Welcome to the Takeover Blitz for The Christy Award Finalists 2026 organized by ECPA and hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! We extend our sincere and enthusiastic congratulations to The Christy Award 2026 Finalists & Winners (announced on November 6th)!
Award contests serve a valuable service. They recognize excellence and help promote deserving works. When we were in the film industry we entered many film festivals and won many awards. Some, like the ICVM Crown Awards were significant and quite the honor. Others, well, let’s just say, they in no way indicated the quality of the entries. In fact, there was one festival that gave out dozens of individual awards to literally every film that entered.
It’s the same in the literary world. Many contests, but only a few with any true merit. The Christy Awards are the Christian literary awards that recognize the cream of the crop. They’re the ones that writers dream of winning.
I’ve been studying the Christy awards for some time now. I’ve read a good portion of the finalists and winners and analyzed what it is that ties them all together. There are so many great books, how do they narrow down?
I’ve determined that the Christy finalists and winners are books that are not merely well-written entertainment, they’re about something. They’re stories that linger, that impact lives, and that stand the test of time.
This year I decided to do something different. From all the books released within the time period (March 2025-March 2026), I made a list of books I thought would make the cut. I came up with ten books that I thought stood out. I’m excited to say, four of those are finalists.
The winners will be announced on Friday, November 6 in Nashville in a fancy gala event, but earlier in that day are opportunities to meet the finalists and to learn about industry trends from experts in the field.
I’ll be at the Beyond the Books morning event as well as the Art of Writing conference in the afternoon, and would love to see you there!
You are Invited
The Christy Award Gala
Friday, November 6, 2026 | 7:00 PM
Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel
Nashville, Tennessee
Featuring Michelle Shocklee, Amanda Cox, Nicole Deese, Amanda Dykes, Susie Finkbeiner, J.J. Fischer, Rhonda McKnight, Jamie Ogle, Amanda Wright, Jaime Jo Wright, and other distinguished 2025 winners—bringing a meaningful connection between past and present excellence.
This is our year to gather together in person to celebrate and honor the best Christian fiction of the year. The Christy Award Gala will be held the evening of Friday, November 6th and will feature a premiere cast of the industry’s authors to announce The Christy Award winners in nine categories, The Christy Book of the Year, and The Amplify Award for Christian Fiction.
This year’s gala features a keynote address from Michelle Shocklee, recipient of The Christy Book of the Year for her acclaimed novel All We Thought We Knew. Her story and perspective will set the tone for an evening rooted in faith, creativity, and impact. Continuing Christy tradition, recent honorees will present category awards, including Amanda Cox, Nicole Deese, Amanda Dykes, Susie Finkbeiner, J.J. Fischer, Rhonda McKnight, Jamie Ogle, Amanda Wright, Jaime Jo Wright, and other distinguished 2025 winners—bringing a meaningful connection between past and present excellence.
The Christy Award Finalists 2026
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE – tie
Echoes of a Silent Song by Amanda Wen (Kregel Publications))
Hearts on the Fly by Toni Shiloh (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group)
Kate Landry Has a Plan by Rebekah Millet (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group)
The Voice We Find by Nicole Deese (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group)
FIRST NOVEL
In the Light of the Sun by Angela Shupe (WaterBrook, an imprint of PRH Christian))
The Lawyer and the Laundress by Christine Hill Suntz Tyndale House Publishers)
Where Stillness Speaks by Chelsey Welwood (Chelsey Welwood))
General Fiction
South of Somewhere by T.I. Lowe (Tyndale House Publishers)
The Bitter End Birding Society by Amanda Cox (Revell/ Baker Publishing Group)
When the Road Comes Around by Katie Powner (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group)
Historical – tie
All From the Valley We Rise by Elizabeth Musser (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group)
Splendor of the Land by Connilyn Cossette (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group)
The Daughter of Rome by Angela Hunt (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group)
The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron (Thomas Nelson Fiction)
Historical Romance – tie
Mists Over the Channel Islands by Sarah Sundin (Revell/Baker Publishing Group)
The Belle of Chatham by Laura Frantz (Revell/Baker Publishing Group)
The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanna M. White (Tyndale House Publishers)
Through Water and Stone by Karen Barnett (Kregel Publications)
Mystery/Suspense/Thriller – tie
Final Approach by Lynette Eason (Revell/Baker Publishing Group)
Girl Lost by Kate Angelo (Revell/Baker Publishing Group)
Tempest at Annabel’s Lighthouse by Jaime Jo Wright (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group)
The Accused by Cara Putman (Kregel Publications)
Short Form – tie
A Very Merry Matchup by Becca Kinzer (Tyndale House Publishers)
One Nine by Sara Davison (Sara Davison)
Planning for Nickie by Tasha Hackett (Tasha Hackett)
To Reveal a Reckless Love by Robin Lee Hatcher (RobinSong, Inc.)
Speculative – tie
Every Hour until Then by Gabrielle Meyer (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group)
Heir of Light by Niki Florica and Jill Williamson (Sunrise Publishing)
Maxine Justice: Public Offender by Daniel Schwabauer (Enclave, a division of Oasis Family Media)
Of Dawn and Embers by Gillian Bronte Adams (Enclave Escape, a division of Oasis Family Media)
Young Adult – tie
Illuminary by Chawna Schroeder (Enclave Escape, a division of Oasis Family Media)
Sons of Day and Night by Mariposa Aristeo (Enclave Escape, a division of Oasis Family Media)
The Outsider by Katy Morgan (The Good Book Company)
The Star-Blessed by Angie Dickinson (Enclave Escape, a division of Oasis Family Media
Register for The Christy Award 2026 Events
Join us in Music City for a vibrant, can’t-miss gathering of the Christian fiction community.
Beyond the Books Add-On: Meet the finalist authors at this special morning gathering of authors and readers.
The Art of Writing conference will bring together writers, storytellers, and publishing professionals for an afternoon of relevant topics and networking.
The Christy Award Winners Gala celebrates this year’s finalists and winners with authors, editors, publishers, and readers!
The Christy Award® is a program of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) and is the foremost award honoring and promoting excellence in Christian fiction since 1999. For more information about ECPA, visit ECPA.org. For more information about the Christy Awards and Art of Writing conferences, visit ChristyAwards.com or email TheChristyAward@ecpa.org
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive their choice of The Art of Writing registration OR print copies of The Christy Award finalist titles for one category!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight September 25, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on October 2, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
Let's chat! What are your thoughts?