Thomas Nelson came away with nearly a third of the prizes in the 2008 Retailers Choice Awards, sponsored by Christian Retailing.

Publishers in the Christian market submitted 245 entries in 31 categories this year, and retailers chose what they considered to be the best of all the nominees, all of which released in 2007. Winners were announced today at the International Christian Retail Show in Orlando, Fla.

The two best-selling dramatized audio Bibles from Zondervan and Thomas Nelson-Inspired By... The Bible Experience: The Complete Bible and The Word of Promise New Testament Audio Bible-tied for first place.

Another win came for Thomas Nelson in a new category, Vacation Bible School, with The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything (Big Idea). A VeggieTales product also won in Children's Media, The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's (Big Idea).

Strang Communications came away with wins in Health and Fitness, Charismatic, Social Issues and Spanish, including In Defense of Israel by Texas pastor John Hagee.

In Children's Fiction, Randy Alcorn won with Tell Me About Heaven, another of his afterlife titles. He also won in Mystery/Suspense with Deception (Multnomah Books).

Karen Kingsbury's Sunrise, the initial title in the "Sunrise" series (Tyndale), surpassed multiple entries, including two of her own, to take Women's Fiction, and in General Fiction, The Parting by Beverly Lewis (Bethany House) was victor.

Retailers were asked to judge nominations on the impact they have had on store staff and customers, including their ability to speak to hearts and evoke emotion, open minds to new ways of thinking and encourage and affirm Christ-like living.

Those who voted in the Retailers Choice Awards were entered in a random drawing for hundreds of dollars worth of nominated product. The five winners were: Jose Burgos, Bread of Life in Bridgeport, Conn.; Donna Hagedorn, Scholar Shop in St. Meinrad, Ind.; Curtis Cecil of Family Christian Stores in Des Moines, Iowa; Sherry Booher of The Connection Bookstore in Grand Junction, Colo.; and Emily Jo Mulholland of Christian Book & Gift Shop in Rochester, Minn.

Retailers may visit www.retailerschoiceawards.com to print a list of winners for their customers. For the full story, see the Aug. 11 issue of Christian Retailing.

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