The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) announced today that its Gold Medallion Book Awards, presented annually to the finest in Christian publishing since 1978, has been completely revised in all areas – from title nominations to the judging process to the number of categories offered. Changes in the program are designed to bolster the reputation of the award program and expand retail and consumer recognition for award winners.

According to ECPA president Mark Kuyper these changes herald a new direction for the Gold Medallions: “We want these awards to be memorable and meaningful,” said Kuyper. “And we believe a more stringent judging process and fewer categories will translate to increased awareness of and greater sales for all Gold Medallion winners.”

The major change in the award program is the number of award categories offered. In 2005, ECPA awarded 20 winners in 20 distinct categories. As of 2006, there will be six major categories for the Gold Medallion awards – Bibles, Fiction, Children & Youth, Inspiration & Gift, Bible Reference & Study and Christian Life. “These categories are far and away the most recognizable to consumers in the Christian publishing industry,” adds Kuyper. “And the winners – whether they are well-known bestsellers or undiscovered gems – will have the largest impact on readers.”

ECPA reduced the number of categories of awards to create higher visibility for each winner. With fewer winners and more select categories, retailers will be better able to promote Gold Medallion winners. Adds Kuyper: “We have been working hard to build strategic partnerships with booksellers and chains nationwide to secure prime store placement for our winning titles.”

The Gold Medallion judging process has been reduced to one round from two rounds, based on a scale of 1 to 10 (ten being the best). Each book within the category is equally eligible to win since, unlike years past, books will not be ranked against one another. Separate judging groups will be assigned to each category. Each group of judges will consist of two retailers, two authors, and two experts related to the category (scholars, pastors, counselors, educators, literary reviewers, etc.).

The title nomination process has also been clarified for the Gold Medallion Awards. ECPA will now require that nominations be made only by ECPA member publishers in good standing. ECPA has also narrowed eligible titles to new titles which are originally published in English (but now includes titles published outside the U.S.). Re-issued books and any titles contained in a series or set are no longer eligible. ECPA will allow nomination of new books packaged with mixed media (CDs, DVDs, cassettes, video supplements, etc.) although only the book will be considered in the judging process.

Changes to the Gold Medallion book award program take effect immediately and a new name for the program will be announced early in 2006. Fees for title nomination will be $175 per title for companies with annual sales less than $5 million and $299 per title for companies with annual sales of more than $5 million. “We want to ensure that all publishers regardless of size will be able to nominate their best books,” says ECPA’s Kuyper. Nominations are due by January 17, 2006.

Gold Medallion Book Awards, established in 1978 by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, recognize the absolute highest quality in Christian books. Based on excellence in content, literary quality, design, and significance of contribution, the Gold Medallion Book Awards are the oldest and among the most prestigious in the religious publishing industry.