The Bernard Schwartz Book Award was an international award recognizing nonfiction books that provide outstanding contributions to the understanding of contemporary Asia and/or U.S.-Asia relations. The award was designed to advance public awareness of the changes taking place in Asia and the implications for the wider world, and to raise the profile of authors making a meaningful contribution to this dialogue.

Asia Society established the Bernard Schwartz Book Award in 2009. The inaugural winner was Duncan McCargo, author of Tearing Apart the Land: Islam and Legitimacy in Southern Thailand(Cornell University Press). Each year, an independent jury composed of experts in the fields of policy, media, academia, cultural affairs, and business selected the winner. The winning author received a $20,000 prize and is honored at a special event at Asia Society. Two honorable mentions were also selected and each received a $2,000 prize.

The award program came to an end in 2015. See the past winners below.