Maurice Sendak won the prestigious American Book Award in 1982 for Outside Over There, which is often considered one of his masterpieces, showcasing his distinctive storytelling and hauntingly beautiful illustrations. It explores themes of childhood fears, imagination, and adventure, centering on a girl named Ida who enters a mysterious world to rescue her baby sister, who has been stolen by goblins. Sendak was already highly celebrated for his earlier works, including Where the Wild Things Are. Outside Over There further cemented his reputation as a groundbreaking figure in children's literature, with its darker, more complex tone that appealed to both children and adults.

Louise Nevelson revolutionized 20th-century sculpture through her monumental assemblages of found wooden objects. Born in Ukraine and raised in Maine, Nevelson developed a distinctive aesthetic featuring wall-sized wooden constructions, typically painted in monochromatic black, white, or gold.

Her signature works were "environments"—architectural compositions of stacked boxes containing salvaged wood pieces arranged in complex, shadowbox-like compartments. These assemblages transformed discarded materials into mysterious, totemic presences with both primitive and modern resonances.

The National Book Awards underwent a corporate restructuring in 1980 and were renamed the American Book Awards for Excellence. Part of this re-branding exercise involved commissioning Nevelson to create this striking trophy. It was awarded to winners each year until 1986.