2026 Awards of Excellence
The 2026 Awards of Excellence honor the best work done in EPA publications during the 2025 calendar year. The awards were presented at the annual convention in Franklin, TN, on May 12-13, 2026.
Click here to download a PDF of all the winners.
Click here to view the Higher Goals Awards.
Campus (Print)
Award of Excellence: Liberty Champion — Maria Davis, Anna White, Isabella Scafidi, Sashira Camacho, Brenna McGilvreay, Lily Riden.
Awards of Merit: Cedars — Maggie Fipps, Julia Swain, Bella Agnello, Emily Tuttle, Angela Delano, Claire Xu. The Echo — Karlee Johnson, Marisa Reinhard, Kenna Hartian, Anna Mitchell
Christian Ministry (Print)
Award of Excellence: Instigate — Tom De Vries, Bethany Wininger, Holly Johnson, Alice Rodriguez, Sam Edwards, Mike Hames.
Awards of Merit: Evangelicals — Sarah Kropp Brown, Emma Patel. Proclaim! — Katie Bredemeier, Charlotte Sanchez, Kevin Nordyke, Eva Beckwith, Alyssa James, Melissa Woods. Influence — George P. Wood, Christina Quick, Steve Lopez, Ron Kopczick.
Denominational (Print)
Award of Excellence: The Southern Spirit — Kristin Mudge, Brad Rowland, Marianne Stewart.
Awards of Merit: Christian Leader — Lacey Scully, Janae Rempel Shafer, Shelley Kallsen. The Christian Chronicle — Erik Tryggestad, Bobby Ross Jr., Calvin Cockrell, Connie Penick, Jeremie Beller, Cheryl Mann Bacon. SAConnects — Warren L. Maye, Robert Mitchell, Hugo Bravo, Donna Ng, Reginald Raines, Lea L. Greene.
Devotional (Print)
Award of Excellence: The Brink — David Jones, Sondra Blackburn.
Awards of Merit: Fusion Family — David Jones, Kathy Murphy, Marianne Stewart. FUSIONext — Kathy Murphy, Carol Reid, Sondra Blackburn. Forward — Kathy Murphy, Claire Ryan, Carol Reid, Sondra Blackburn.
General (Print)
Award of Excellence: Christian History — Bill Curtis, Kaylena Radcliff, Jennifer Woodruff Tait, Chris Armstrong, Doug Johnson, Dan Graves.
Awards of Merit: Christianity Today — Russell Moore, Marvin Olasky, Ashley Hales, Jared Boggess, Will Kelly, Alexandra Wooten. Captivate — Mark Dreistadt, Darrell Law, Jason Dreistadt. Prophecy in the News — Lise Cutshaw, Matthew Hill, Josh Davis, Ginny Tallent, Larry Spargimino, Jon Ruetz.
Higher Ed (Print)
Award of Excellence: DTS Magazine — Neil Coulter, Stephanie Johnston, Jason Fox, Debbie Stevenson.
Awards of Merit: Moody Alumni & Friends — Linda Piepenbrink, Jeff Smith, Doug Fleener, Jackson Hassler, Jeff Bope. Cedarville Magazine — Janice Supplee, Chad Jackson, Craig Salisbury, Scott Huck, Rachel Benefiel. Concordia Seminary Magazine — Vicki Biggs, Ken Ohlemeyer, Beth Hasek, Courtney Koll.
Missions (Print)
Award of Excellence: The Voice of the Martyrs.
Awards of Merit: Message Magazine — Alex Kocman, Katelyn Hawkins, Christine Morales, David Brandt. Mission Frontiers — Duke Dillard, Mike Riester, Sue Patt, Lois Carey, Marjorie Clark, Jessica & Emmalani
Newspaper (Print)
Award of Excellence: The Pathway — Benjamin Hawkins.
Awards of Merit: The Baptist Paper — Jennifer Rash, Shawn Hendricks, Grace Thornton, Lauren Grim, Dianna Cagle. The Christian Chronicle — Erik Tryggestad, Bobby Ross Jr., Calvin Cockrell, Connie Penick, Jeremie Beller, Cheryl Mann Bacon. Alabama Baptist — Jennifer Rash, Carrie McWhorter, Grace Thornton, Lauren Grim, Hannah Pruitt, Daniel Gilliland.
Organizational (Print)
Award of Excellence: The Voice of the Martyrs.
Awards of Merit: Instigate — Tom DeVries, Bethany Wininger, Holly Johnson, Alice Rodriguez, Sam Edwards, Mike Hames. Focus on the Family Magazine — Sheila Seifert, Sally Dunn, Andrea Gutierrez, Scott DeNicola, Jesse Florea, Julie Vieux. Family North Carolina — AnnaScott Cross, John Rustin, Leslie Boyd.
Youth (Print)
Award of Excellence: Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr. — Jesse Florea, Rachel Pfeiffer, Lexie Rhodes, Jim Cail, Grace Kelley, Charis Negley.
Awards of Merit: Focus on the Family Clubhouse — Jesse Florea, Rachel Pfeiffer, Ken Crane, Jim Cail, Parker Pritchett, Charis Negley. Explorer’s Guide — Janiece Waldrop, Kathy Murphy, Sondra Blackburn. Adventure Guide — Janiece Waldrop, Kathy Murphy, Andrea Young.
Campus (Digital)
Award of Excellence: Liberty Champion — Maria Davis, Paige Sturek, Isabella Scafidi, Lily Riden, Anna White, Isabella Schlosser.
Christian Ministry (Digital)
Award of Excellence: Lifeway Research — Carol Pipes, Scott McConnell, Aaron Earls, Marissa Postell Sullivan, Daniel Price, Kevin Walker.
Awards of Merit: Teachers of Vision — Dawn Molnar, Lara Busold, Dan Stelzer, Jere Vandewalle. MinistryWatch — Warren Cole Smith, Christina Darnell, Kim Roberts, Jessica Eturralde, Isaac Wood, Tony Mator. Grace in Focus Blog — Bob Wilkin, Frances Mosher, Ken Yates, Sam Marr.
Denominational (Digital)
Award of Excellence: Baptist Press — Brandon Porter, Laura Erlanson, Diana Chandler, Scott Barkley.
Awards of Merit: The Covenant Companion — Cathy Norman Peterson, Jane Chao Pomeroy, Paul Stewart, Jelani Greenidge. Brethren in Christ U.S. Blog — Salynda Hogsett, Michael Bowlin. Light + Life Magazine — Brett Heintzman, Jeff Finley, Karen Cantu, Karen Kinnaman, Carl Brand, Katie Ehle
Devotional (Digital)
Award of Excellence: Arise Daily — Linda Shepherd, Mel Tavares, Amber Weigand-Buckley, Tom Young
General (Digital)
Award of Excellence: Christianity Today — Marvin Olasky, Russell Moore, Bonnie Kristian, Ashley Hales, Clarissa Moll, Mallory Tlapek.
Awards of Merit: Plugged In — Paul Asay, Emily Tsiao, Bret Eckelberry, Bob Hoose, Kennedy Unthank, Adam Holz. Church Leaders — Dale Chamberlain, Jennifer Hooks, Jesse Jackson, Jessica Mouser, Stephanie Martin
Higher Ed (Digital)
Award of Excellence: Concordia Seminary Magazine — Vick Biggs, Ken Ohlemeyer, Beth Hasek, Chris Miller.
Missions (Digital)
Award of Excellence: Cru — Michael Tolosa, Jarrett Johnston, Mandy Shafer, Alex Bateman, Jason Chandler, Jamel Gardner.
Award of Merit: Message Magazine — Alex Kocman, Katelyn Hawkins, Christine Morales, David Brandt
Newspaper-Online News (Digital)
Award of Excellence: Baptist Press — Brandon Porter, Laura Erlanson, Diana Chandler, Scott Barkley.
Awards of Merit: Rapt Interviews — Justin Camp. The Christian Chronicle — Erik Tryggestad, Bobby Ross Jr., Calvin Cockrell, Connie Penick, Jeremie Beller, Cheryl Mann Bacon. The Pathway — Benjamin Hawkins.
Organizational (Digital)
Award of Excellence: World Vision News & Stories — Kristy Glaspie, Amy Van Drunen, Sevil Omer, Laura Reinhardt, Jon Warren, Kari Costanza.
Awards of Merit: Cru — Michael Tolosa, Jarrett Johnston, Mandy Shafer, Alex Bateman, Jason Chandler, Jamel Gardner. Turning Points with David Jeremiah — David Jeremiah, Nathan Johnson, Steve Devline, Mishell Cook, Molly Mancuso, Kimberlee Randall
Youth (Digital)
Award of Excellence: Peer — Elizabeth Hanley.
Most Improved (Print)
Award of Excellence: Liberty Champion — Maria Davis, Jenna Bradfield, Anna White, Isabella Scafidi, Isabella Schlosser, Katie Hagen.
Posted May 13, 2026
