A look back at 10 years of Retailers Choice Awards winners offers a fascinating overview of a decade of significant change for the Christian products industry.

The 200-plus trophies that have been presented to date—excluding this year's, to be announced this month—chart the enduring appeal and impact of established names and voices, while also spotlighting the emergence of significant new figures.

The span also brings back to attention major international, social and cultural milestones that left their mark at Christian retail stores, from Hollywood to the Middle East.

Here is how Christian retailers across the country have viewed the best new products they were able to introduce to customers in the previous year:

2001

Incorporated initially as the IGGYs, the Inspirational Giftware Gift of the Year awards, the first year featured the dramatic work of artist Thomas Blackshear. His stunning picture of Christ holding up a stricken man in contemporary clothes holding a crucifixion hammer, took the Gift Book award for Forgiven (DaySpring) and the Stationery prize for the Forgiven Witness Card (DaySpring).

Solid Light's I Broke a Rule tee won the Accessories/Apparel category, while Cross Gifts' A Mother's Heart was voted best Jewelry, and Goodwin Weavers' Song of Sol. 2:12 throw was named the best Decorative Accessory.

Other awards included DaySpring's Cross of Nails (Collectibles), Carpentree's The Sword of the Spirit (Wall Décor) and Thomas Nelson's A Mother's Memories to Her Child and a corresponding edition for fathers, each featuring the art of Thomas Kinkade (Memories).

2002

A new name to many, John Eldredge took the central Christian Living category with his Wild at Heart (Thomas Nelson) manifesto describing men's threefold quest for an adventure to live, a battle to fight and a beauty to win. Another award that signaled a significant newcomer was the Charismatic win for Tommy Tenney's The God Catchers (Thomas Nelson).

The pair joined more well-established figures like Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, whose The Mark, the eighth installment in their wildly successful "Left Behind" series unsurprisingly was named for Fiction: General. James Dobson's Nightlight (Multnomah) was top Devotional, while Frank Peretti's personal recollection of overcoming childhood hurts, The Wounded Spirit, was voted best Nonfiction.

Best Series was shared by Howard Publishing's "Hugs" and Siloam Press' "The Bible Cure" booklets. Other winners included Newsboys for Shine—The Hits (Sparrow Records, Rock/Alternative), Phillips, Craig & Dean's Let My Words Be Few (Sparrow, Inspirational) and Zondervan's Women of Faith Study Bible (Bibles, General).

2003

No one seriously doubted that Rick Warren's The Purpose-Driven Life (Zondervan) would be the Christian Living pick, but there was some surprise that the LaHaye/Jenkins "Left Behind" juggernaut could be caught. The pair's The Remnant (Tyndale House Publishers), the latest in the series, had to share the Fiction: General award with Donna VanLiere's novella, The Christmas Shoes (Integrity Publishers), based on the weepy title song from NewSong's holiday album of the same name. It took the Adult Contemporary trophy.

Dobson returned with two wins, for Nonfiction (Bringing Up Boys, Tyndale) and Devotionals (Nightlight for Parents, Multnomah) penned with his wife, Shirley. Other established names recognized included Billy Graham (The Name, Thomas Nelson, Evangelism) and Charles Swindoll (Great Lives: Paul, W Publishing Group, Series).

Max Lucado had to share top place with himself for Children's Fiction, split between Hermie: A Common Caterpillar (Tommy Nelson) and You Are Mine (Crossway Books). In music, Michael W. Smith's Worship Again (Reunion Records) scored Praise & Worship, while TobyMac's Momentum took Hip-Hop/R&B.

Kerusso's inspirational Glitter Globes with Bible verses were best in Toys & Games, Carpentree's Names of Jesus took Wall Décor, and Jewelry went to Bob Siemon Designs for its Sterling Silver Word Rings.

2004

Thomas Nelson's groundbreaking "BibleZine" Revolve was judged Bibles: General of the year, while the publisher also took Series for its "Women of Faith Study Guide" set. Warren's blockbuster continued to make an impact, with Spanish going to Vida Publishers for the translation, Una Vida Con Proposito, and the Gift Book category to Zondervan for Daily Inspiration for the Purpose-Driven Life.

The important Christian Living honor went to Lucado's Next Door Savior (W Publishing Group) as Philip Yancey's What's So Amazing About Grace? (Zondervan) took Evangelism. Stephen Mansfield's The Faith of George W. Bush won Nonfiction for Charisma House, while Francine Rivers' And the Shofar Blew was top Fiction: General.

Lighthouse Christian Products' You Are Loved voice-message photo frame was named General Gift Product. Bob Siemon Designs' ″Fashion Jewelry Collection″ took the Jewelry honor, and in music, Newsboys' Adoration (Sparrow) secured Adult Contemporary.

2005

As Dan Brown's general market novel about Jesus' supposed lineage prompted a string of evangelical responses correcting his heresies, Darrell L. Bock's contribution, Breaking the Da Vinci Code (Nelson Books/Thomas Nelson) was chosen as the year's leading Nonfiction.

Mel Gibson's The Passion of The Christ had also made an impact beyond Christian retail, seeing Bob Siemon Designs' officially licensed ″The Passion Jewelry Collection″ selected for Accessories/Apparel. P. Graham Dunn's Names of God carved cross was considered best in Decorative Accessories, and Wall Decor went to Carpentree for The Ten Commandments for Marriage.

Lucado took Christian Living once more, with Come Thirsty (W Publishing). VeggieTales' Sumo of the Opera (Big Idea) was named best DVD/Video, while Chris Tomlin's Arriving (sixstepsrecords) took Praise & Worship.

2006

The rising significance for Christian retail of DVDs—directly and indirectly—was noticeable with Rob Bell's 10th "Nooma" short-form entry, Lump, securing the best DVD/Video place, while VeggieTales' Tolkien take-off, The Lord of the Beans, was best Children's Media.

Meanwhile, Bob Siemon Designs' "The Chronicles of Narnia" Jewelry Display, an official license for the first "Narnia" movie, was voted best in Collectibles. Steve Saint's End of the Spear (SaltRiver/Tyndale), tied to the movie of the same name about his father's martyrdom, was top Auto/Biography. David Gregory's Dinner With a Perfect Stranger (WaterBrook Press), also movie-related, was the top Christian Living title.

Fiction: General went to Frank Peretti for Monster (WestBow Press/Thomas Nelson), and Fiction: Mystery & Suspense was won by Terri Blackstock's Last Light (Zondervan).

Eldredge featured three times, taking Devotionals for The Ransomed Heart (Nelson Books) and Women's Nonfiction for Captivating (Nelson Books), written with his wife, Stasi. The pair also shared the Personal Growth/Prayer win for Captivating: A Guided Journal (Nelson Impact).

2007

Middle East concerns were reflected with the award for Social Issues to John Hagee for Jerusalem Countdown (FrontLine/Strang Communications) and Christian Living for Joel C. Rosenberg's Epicenter (Tyndale House).

Sheila Walsh's "Gigi" series continued to grow in popularity, taking Children's Fiction with Gigi, God's Little Princess: The Royal Tea Party and Children's Nonfiction for God's Little Princess Devotional Bible, both from Tommy Nelson/Thomas Nelson.

Zondervan's Inspired By... The Bible Experience New Testament recording was named best Audio, Peterson's The Message Remix: Pause (NavPress) took Bibles: General, and Bibles; Devotional/Study went to The Archaeological Study Bible (Walter C. Kaiser Jr. and Duane Garrett, Zondervan).

Familiar names dominated Fiction, with Blackstock's Night Light (Zondervan) the General winner and Karen Kingsbury's Found (Tyndale House) for Women's. Peretti and Ted Dekker—whose first win was in 2005—shared Mystery & Suspense for their co-written House (WestBow Press). MercyMe's Coming Up to Breathe (INO Records) was judged best Adult Contemporary.

2008

Sherwood Pictures was the big newcomer, taking the award for DVD/Video with the surprise hit, Facing the Giants (Provident Films/Provident-Integrity Distribution). Zondervan's follow-up full recording of the Scriptures, Inspired By... The Bible Experience: The Complete Bible had to share the Audio title with Thomas Nelson and its The Word of Promise New Testament Audio Bible.

Though one of the year's best-selling titles, Tony Dungy's Quiet Strength (with Nathan Whitaker, Tyndale House), similarly had to share honors—splitting Auto/Biography with John Piper's Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce (Crossway).

Meanwhile there was a rare three-way tie. Women's Nonfiction went to A New Kind of Normal (Carol Kent, Thomas Nelson), Don't Bet Against Me! (Deanna Favre with Angela Hunt, Tyndale House) and Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible (Liz Curtis Higgs, WaterBrook Press).

Kerusso's "Pick Jesus" guitar picks were voted best General Gift Product, Carpentree's As For Me "Master's Forge" metal iron works plate wall hanger took Wall Décor, and Dianna Marcum's "Don't Worry Be Happy" Pass-It-On-Card was tops in Toys & Games.

2009

Francis Chan's winning of the important Christian Living category with his debut book, Crazy Love (David C. Cook), underscored the widely acknowledged impact the book about radical discipleship had made. Less unexpected were the novelization of the movie Fireproof (Eric Wilson, Thomas Nelson) taking Fiction: General and the movie tie-in The Love Dare (B&H Books/B&H Publishing Group) from director brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick winning Relationships.

Evangelism went to Warren for The Purpose of Christmas (Howard Books), while capping another strong launch was the Bibles: General award to the ESV Study Bible (Crossway).

First-time winners included pamphlet and map company Rose Publishing, whose Rose Guide to the Tabernacle was judged tops in Bible Reference/Study, and Mike Berenstain, whose family's popular bear characters brought a new, faith-based message in Zondervan's Children's Fiction favorite The Berenstain Bears Go to Sunday School.

Returning winners included Bell (DVD/Video: Nooma 19, Open, Zondervan), Kingsbury (Fiction: Women's, Sunset, Tyndale House) and Beth Moore (Women's Nonfiction: John: 90 Days With the Beloved Disciple, B&H Books/B&H Publishing Group).

The 2010 awards—this month

Since their introduction, Christian Retailing's Retailers Choice Awards have become increasingly acknowledged as an important way of recognizing some of the most significant new life-changing products in the Christian retail industry.

Christian store personnel—owners, managers, frontline staff and volunteers—are asked to judge the nominations on the impact they have had on staff and customers, including their ability to:

speak to people's hearts and evoke emotion

open people's minds to new ways of thinking

encourage and affirm Christ-like living.

Previously announced during the International Christian Retail Show, the winners will be named for the first time, this year, at Christian Retailing's own event, The Gathering 2010, at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky., April 21-23.

For more details, go to www.retailerschoiceawards.com.