For Immediate Release — November 17, 2022

ECPA presents 38 Top Shelf Book Cover Awards, honoring the year’s best book and Bible designs in Christian publishing

Record number of winners presented at ECPA PubU in Nashville

Record number of judges — 28 industry art directors — evaluated the entries in four debut categories

NASHVILLE, TENN., November 17, 2022 – Yesterday afternoon, ECPA announced 38 winners of the 2022 Top Shelf Book Cover Award during the ECPA PubU opening session, amidst nearly 200 publishing professionals attending the two-day conference.

In recognition of the program’s 10-year anniversary, Faceout Studio principal and program consultant Torrey Sharp shared a video featuring contributions from industry designers, publishers, and judges, reflecting on 10 years of design excellence in Christian publishing.  More than 200 covers have now won the distinction.

The 10-year milestone was occasion to expand the program to four categories and 28 judges, each from a design department of a submitting publishing house.

“Inviting art directors and designers from each submitting publishing house was an occasion for the industry to evaluate and celebrate itself,” states ECPA president Jeff Crosby.  “These winning covers were evaluated by 28 professional book designers – and stood out as the industry’s best. Their beauty honors the design excellence that encompasses the life-transforming content that Christian publishers are committed to.”

“Great design flows from great writing and sound strategy,” stated Torrey. “Producing and delivering beautiful and meaningful books is a team sport. The Top Shelf Book Cover Award acknowledges well-crafted books that seek to make a difference out there. We all play an important role in this effort and get to celebrate together!”  Sharp is also involved with leading the 2022 PubU design track program as a member of the PubU Brain Trust.

Submissions represented another record-breaking year of wide participation among 41 publishing houses and imprints.  Judges selected a record number of 38 winners.  This is the fifth year in a row that the number of winners has exceeded the prior years’ selections.

In the Bibles category, five Bibles from five publishers were honored, including B&H’s Stained Glass Editions and DaySpring’s One Step Closer Bible. Eight books won in the Children’s category with three from Thomas Nelson.  The Fiction category wins were split between Baker Publishing and Thomas Nelson, and a Francine Rivers novel by Tyndale House. Non-Fiction was the largest category with 20 winning recipients, including eight wins for Crossway and four for InterVarsity Press.

The 38 winners of the 2022 Top Shelf Book Cover Award are:

BIBLES CATEGORY

CSB Notetaking Bible, Stained Glass Editions
Designer: Jeff Godby, Art Director
Illustrator: Sarah Sparks
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group

ESV Student Study Bible, Artist Series Hardcover
Designer: Joshua Noom
Publisher: Crossway

NIV The Jesus Bible, Artist Edition
Designer: Joshua Noom
Art Directors: Rob Jelsema and Passion Publishing
Publisher: Zondervan

NLT One Step Closer Bible
In partnership with Candace Cameron Bure
Designers: Becca Barnett & Lauren Purtle
Publisher: DaySpring

The One Year Bible, Multiple Translations
Designers/ Art Directors: Jennifer Ghionzoli and Koko Toyama
Illustrator: Wenjia Tang
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

CHILDREN’S CATEGORY

A Saint a Day: 365 True Stories of Faith and Heroism
Author: Meredith Hinds
Designer: Tiffany Forrester
Illustrator: Isabel Muñoz
Art Director: Sabryna Lugge
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers

Anxiety Elephants for Tween Girls &
Anxiety Elephants for Tween Boys
Author: Caris Snider
Designer: Chris Gilbert and David Carlson
Publisher: End Game Press

The Biggest Story Bible Storybook
Author: Kevin DeYoung
Designer/Illustrator: Don Clark
Publisher: Crossway

Darkest Night Brightest Day: A Family Devotional for the Easter Season
Author: Marty Machowski
Designer: Phil Schorr
Art Direction: New Growth Press
Publisher: New Growth Press

Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth
Author: Alice Faye Duncan
Designer: Tiffany Forrester
Illustrator: Keturah A. Bobo
Art Director: Sabryna Lugge
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers

The Patricia St. John Series:
Rainbow Garden; Secret at Pheasant Cottage; Star of Light; The Tanglewoods’ Secret;
Three Go Searching; Treasures of the Snow; Where the River Begins
Author: Patricia St. John
Designer: Tim Green, Faceout Studio
Art Director: Erik M. Peterson
Publisher: Moody Publishers

Roar Like a Lion: 90 Devotions to a Courageous Faith
Author: Levi Lusko with Tama Fortner
Designer: Tiffany Forrester
Illustrator: Catherine Pearson
Art Director: Sabryna Lugge
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers

The Sower
Author: Scott James
Designer/Illustrator: Stephen Crotts
Publisher: Crossway

FICTION CATEGORY

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip
Author: Sara Brunsvold
Designer: Laura Klynstra
Publisher: Revell/ Baker Publishing Group

The Lady’s Mine
Author: Francine Rivers
Designer/ Art Director: Dean Renninger
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Shaped by the Waves
Author: Christina Suzann Nelson
Designer: Andrea Gjeldum
Publisher: Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group

The Summer We Forgot
Author: Caroline George
Designer: Tim Green, Faceout Studio
Art Director: Halie Cotton
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers

We Were Kings
Author: Court Stevens
Designer:  Amanda Hudson, Faceout Studio
Art Directors: Kristen Ingebreston and Halie Cotton
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers

NONFICTION CATEGORY

A Better Encouragement: Trading Self-Help for True Hope
Author: Lindsey Carlson
Designer: Crystal Courtney
Publisher: Crossway

A Dozen Things God Did with Your Sin (And Three Things He’ll Never Do)
Author: Sam Storms
Designer: Spencer Fuller, Faceout Studio
Publisher: Crossway

A Rebel’s Manifesto: Choosing Truth, Real Justice, and Love amid the Noise of Today’s World
Author: Sean McDowell
Designer: Eva M. Winters
Art Director: Dean Renninger
Publisher: Tyndale Momentum

(A)Typical Woman: Free, Whole, and Called in Christ
Author: Abigail Dodds
Designer: Lindy Martin, Faceout Studio
Publisher: Crossway

A Supreme Love: The Music of Jazz and the Hope of the Gospel
Author: William Edgar
Designer/Creative Director: David Fassett
Publisher: InterVarsity Press

The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress and Equality
Author: Glen Scrivener
Designer: Molly von Borstel, Faceout Studio
Art direction and design: André Parker
Publisher: The Good Book Company USA

Blessed: Experiencing the Promise of the Book of Revelation
Author: Nancy Guthrie
Designer: Crystal Courtney
Publisher: Crossway

Cultural Counterfeits: Confronting 5 Empty Promises of Our Age and How We Were Made for So Much More
Author: Jen Oshman
Designer: Crystal Courtney
Publisher: Crossway

Do You Believe?: 12 Historic Doctrines to Change Your Everyday Life
Author: Paul David Tripp
Designer: Ordinary Folk
Publisher: Crossway

Enjoying the Old Testament: A Creative Guide to Encountering Scripture
Author: Eric A. Seibert
Designer/Creative Director: David Fassett
Publisher: InterVarsity Press

The Hiding Place: An Engaging Visual Journey
Author: Corrie Ten Boom with Elizabeth & John Sherrill
Designer: Libby Dykstra
Illustrators: Jill De Haan, Daniel Strange, and Nicola Evans
Art Director: Jackie Nunez
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

How to Find Yourself: Why Looking Inward Is Not the Answer
Author: Brian Rosner
Designer: Spencer Fuller, Faceout Studio
Publisher: Crossway

Overcoming Apathy: Gospel Hope for Those Who Struggle to Care
Author: Uche Anizor
Designer: Jordan Singer
Publisher: Crossway

The Religion of American Greatness: What’s Wrong with Christian Nationalism
Author: Paul D. Miller
Designer/Creative Director: David Fassett
Publisher: InterVarsity Press

The Risen One & The Expected One
Author: Scott James
Designer/Art Director: Jade Novak
Cover illustration & design: Stephen Crotts
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group

Say Yes: Discover the Surprising Life Beyond the Death of a Dream
Author: Scott Erickson
Designer: Scott Erickson
Senior Art Director: Curt Diepenhorst
Publisher: Zondervan

Stop Chasing Happy: And Start Pursuing Your Purpose
Author: Phil Waldrep
Designer: Amanda Hudson, Faceout Studio
Art Director: Kyler Dougherty
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers

The Thing Beneath the Thing: What’s Hidden Inside (and What God Helps Us Do About It)
Author: Steve Carter
Designer: Spencer Fuller, Faceout Studio
Art Director: Kristen Paige Andrews
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers

WayMaker: Finding the Way to the Life You’ve Always Dreamed Of
Author: Ann Voskamp
Designer/Illustrator: Lindy Martin, Faceout Studio
Art Director: Kristen Paige Andrews
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers

When Thoughts and Prayers Aren’t Enough: A Shooting Survivor’s Journey into the Realities of Gun Violence
Author: Taylor S. Schumann
Designer/Creative Director: David Fassett
Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Each winner is featured at topshelfaward.org/winners.html. Comments by judge-designers are viewable by clicking on each cover.  Winning book covers, along with a list of this year’s judge-designers, are also featured in a four-color Annual designed by Faceout Studio and printed by Color House Graphics for distribution to the industry.  Contact ECPA to be mailed a copy.

Program information, including future submission information, can be found at TopShelfAward.com.  The submission period for the 2023 Top Shelf Design Awards will be from April to August.

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. The membership of ECPA is made up of Christian publishers and companies providing services to the Christian publishing industry. Since 1974, ECPA has strengthened Christian publishing by building Networking, Information, and Advocacy opportunities within the industry and across multiple channels so that our members can more effectively produce and deliver transformational Christian content.  Through programs, events, communications, recognition and research, ECPA strengthens publishing communities within the industry.  The ECPA Design E-Community, PubU Design training sessions, and Top Shelf Awards are among several ECPA-driven opportunities that designers have to network, stay informed, and be recognized within the industry. TopShelfAward.org

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 and CEO, ECPA, 480-966-3998, jcrosby@ecpa.org
Cindy Carter, ECPA Recognition Manager, 480-966-3998, ccarter@ecpa.org