About Us

About Us

Shining a Light on Exemplary Christian Books Since 2013

The Illumination Christian Book Awards were created to celebrate the best new titles written from a Christian perspective. Books have always been powerful tools for helping us understand Scripture and navigate faith in today’s complex world. With so many amazing Christian-themed books released each year, we aim to ‘shine a light’ on the very best of these new titles.

Our categories cover a wide range of topics, including Bible Study, Devotional, and family-focused subjects like Education and Children’s Picture Books. These awards give creators the recognition and credibility they need to boost sales and their book marketing efforts.

More and more people are turning to Christian books for guidance, personal growth, and spiritual inspiration. As this segment of publishing continues growing, Christian-themed books play an important role in the conversation about faith and life’s biggest questions. The Illumination Awards aim to honor and promote these meaningful works, giving readers a wide selection of enlightening titles to choose from.

Our History

Since we started the Illumination Awards in 2013, our goal has been to celebrate outstanding Christian books that truly reflect a commitment to faith-based content. As the Christian publishing world has expanded, we’ve kept up by recognizing the most innovative, inspiring, and engaging titles that connect with readers on their journey of spiritual growth.

Our Entrants

The dedication and talent of our entrants make the Illumination Awards a truly special celebration! Every year, authors and publishers create books that challenge, comfort, and inspire readers with their creative and thoughtful take on Christian values. These amazing works showcase the diversity of Christian writing, and we’re honored to recognize the best of the best.

From self-publishers to established Christian publishers, our entrants share books that bring light to a complicated world, enriching the faith journeys of countless readers. We’re so proud to celebrate these incredible contributions to Christian literature.

Charitable Giving

A portion of the Illumination Awards entry fees will be donated to a worthy charitable organization each year. This year, we’ve chosen to support the good works of Habitat for Humanity, “a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing organization building simple, decent, affordable housing in partnership with people in need.”

Our Staff

Amy Shamroe

Amy Shamroe

Book Awards Director
231.933.2934

Amy has been with Jenkins Group for more than 15 years now. Books have always been a huge part of her life, and her favorite thing about her job is connecting with authors and hearing their stories! Contact her for questions about book award categories, deadlines, the process, or other awards opportunities.

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Emily

Emily Slater

Distribution Specialist & Book Awards Assistant
231.360.2954

Emily has been with Jenkins Group since 2021, working in both Book Awards and Book Distribution. Her degree in communications, coupled with a lifelong love of books, drives her passion for connecting people and their stories to a broader audience.

She enjoys spending time with family and friends and connecting with her local community through volunteer work. She and her husband are co-circus wranglers of four kids and three pony-sized dogs.

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Jerry Jenkins

Jerrold Jenkins

Founder & CEO
231.883.5365 

In 1988, Jerrold founded Jenkins Group, Inc., a leading publishing services firm that assists individuals and corporations with custom solutions tailored to fit a variety of budgets and timelines.

Driven by a passion for honoring the year’s best books, Jerrold launched a series of book awards programs in 1996. Today, Jenkins Group proudly presents six prestigious book award contests: the Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards, Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, Living Now Book Awards, Axiom Business Book Awards, eLit Book Awards, and Illumination Christian Book Awards.

A graduate of Alma College, Jenkins worked as a financial and investment management group account executive before his publishing career.

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Jim Kalajian

Jim Kalajian

President & COO
231.933.0445 ext. 1006

Jim oversees the daily operations at Jenkins Group, ensuring seamless workflows across both customer-facing and back-office functions, with a focus on the custom book publishing and book awards divisions.

He joined the company in 1999, bringing over a decade of operational and organizational change experience from his time at the leading consulting firm, Accenture. Jim applies his expertise in finance, IT, process management, human resources, and communication across all teams within Jenkins Group. His skills in problem-solving, project planning, change management, and quantitative analysis drive continuous improvement for both clients and employees. 

Jim holds a B.S. in Engineering Arts from Michigan State University.

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