About Us
Our Story
The Christian Book Excellence Awards began with a simple conviction: that faithful Christian writing matters, and that the authors and publishers behind these works deserve to be seen, supported, and celebrated. Our mission is to honor excellence in Christian writing—not only in theological depth and biblical fidelity, but also in craft, clarity, creativity, and spiritual impact. We believe high-quality Christian books serve the Church, strengthen discipleship, and shape the Christian imagination in ways that endure long after publication. From legacy publishing houses to first-time independent authors, we exist to champion exceptional work across the whole landscape of Christian publishing. Good and faithful writing should not be overlooked simply because a writer lacks a large platform, marketing budget, or traditional industry connections. Excellence deserves recognition, and the Church deserves access to resources that are both theologically sound and beautifully crafted. We hope to contribute to a legacy of thoughtful, faithful Christian writing that enriches the global Church.
ABOUT THE AWARD
The Christian Book Excellence Awards exist to recognize and honor outstanding works of Christian writing across a wide range of genres and disciplines. Our awards highlight books that demonstrate theological faithfulness, literary quality, clarity of craft, spiritual depth, and meaningful contribution to Christian discipleship.
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Category winners are selected in multiple publishing categories, reflecting the diversity of Christian writing today—from devotional and Christian living to theology, apologetics, ministry, memoir, Bible studies, children’s literature, and more. In addition to category distinctions, one book in each genre is awarded Book of the Year, representing the highest standard of excellence within its field.
Winners receive official seals, certificates, public recognition, and further support to help strengthen readership and affirm the faithful labor behind their work. Our hope is that this recognition not only honors authors and publishers but also serves readers by elevating trustworthy and edifying books within the broader Christian community.
Why We Do This
Christian authors often pour years of study, prayer, mentoring, research, and craft into their work. Yet most receive little recognition, little marketing support, and few open doors, especially if they are not traditionally published or backed by major institutions. Our awards aim to dismantle the common barriers between traditional and independent publishing, between platformed voices and emerging ones, between large budgets and small beginnings.
We believe that excellence deserves to be seen.
We believe the Church is strengthened when high-quality resources are elevated.
And we believe readers benefit when trustworthy voices rise to the forefront. ​
Our awards seek to:​​
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Celebrate faithful craft
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Encourage excellence
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Strengthen the Christian publishing ecosystem
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Break down unnecessary barriers
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Amplify diverse voices worth hearing
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Support authors at every stage of publication
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Glorify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
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Information about eligibility for the Christian Book Excellence Awards can be found here.
WHO WE ARE
The Christian Book Excellence Awards is stewarded by a diverse panel of Christian professionals committed to elevating faithful, high-quality publishing.
Our judging team includes individuals from across the Christian vocational world: writers, editors, journalists, ministry leaders, pastors, counselors, and publishing professionals, each bringing unique insight and expertise to the evaluation process.
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The awards were founded by a husband and wife team combining 20+ years in writing, editing, publishing, pastoral ministry, teaching, counseling, and discipleship, giving the program a unique vantage point into both the craft of Christian writing and the work of the local and global church.
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Our goal is to recognize books that strengthen the body of Christ, honor the Triune God of Scripture, and serve readers through biblical faithfulness, thoughtful creativity, and meaningful contribution to Christian discipleship and living.
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To ensure fairness and prevent outside influence, the names of our judges may not be publicly released. This safeguards the integrity of the process, protects judges from lobbying or industry pressure, and allows them to evaluate each submission with honesty, clarity, and independence.
HOW WE WERE FOUNDED
The Christian Book Excellence Awards began as a response to the realities of the Christian publishing landscape: outstanding books were being written, quietly released, or self-published, yet many were struggling to gain visibility despite their theological depth, literary quality, and ministry usefulness.
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As we talked with authors from within the publishing world (where we have worked for over a decade) and within ministry settings (where we continue to serve), we heard the same themes again and again: most Christians do not have access to large publishing budgets, publicity teams, or marketing platforms—but many do have a message worth sharing and a calling to write for the good of the Church. Their work deserves to be taken seriously, even if it is produced without industry support or capital.
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Recognizing this gap, our founders sought to create an award program that would:
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offer credible and fair recognition,
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elevate books with exceptional merit, and
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provide authors a pathway toward wider readership and influence.
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To carry out that mission, we gathered a panel of like-minded colleagues from across the globe—individuals working in publishing, journalism, ministry, education, counseling, and theology. Many bring formal training and advanced degrees (such as M.A., M.Div., D.Min., and Master of Journalism) along with years of practical experience in both the Church and the wider publishing realm. From its inception, the program was intentionally designed to welcome both traditionally published and independently published works, ensuring that excellence speaks louder than label, platform, or marketing machine.