The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) has announced the winners for the 2011 Christian Book Awards. Presented annually to the finest in Christian publishing since 1978, the Christian Book Awards honor titles in six categories – Bibles, Bible Reference, Non-Fiction, Fiction, Children, and Inspiration.

One title, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas (Thomas Nelson), received the top honor by being named the Christian Book of the Year.

Called a “biography of uncommon power,” this 600+ page “weighty yet riveting analysis” on Dietrich Bonhoeffer has appeared on several bestseller lists, including the ECPA Top 50 and the New York Times lists; and has been featured in the Washington Post, Christianity Today, Publishers Weekly, NPR, FoxNews, CSpan, Harpers, and more. Published last year, its impact and status as a classic is already recognized, making six “Best of 2010” lists including Barnes & Noble, Kirkus Reviews, Relevant and Christianbook.com. The title is also the winner of the Non-Fiction category for this year’s Christian Book Awards.

The 2011 Christian Book Award Winners in each category are:

BIBLES: HCSB Study Bible
Jeremy Royal Howard and Ed Blum, General Editors
B&H Publishing Group, 9781586405069
 “Approximately 15,000 study notes appear throughout the HCSB Study Bible. We could have included more. As you can see from the list of contributors, there was no shortage of scholarship for this study Bible. What led us to be so discriminate about the notes we included is that input from study Bible users reflected their desire to have necessary, relevant notes within the context of the Scripture being studied. That meant information – notes, maps, illustrations – should be concise and impactful, plus easy to find.” – Jeremy Howard

BIBLE REFERENCE: Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Old Testament
John H. Walton, General Editor
Zondervan, 9780310255727
 This series brings to life the world of the Old Testament through informative entries and full-color photos and graphics. Here readers find the premier commentary set for connecting with the historical and cultural context of the Old Testament.

CHILDREN: The Action Bible
Sergio Cariello, Illustrator; Doug Mauss, General Editor
David C Cook, 9780781444996
 “Over the years, I’ve worked on many comics that I’m proud of, but there is nothing like doing a relevant story with eternal value. I’ve done Spiderman, The Avengers, Wonder Woman, and more. All those characters and stories will someday end, but the stories and impact of The Action Bible will last forever. It is a privilege and the honor of a lifetime for a Christian cartoonist to get to draw and bring to life God’s own stories.” – Sergio Cariello (Interactive website at http://theactionbible.com)

FICTION: Almost Heaven
Chris Fabry
Tyndale House Publishers, 9781414319575
 “This is probably my most difficult novel to write thus far because of thematic issues. It’s also probably my most “Christian” novel, though there are some rough patches throughout. Put on a bluegrass album in the background as you read because there are many tunes that run through the pages.” – Chris Fabry

INSPIRATION: You Changed My Life
Max Lucado
Thomas Nelson, 9781404187832
 Often times true heroes of faith don’t stand out in the world, but they have made a lasting difference in someone’s life—they’re a hero to someone. This gift book celebrates their story by first providing a dedication beginning with “You changed my life by___” to be written in detail by the giver to the recipient. To follow are stories told by Max about others who have answered the call of their convictions and took steps of faith (both big and small) resulting in lasting change in the lives around them.

NON-FICTION category winner and CHRISTIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR:
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
Eric Metaxas
Thomas Nelson, 9781595551382
 “Eric Metaxas has written a book that adds a new dimension to World War II, a new understanding of how evil can seize the soul of a nation and a man of faith can confront it — and transform defeat into victory, lies into transcendent truth. No one who cares about the history of the modern world can afford to ignore this book.” – Thomas Fleming

From hundreds of entry titles published in the last year, the Christian Book Awards select five finalists in each category based on both editorial excellence and category-specific criteria. The winners in each category were announced at the ECPA Awards banquet held Monday, May 2, during ECPA’s annual Executive Leadership Summit in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

ECPA is partnering with Christianity Today Inc. (CTi) to promote the winning titles to its consumer base. ECPA has also confirmed support from national retailers to create in-store and consumer promotions to build awareness of the Christian Book Award winning titles.

To view the winning titles, go to http://www.christianbookexpo.com/christianbookawards.

The Christian Book Awards, established in 1978 as the Gold Medallion Book Awards by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, recognize the absolute highest quality in Christian books. Based on excellence in content, literary quality, design and impact, the Christian Book Awards are the oldest and among the most prestigious in the religious publishing industry. For more information, go to www.ecpa.org.

Source: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/book-news/awards-and-prizes/article/47076-publishers-association-announces-christian-book-awards.html

[Editor’s note: Some of the original URLs (links) referenced in this article are no longer valid, so the links have been removed.]