The Christy Awards
for the best in Christian Fiction

In 1999, nearly a dozen publishers of Christian fiction, in an effort to recognize the writers and readers of this increasingly large genre of publishing, established The Christy Award. The award is named after the well-known novel by Catherine Marshall, and in honor of Marshall's long-term contribution to the growth of the field of Christian fiction.

CURRENT CATEGORIES [2007- ]

2009		Marlo Shalesky Beyond the Night
2008		Charles Martin Chasing Fireflies
2007		Jamie Langston Turner Winter Birds
2006  [tie]		W. Dale Cramer Levi's Will [Available as an uncataloged paperback or an unabridged book-on-CD only]
2006  [tie]		Vanessa Del Fabbro The Road to Home
2005		W. Dale Cramer Bad Ground [This item available only in unabridged audio format.]
2004		Lisa Samson Songbird
2003		Ann Tatlock All the Way Home
2002		Jamie Langston Turner A Garden to Keep [This item available only in unabridged audio format.]
2001  [tie]		Philip Gulley Home to Harmony
2001  [tie]		Robert Whitlow The Trial
2000		Jan Karon A New Song

Best Contemporary Romance Fiction
Fiction whose characters and controlling theme focuses on a romantic drama in a contemporary setting.

2012		Ronie Kendig Wolfsbane
2011		DiAnn Mills Sworn to Protect
2010		Julie Klassen The Silent Governess

Best Contemporary (Series, Sequels and Novellas)
In 2007, this category first appeared, as a spin-off from the Best Contemporary. [Note: Splits off from the traditional Contemporary category.]

2012		Mindie Starnes Clark and Leslie Gould The Amish Wife
2011		Nancy Rue The Reluctant Prophet
2010		Neta Jackson Who Do I Talk To?
2009		Tracy V. Bateman You Had Me at Good-Bye
2008		Jan Karon Home to Holly Springs
2007		Beverly Lewis The Brethren

Best Contemporary (Standalones)
In 2009, this category first appeared, separate from Best Contemporary (Series, Sequels and Novellas)

2012		Ann Tatlock Promises to Keep
2011		Chris Fabry Almost Heaven
2010		Lisa Samson The Passion of Mary-Margaret
2009		Chris Fabry Dogwood

Best Historical Fiction
Fiction that weaves stories about characters in historical epochs or settings. Includes Biblical, Biographical and Western fiction. [Note: This categories incorporates the previous categories of International Historical, North American Historical and Western.]

2012		Lynn Austin Wonderland Creek
2011		Lynn Austin While We're Far Apart
2010		Lynn Austin Though Waters Roar
2008		Lynn Austin Until We Reach Home
2008		Lynn Austin A Proper Pursuit
2007		Tracy Groot Madman
2006		Liz Curtis Higgs Whence Came a Prince
2005		Jan Beazely and Thom Lemmons King's Ransom
2004		Lynn Austin Fire By Night

Best Historical Romance Fiction
Fiction whose characters and controlling theme focuses on a romantic drama in a historical setting.

2012		Julie Klassenby The Maid of Fairbourne Hall
2011		Julie Klassen The Girl in the Gatehouse
2010		Julie Klassen The Silent Governess

Best Suspense Fiction
Fiction that often focuses on a strange, frightening or thrilling set of events. Includes Mystery (fiction where the element of mystery of terror plays a controlling part, often a tale of crime).

2012		Steven James The Queen
2011		Steven James The Bishop
2010		Athol Dickson The Lost Mission
2009		Steven James The Rook
2008		Athol Dickson The Cure
2007		Tim Downs Plague Maker
2006		Athol Dickson River Rising
2005		Debbie Wilson Tiger in the Shadows
2004		Ted Dekker Thr3e
2003		Randy Singer Directed Verdict
2002		T. Davis Bunn Drummer in the Dark
2001		T. Davis Bunn The Great Divide
2000		James Scott Bell Final Witness

Best Visionary Fiction
Imaginative fiction including Allegory (fiction in the form of extended metaphor in which objects, person and actions are equated with meanings that lie outside the narrative itself), Fantasy (fiction that contains a conscious breaking free from reality in which the work takes place in a nonexistent and unreal world or concerns incredible or unreal characters), Futuristic (fiction whose action, plot, and characters occur in a future period of time), and Science Fiction (fiction in which scientific facts or hypotheses form the basis of adventures, often in the future, on other planets, or in other dimensions of time). [Note: Incorporates several previous categories.]

2011		Anne Elizabeth Stengl Veiled Rose
2011		Jill Williamson To Darkness Fled
2010		Jill Williamson By Darkness Hid
2009		Tom Pawlik Vanish
2008		Stephen R. Lawhead Scarlet
2006		Karen Hancock Shadow Over Kiriath
2005		Karen Hancock The Shadow Within

Best First Novel
This novel may represent any genre above written by a first-time novelist who has not published commercially any book-length work of fiction. Author may have published fiction in magazines, journals, or other periodicals. NOTE: A book that qualifies for this category may also be entered in the genre category which it represents.

2012		Ginny Yttrup Words
2011		Anne Elizabeth Stengl Heartless
2010		Jennifer Erin Valent Fireflies in December
2009		Joy Jordan-Lake Blue Holme Back Home
2008		Sibella Giorello The Stones Cry Out
2007		Karen Harter Where Mercy Flows
2006		Nicole Mazzarella This Heavy Silence
2005		Cliff Coon The Mending String
2004		Brad Whittington Welcome to Fred
2003		Michael Morris A Place Called Wiregrass
2002		David Ryan Long Ezekiel's Shadow
2001		Sharon Ewell Foster Passing By Samaria

Best Lits
This category first appeared in 2007, focusing on popular "chick lit" and/or general fiction.

2008		Shelly Beach Hallie's Heart
2007		Robin Jones Gunn Sisterchicks in Gondolas

Best Young Adult
This category first appeared in 2007, focusing of books for teens and/or young adults.

2012		Lisa T. Bergren Waterfall
2011		Nancy Rue Motorcycles, Sushi and One Strange Book
2010		Andrew Petersen North, or Be Eaten!
2009		Cathy Gohlke I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires
2008		Lisa Samson Hollywood Nobody
2007		Cathy Gohlke William Henry is a Fine Name

PAST CATEGORIES [2000-2004]

Best Romance Fiction
Fiction whose characters and controlling theme focuses on a romantic drama in a historical or current setting. This category was split into Best Contemporary Romance and Best Historical Romance in 2010.

2009		Tamera Alexander From a Distance
2008		Tamera Alexander Remembered
2007		Deeanne Gist Measure of a Lady
2006		Deeanne Gist A Bride Most Begrudging
2005		Kristen Heitzmann Secrets
2004		Hannah Alexander Hideaway
2003		Dee Henderson True Honor (Uncommon Heroes Series, Book 3)
2002		Dee Henderson The Guardian
2001		Catherine Palmer A Touch of Betrayal
2000		Robin Lee Hatcher Whispers From Yesterday

Best Futuristic Fiction

2004		Jerry Jenkins Soon: The Beginning of the End
2003		Nancy Moser Time Lottery
2002		Randall Ingermanson and John Olson Oxygen
2001		Randall Ingermanson Transgression
2000		Grant R. Jeffrey and Angela Hunt By Dawn's Early Light

Best International Historical Fiction

2003		Jack Cavanaugh His Watchful Eye
2002		Jack Cavanaugh While Mortals Sleep
2001		Francine Rivers Unashamed
2000		Anne de Graaf Out of the Red Shadow

Best North American Historical Fiction

2003		Lynn Austin Candle in the Darkness
2002		Lynn Austin Hidden Places
2001		Gilbert Morris Edge of Honor
2001		Rosey Dow Reaping the Whirlwind [This title available only in unabridged audiotape format]
2000		Janette Oke and T. Davis Bunn The Meeting Place

Best Western Fiction

2003		R. William Rogers Toward a New Beginning
2002		Stephen Bly The Long Trail Home

Best Fantasy Fiction

2004

Karen Hancock The Light of Eidon

Best Allegory Fiction

2003

Karen Hancock Arena [This item exists only as an uncataloged "paperback spinner rack" copy]

Last updated October 2012 sdc

Looking for additional novels on this or other subjects? Try out the NoveList database!