Realm Award Finalists 2026

2026 Award Finalists

VISUAL MEDIA CATEGORIES

Comics/Graphic Novels

• Acts of the Apostles: Word for Word Bible Comic: NIV Translation, illustrated by Simon Amadeus Pillario; published by Word for Word Bible Comics
• Kayless: Achilles Has Landed #1, Brent T. Larson, illustrated by Luis Czerniawski; published by Silverline Comics
• The Epistle to the Galatians: Word for Word Bible Comic: NIV Translation, illustrated by Simon Amadeus Pillario; published by Word for Word Bible Comics

Cover Design

• Daughter of Light, cover design by Jenneth Leed; published by Enclave Publishing
• Demon Tide, cover design by J. Caleb; published by Descendant Publishing
• Jake Rogers’ Planet, cover design by Kirk DouPonce; published by Great Commission Alliance
• The Little Girl and the Sea, cover design by Emilie Haney; published by Doc Creative
• The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine, cover design by Kirk DouPonce; published by Enclave Escape

SHORT FICTION CATEGORIES

Short Stories

• In the Shadow of Hope, Ruth Anne Burrell; published by The Writer’s Sanctuary
• In the Silence of Static, J.J. Johnson; published by Interstice Books
• Pest Control, Kerry Nietz; published by Onward and Upward Media
• The Department of Lost Things, Shannae Grace; published by The Author Conservatory
• The Edge of Sea Glass, Kayla E. Green published by Twenty Hills Publishing

​Flash Fiction

• Finding Miriel, Morgan J. Manns; published by Havok Publishing
• Godspeed, Spaulding, Olivia Gratehouse; published by Havok Publishing
• The Genuine Newspaper, Miriam Thor; published by Havok Publishing

​Novelette/Novella

• The Keeper’s Voice, Teddi Deppner; published by Parabolic Orbits / Onward and Upward Media, LLC / Ben Avery
• The Patchling, Jordan Janice; Independently Published
• Winter’s Mask (An Empire of Ash and Song novella), D. E. Carlson; published by D.C Mountain Publishing

​AUDIO CATEGORIES

Audio, Short to Medium Length

• Jake Muller Adventures: Undead, Micah Touchet and Darby Kern; published by Tannhauser Gate Entertainment
• Monsters, Jenelle Leanne Schmidt; published by H. L. Burke
• The Edge of Sea Glass, Kayla E. Green; published by Twenty Hills Publishing

​Audio Drama

• Route Styx (Season 1), Colton Grellier; published by Sound and Fury Entertainment
• The Return of Epsilon VII, Drew Hill; published by Over the Hills Productions
• The Road to Kaeluma, Landon Hawley and Perry Wilson; produced by Jesus Film Project and FamilyLife

​Audio, Novel Length

• Embergold, Rachelle Nelson, narrated by Aimee Lilly; published by Oasis Audio
• Lady of Shadows, Kelly Fernlake, narrated by Jane Maree and Toby J. Smith; published by Sunrise Publishing
• Shadow Over Kiriath, Karen Hancock, narrated by Adam Verner; published by Oasis Audio

​NOVEL CATEGORIES

Debut

• A Study of Shattered Spells, Josiah DeGraaf; published by Andreia Press
• Return to Aramon – A New Moon, Ezra Ferguson; published by Songmyth Media, LLC
• Those We See in the Dark, Robin Rakkeby; published by Anthornis Press
• Truth Cursed, Angie Dickinson; published by Enclave Escape
• Whispers of the Elixir, C.P. Silver; published by Yellow Thearch Enterprises

​BY AUDIENCE

Middle Grade/Young Readers (Combined Category)

• Beyond the Far Horizon, Carolyn Leiloglou; published by WaterBrook Children’s
• Smoke and Mirrors, Jeff Maxim; published by End Game Press
• The Mage Pocket: Apprentice Alliance, Millie Florence; published by Sprouting Pen Press

​Young Adult

• Captive, Bradley Caffee; published by Mountain Brook Ink
• Embergold, Rachelle Nelson; published by Enclave Escape
• House of Dragons, Kathryn Jordan; Independently Published
• The Curious Case of the Midnight Specter, Moriah Chavis; published by Twenty Hills Publishing
• The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine, Lindsay A. Franklin; published by Enclave Escape

​Adult

• Judgment of Frost: Frost Bound Duology Book 1, Abigail L. Wilkes; published by Earl & Salt Press
• The Valkyrie, Carrie Cotten; Independently published
• Ties of Frost, Selina R. Gonzalez; published by Wyvern Wing Press

​BY GENRE

Cross-genre

• The Dogs of War, Emily Hayse; published by Blue Maverick Press
• The Same Water, Nori Larkspur; Independently published
• The Valkyrie, Carrie Cotten; Independently published
• Horror/Paranormal/Supernatural
• Forever, Gina Detwiler; published by Ally Press
• Flight of Fate, Tricia and Nathan Goyer; published by Enclave Publishing
• Shadows of the Forgotten Shore, Angela R Hughes; published by Imagine Now Publishing

​Science Fiction

• In the Unbreaking, Brigitte Cromey; Independently published
• Resonance, Anne Wheeler; Independently published
• The Crier Stone, Lyndsey Lewellen; published by Enclave Escape

​Fantasy (Romance)

• Caligo, J. J. Fischer; Independently Published
• Embergold, Rachelle Nelson; published by Enclave Escape
• Rune, Victoria McCombs; Independently Published

​Fantasy (General)

• Fates Defiant, Brigitte Cromey and C.M. Banschbach; Borderlands Publishing Company
• Glass Across the Sea, Sara Ella; published by Enclave Escape
• Iron Heart of Terlian, Adelaide Thorne; Independently published
• Smoke and Mirrors, Jeff Maxim; published by End Game Press
• The Poet of the Leawold, H. R. Hess; published by Reformation Lightning