Realm Makers Announces 2020 Realm Award Winners, Sets Peretti as 2021 Keynote Speaker

NEWS: Learn who won at tonight’s virtual Realm Awards dinner, which recognizes excellence in Christian-made fantastical fiction and cover design.
on Jul 17, 2020 · No comments

POTTSTOWN, Pa., July 17, 2020—Realm Makers hosted its annual awards banquet tonight during its annual conference, and revealed the winners of best Christian-made novels for the Realm Award, the Parable Award, and the Alliance Award.

Seventh City, Emily Hayse

The 2020 Realm Award Book of the Year is Seventh City by Emily Hayse.

The Realm Award celebrates the best titles in 2019’s fantastical fiction among eight categories. Each title competed for the Realm Award in its category, and the top five overall scores from all categories were judged for a final Book of the Year award.

Realm Award, Book of the Year, chosen from all winners

  • Seventh City, by Emily Hayse from Hayse Publishing

Realm Award, children’s

  • Hello Ninja, by N. D. Wilson from HarperCollins

Realm Award, middle grade

  • Iggy & Oz: The Plastic Dinos of Doom, by J. J. Johnson from Dark Side Geeks

Realm Award, fantasy

  • Seventh City, by Emily Hayse from Hayse Publishing

Realm Award, science fiction

  • Brand of Light, by Ronie Kendig from Enclave Publishing
Realm Award 2020, goblet crafted by Leah Nietz

This is the 2020 Realm Award Book of the Year goblet, hand-crafted by Leah Nietz.

Realm Award, young adult

  • To Best the Boys, by Mary Weber from Thomas Nelson/HarperCollins

Realm Award, debut

  • Fyrian’s Fire, by Emily Jeffries from Sheepgate Press

Realm Award, horror/other

  • Amish Werewolves of Space, by Kerry Nietz from Freeheads

Realm Award, supernatural/paranormal

  • Mercury on Guard, Steve Rzasa, independently published

Alliance Award winner, chosen by reader vote

  • Brand of Light, by Ronie Kendig from Enclave Publishing

Parable Award winner for best book cover designs

  • Heart of the Curiosity, by H. L. Burke with cover by Austin Lord

Our 2020 Realm Award winners will join our faculty for Author LIVE, a virtual author Q and A open to the public on Saturday, July 18 from 4–7:30 p.m. (EDT).

Rebecca P. Minor and Scott Minor, both of Realm Makers, with Frank E. Peretti (center) at the American Christian Fiction Writers conference in Sept. 2019.

Next year’s Realm Makers keynote speaker: Frank E. Peretti

Frank E. Peretti is a New York Times best-selling author of Christian fiction, whose novels primarily focus on the supernatural. To date, his works have sold over 15 million copies worldwide. Peretti is best known for his novels This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness.

About Realm Makers: Realm Makers began in 2013, and from small origins has grown to serve thousands of Christian fiction authors online and at annual conferences. Faculty members have included bestselling novelists such as Ted Dekker, Tosca Lee, Brent Weeks, and N. D. Wilson. Realm Makers exists to help creative Christians in their journeys, providing education in craft, connections with industry professionals, and strategies for finding readers who love these kinds of stories. Meanwhile, the Realm Makers Bookstore offers a curated collection of speculative fiction from Christian authors, traveling to events such as renaissance fairs and homeschool conventions.

E. Stephen Burnett explores fantastical stories for God’s glory as publisher of Lorehaven.com and its weekly Fantastical Truth podcast. He coauthored The Pop Culture Parent and creates other resources for fans and families, serving with his wife, Lacy, in their central Texas church. Stephen's first novel, the sci-fi adventure Above the Circle of Earth, launches in March 2025 from Enclave Publishing.

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