The Book Industry Study Group has named Kris Kliemann, founder of Kliemann & Company and longtime chair of BISG's Rights Committee, as the recipient of its 2026 Industry Champion Award, which honors an individual whose efforts have advanced the publishing industry as a whole. Kliemann will be recognized during BISG@50: Book Publishing Next Forum & Anniversary Celebration September 16 in New York City.
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Kliemann is being honored for her longstanding leadership in advancing rights management in the publishing industry and, in particular, her work to bring greater standardization, transparency, and accessibility to rights and royalties, BISG said. Throughout her tenure as chair of BISG's Rights Committee, her leadership has repeatedly turned difficult, industry-wide rights problems into concrete infrastructure--standards, tools, resources, and programs designed to make rights work better for everyone.
BISG executive director Allison Belan said, "Kris has a remarkable ability to see where complexity and friction are holding the industry back and then bring people together to do something about it. Her vision for how rights can work better for everyone in the supply chain, and her dedication to bringing order and transparency to rights management, have had--and continue to have--an industry-wide impact. In the year the Translation Rights Royalty Statement Standard was published, we can think of no one better to recognize as our Industry Champion."
Kliemann said, in part, "Rights are at the center of everything we do in publishing. They determine how intellectual property travels, how it reaches new audiences and markets, and how its value comes back to the people and organizations that created and invested in it. That's why it matters that BISG has created a place where the industry can look closely at the challenges surrounding rights and bring people together to solve them. Stronger rights practices don't just benefit rights professionals--they help create a stronger, more successful publishing ecosystem."