Tom LeNoble wins 2026 NYC Big Book Award for LGBTQ nonfiction

Tom LeNoble’s memoir My Life in Business Suits, Hospital Gowns, and High Heels won the 2026 NYC Big Book Award in LGBTQ nonfiction, adding to recognition from the Independent Press Award. The honor spotlights a book centered on resilience, identity and reinvention, with winners set to be recognized at a 2027 awards dinner in New York.

Why it matters: - Tom LeNoble’s win expands the visibility of LGBTQ nonfiction in a competition that draws authors and publishers from around the world. - The award adds momentum to LeNoble’s profile as an author, speaker and podcast host. - The recognition can help push the book to broader readers ahead of the 2027 awards cycle.

What happened: - Tom LeNoble won the 2026 NYC Big Book Award in the LGBTQ Nonfiction category for My Life in Business Suits, Hospital Gowns, and High Heels: In Control, Being Controlled, Out of Control! - The award follows LeNoble’s earlier designation as a Distinguished Favorite at the Independent Press Award. - LeNoble is also a confidential advisor, speaker and podcast host.

The details: - The book centers on LeNoble’s life story, including his rise from the “Shack” without hot water to leadership roles in Silicon Valley. - LeNoble has worked with companies including Facebook, Walmart.com, Palm (HP) and MCI (Verizon). - He has survived two life-threatening illnesses after being told three times that he had six months to live. - The book also draws on his experience during the AIDS epidemic, personal loss and work guiding startups and leaders through change. - The memoir presents themes of risk, resilience and reinvention. - NYC Big Book Award said it received submissions from around the world, including entries from the U.S., Australia, Canada, China, Dubai, England, Estonia, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, New Zealand, Scotland, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. - The competition included authors from fields such as law, medicine, entrepreneurship, film and television, history and journalism. - Publishers represented included Beacon Press, Berrett-Koehler, Casemate, Edinburgh University Press, Forbes Books, Kiplinger Books, NYU Press, Opening Pathways, Palgrave Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Rizzoli, Routledge, The White House Historical Association, University of California Press, University of Nebraska Press, Weaving Influence Press and Wiley. - Awards sponsor Gabby Olczak said the event features authors from around the globe and aims to share the books with a worldwide readership. - The NYC Big Book Award is announced every fall and is open to authors, publishers and illustrators, including submissions from the Big Five publishers. - The award dinner is set for April 10, 2027, at BookCAMP in the April 9-10, 2027 event window. - More information is available from NYC Big Book Award, the awards dinner and BookCAMP.

Between the lines: - The win positions LeNoble’s memoir in a crowded awards field with strong institutional reach. - The combination of personal survival, corporate leadership and LGBTQ identity gives the book broad crossover appeal. - The event’s global submission list suggests the award is used as a discovery platform, not just a niche honor.

What's next: - LeNoble will be recognized at the awards dinner on April 10, 2027, at BookCAMP. - The award may help the memoir reach new readers and additional media attention as the 2027 event approaches. - NYC Big Book Award recipients will walk on stage to receive their awards at the dinner.