For Immediate Release — November 3, 2025
ECPA presents 30 Top Shelf Book Cover Awards for the year’s best book and Bible designs
NOVEMBER 3, 2025–CHANDLER, ARIZ. – On Friday, ECPA announced 30 book and Bible designs as winners of the Top Shelf Book Cover Award during the opening ceremony of ECPA PubU Online, the industry’s annual training program for Christian publishing professionals.
The webcast featured ECPA president Jeff Crosby with Brian Chung and Samuel Han Park of Alabaster Co., to announce the winners in four categories: Bibles, Children, Fiction, and Non-Fiction.
“What a joy it is to annually recognize design excellence through presenting the Top Shelf Book Cover Awards to our publishing community,” Crosby said. “Design is such a vital part of capturing readers’ attention and quickly conveying important aspects of a book’s message. I congratulate each of the winning designers, art directors and publishers.”
Reviewing over 260 entries, this year’s judges selected 30 designs from 16 publishers and imprints. Six Bibles, nine children’s books, three novels, and twelve non-fiction titles were deemed the best designs of the year in Christian publishing. Crossway, B&H Publishing and Thomas Nelson earned the most individual wins, with multiple wins also enjoyed by Tyndale House, InterVarsity Press, Worthy, and Moody Publishers.
The 30 winners of the 2025 Top Shelf Book Cover Award are:
BIBLE CATEGORY
NIV Lectio Bible
Designer: Ryan Wesley Peterson
Senior Art Director: Rob Jelsema
Publisher: Zondervan
CSB Explorer Bible for Kids, SERIES
Art Director: Jeff Godby
Design and illustration: Nate Farro
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
The Message Women’s Devotional Bible, SERIES
Designer: Eva M. Winters
Art Director: Dean H. Renninger
Publisher: The Navigators, Tyndale House Publishers
ESV Everyday Gospel Bible
Designer: Jordan Singer
Publisher: Crossway
CSB Jesus Daily Bible
Art Director: Jeff Godby
Design and illustration: Stephen Crotts
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
NKJV Kingdom Life Bible
Designer: Derek Thornton
Art Director: Kate Armstrong
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
CHILDREN’S CATEGORY
The Dream Keeper Saga Set (5 Volumes), SERIES
Designer: Studio Muti
Art Director: Erik M. Peterson
Publisher: Crossway
God’s Farmyard Animals
Designer: Make Believe Ideas
Publisher: BroadStreet Publishing Group
Little Christmas Carol
Designer: Joe Sutphin
Art Director: Erik M. Peterson
Publisher: Moody Publishers
The Outsider
Designer: André Parker
Cover Illustration: Megan Parker
Publisher: The Good Book Company
The Story of Katie Luther
Designer: T. Lively Fluharty
Publisher: Crossway
The Storyteller’s Bible
Designer: Diana Lawrence
Cover Illustration: Alida Massari and Diana Lawrence
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
The Unlikely Intrusion of Adams Klein
Designer: Aedan Peterson
Art Director: Kaylee Lockenour Dunn
Publisher: Moody Publishers
When You Find a Hope
Art Director: Eve DeGrie
Illustrator: Anne Lambelet
Publisher: WorthyKids, Hachette Nashville
The World Needs the Wonder You See
Designer: Jen Showalter-Greenwalt
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
FICTION CATEGORY
The Collector of Burned Books
Designer: Sarah Susan Richardson
Art Director: Dean H. Renninger
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House
Designer: Laura Klynstra
Publisher: Revell/ Baker Publishing Group
The Summer of Yes
Designer: Sandra Chiu
Art Director: Halie Cotton
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
NONFICTION CATEGORY
Accessible Church
Designer: David Fassett, Art Director
Publisher: Crossway
Chicken-Fried Women
Designer: Whitney J. Hicks, Art Director
Publisher: Worthy Books, Hachette Nashville
Dangerous Calling
Designer: David Fassett, Art Director
Publisher: Crossway
Disarming Leviathan
Designer: David Fassett, Art Director
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Front Porch Wisdom
Designer: Jeff Miller
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Gospel Mom
Designers: Nicole Dougherty and Bryce Williamson
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
Grounded in Grace
Designer: Molly Von Borstel
Art Director: Dan Stelzer
Publisher: New Growth Press
Home with God
Designer: Jeff Miller
Art Director: Susan Browne
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
The Man the Moment Demands
Designer: Studio Gearbox
Art Director: Meg Schmidt
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
No Elevator to Everest
Designer: Brian Mellema
Publisher: David C Cook
Raised in Splendor
Designer: Jeff Miller
Art Director: Susan Browne
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Remember Death // Remember Heaven
Designer: David Fassett, Art Director
Publisher: Crossway
Each winner is featured at https://topshelfaward.org/winners.html. Comments by judge-designers are viewable by clicking on each cover.
In the program’s 13-year history, nearly 330 book and Bible designs have received this prestigious award, honoring design excellence in Christian publishing. Past winners and program information can be found at TopShelfAward.com. The submission period for the 2026 program will open in April.
The ECPA Top Shelf Award program is managed by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) in order to recognize design excellence in the Christian publishing industry. TopShelfAward.com
The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) is an international non-profit trade organization comprised of member companies that are involved in the publishing and distribution of Christian content worldwide. Since 1974, ECPA has strengthened Christian publishing by building networking, information, and advocacy opportunities within the industry and throughout multiple channels so that our members can more effectively produce and deliver transformational Christian content. ECPA.org
Media contacts:
Jeff Crosby, ECPA President, ECPA, 630-989-0222, jcrosby@ecpa.org
Cindy Carter, ECPA Recognition Manager, 480-966-3998 ext. 806, ccarter@ecpa.org
