For Immediate Release — October 1, 2020

ECPA recognizes 24 book designs as the year’s best in Top Shelf Book Cover Award program

Announcement delivered via webcast featuring artist and author Ruth Chou Simons, and designers Torrey Sharp, Micah Kandros, and Becca Wildsmith

TEMPE, ARIZ., October 1, 2020 – Today ECPA announced the winners of the 2020 Top Shelf Book Cover Award during a live broadcast of the closing session of ECPA PubU Online, featuring artist and author Ruth Chou Simons who gave a keynote on “Art That Heals in a Time of Crisis.” Nashville-based designers and part of this year’s judging team – Micah Kandros and Becca Wildsmith — helped announce the winning covers, reading the judges’ comments for each winning title. Faceout Studio prepared the full media presentation of each cover.

In an unsettling year, submissions to the program remained high and the judges chose a record-number of designs – 21 books and 3 Bibles – to represent the year’s best and award the Top Shelf Book Cover Award. The winners include one children’s book and two sets.

“These covers not only showcase the creative skill of the talented book cover designers in our industry, but they also tell the story of the valuable content contained inside, providing a graphic glimpse of the author’s intent in writing the book,” stated Stan Jantz, the CEO and president of ECPA.

The 24 winners of the 2020 Top Shelf Book Cover Award are:

Title: A Holy Pursuit
Author: Dianne Jago
Designer: Matt Lehman
Art Direction: Susan Browne
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group

Title: A Prayer for Orion
Author: Katherine James
Designer: David Fassett
Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Title: Arlo and the Great Big Cover-Up
Author: Betsy Childs Howard
Designer: Samara Hardy
Publisher: Crossway

Title: Emblems of the Infinite King
Author: J. Ryan Lister and Anthony M. Benedetto
Designer: Anthony M. Benedetto
Publisher: Crossway

Title: ESV Bible with Creeds and Confessions
Designer: Jordan Singer
Publisher: Crossway

Title: ESV Literary Study Bible
Designer: Jordan Singer
Publisher: Crossway

Title: The Fight to Flourish
Author: Jennie Lusko
Designer: Fresh Life Church
Illustration: Joshua Noom
Art Director: Elisha Gregory
Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Title: For All Who Wander
Author: Robin Dance
Designer: Lindy Martin, FaceOut Studio
Art Direction: Jade Novak
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group

Title: Gentle and Lowly
Author: Dane Ortlund
Designer: Jordan Singer
Publisher: Crossway

Title: Growing Together
Author: Melissa B. Kruger
Designer: Crystal Courtney
Publisher: Crossway

Title: The Myth of the American Dream
Author: D. L. Mayfield
Designer: David Fassett
Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Title: NIV Artisan Collection Bible
Designer: Olivia Joy Studio
Art Director: Rob Jelsema
Publisher: Zondervan

Title: Open and Unafraid
Author: David Taylor
Designer: Spencer Fuller, Faceout Studio
Art Director: Kristen Andrews
Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Title: Post-Christian
Author: Gene Edward Veith Jr.
Designer: Tim Green, Faceout Studio
Publisher: Crossway

Title: Saints and Scoundrels in the Story of Jesus
Author: Nancy Guthrie
Designer: Crystal Courtney
Publisher: Crossway

Title: Seasons Edition – Summer (Set)
Authors: Charlotte Bronte, Mark Twain, Jane Austen, Lewis Carroll
Designers: Jo Gian and Kate Armstrong, Art Director
Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Title: Spirits in Bondage
Author: C. S. Lewis
Designer: Micah Ellis
Art Director: Brittany Schrock
Publisher: Lexham Press

Title: Stewards of Eden
Author: Sandra L. Richter
Designer: David Fassett
Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Title: To Think Christianly
Author: Charles E. Cotherman
Designer: David Fassett
Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Title: Truths We Confess
Author: R.C. Sproul
Designer: Ligonier Creative
Publisher: Reformation Trust Publishing (Ligonier Ministries)

Title: Unsettling Truths
Author: Mark Charles and Soong-Chan Rah
Designer: David Fassett
Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Title: What Made Jesus Mad?
Author: Tim Harlow
Designer: Micah Kandros
Art Director: Kristen Andrews
Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Title: When Doctrine Divides the People of God
Author: Rhyne R. Putman
Designer: Spencer Fuller, Faceout Studio
Publisher: Crossway

Title: Why Am I Feeling Like This?
Why Is My Teenager Feeling Like This? (Set)
Author: David Murray
Designer: Crystal Courtney
Publisher: Crossway

Each winner is featured at topshelfaward.org/winners.html. Comments by judges and designers can be viewed by clicking on each cover. This year’s judges were:

Becca Wildsmith, an artist, designer and muralist based in Nashville, Tennessee
Matt Lehman, specializing in branding, illustration, and art direction
Micah Kandros, Nashville-based award-winning designer/photographer

Winning book covers, along with judge comments, 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 judge bios and future submission information, can be found at TopShelfAward.com. The submission period for the 2021 Top Shelf Design Awards will open on January 1, 2021 and close on August 31, 2021.

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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. For more information on ECPA programs and membership, visit ECPA.org or contact us at info@ecpa.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 contact:
Stan Jantz, President and CEO, ECPA, 480-966-3998 sjantz@ecpa.org

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