Cal Orey has won the Best Health & Wellness category at the 2026 Hollywood Book Awards for “The Healing Powers of Honey: Revised and Updated,” the latest edition of her long-running exploration of honey’s role in natural health. The book, published Aug 25 by Citadel Press, an imprint of Kensington Publishing, was honoured in an announcement carried by Morningstar via Access Newswire on Oct 21.
The Hollywood Book Awards recognise excellence in publishing across a wide range of categories, and the health and wellness prize is among its most competitive. Orey’s win places her book alongside titles that have shaped public conversation about nutrition, natural remedies and preventive health, and it caps a publishing career built on translating research about everyday foods into accessible guidance for general readers.
A revised classic on honey and health
“The Healing Powers of Honey” is not a new title but a returning one. Orey first explored honey’s health properties in earlier editions, and the revised and updated version brings the book current with new research, new applications and a refreshed presentation. The decision to revisit the book reflects both its enduring readership and the steady accumulation of scientific interest in honey’s properties over the years.
Honey occupies a distinctive place in the literature of natural health. Unlike many traditional remedies, it has been the subject of genuine clinical research: studies have examined its antibacterial properties in wound care, its effectiveness as a cough suppressant, its antioxidant content and its potential role in digestive health. Medical-grade honey products are used in some clinical settings for wound management, giving the substance a credibility that many folk remedies lack.
Orey’s approach, as reflected in the book’s premise, is to gather this evidence alongside practical guidance: how to choose among honey varieties, how to use honey in cooking and home remedies, and what the research does and does not support. The revised edition’s August publication date positioned it for the autumn season, when readers traditionally turn to health and wellness titles.
Recognition in a crowded wellness market
The health and wellness publishing market is among the most crowded in the industry, with thousands of titles competing each year for readers’ attention. Standing out requires either a distinctive voice, a timely subject or, as in this case, the authority that comes from sustained work in the field. Orey is the author of a series of “healing powers” books covering foods including vinegar, olive oil, chocolate and coffee, and the honey volume is among her best-known works.
Awards like the Hollywood Book Awards serve a practical function in this environment. For readers navigating crowded shelves, an award designation signals that a title has been vetted by judges with publishing expertise. For authors, it provides marketing leverage and bookseller attention that can extend a book’s commercial life well beyond its publication season.
The Best Health & Wellness category in particular tends to reward books that balance accessibility with substance. Judges look for titles that engage general readers without sacrificing accuracy, a standard that favours authors who can write clearly about science without oversimplifying it. Orey’s win suggests the revised edition met that bar.
Honey’s moment in modern wellness
The award arrives at a time of renewed interest in natural and traditional foods as components of a healthy diet. Honey has benefited from this trend, with artisanal and single-origin honeys commanding premium prices and consumers showing growing interest in the differences between varieties. Manuka honey from New Zealand, prized for its antibacterial activity, has become a global luxury product, while raw and unfiltered honeys have found an enthusiastic audience among shoppers seeking less-processed foods.
At the same time, nutrition scientists caution that honey is still fundamentally a sugar, and its health benefits must be weighed against its caloric and glycaemic impact. Responsible writing about honey, the kind award judges tend to recognise, acknowledges this tension rather than presenting the food as a miracle cure. The most useful health books are those that help readers integrate a food sensibly into an overall diet rather than promising transformation from a single ingredient.
For Orey, the Hollywood Book Award is both recognition of past work and momentum for what comes next. Authors with award-winning titles find it easier to secure publishing deals, speaking engagements and media coverage, and a refreshed classic with an award behind it has a strong foundation for continued sales. In a publishing landscape where most titles fade within months, “The Healing Powers of Honey: Revised and Updated” has earned a longer shelf life.