Contact: Brian Burch, 616-233-0500

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, March 25 /Christian Newswire/ -- The most ambitious, bestselling, and award-winning presentation of the Bible ever produced, Zondervan's Inspired By… The Bible Experience (Old Testament), is one of five finalists for Audiobook of the Year, the most prestigious award for excellence in audiobooks by the Audio Publishers Association (APA).

The 2008 winner will be announced during The Audies® gala awards ceremony on May 30, 2008 at The Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. This is the second year in a row that Inspired By… The Bible Experience is being considered for this honor. The New Testament edition won the 2007 Audiobook of the Year award.

The nomination recognizes audiobooks that have made the greatest impact on the audio publishing industry. Nominees are judged on criteria including marketing campaign excellence, sales achievement and consumer acceptance. To date, Inspired By…The Bible Experience, a joint project between Inspired By Media Group and Zondervan, has sold more than 700,000 units worldwide in all formats—Audio CD, MP3 CD and MP3 Download. It is Zondervan's fastest-selling new Bible, outselling perennial bestsellers.

According to judges for Audiobook of the Year, "Inspired by... The Bible Experience breathes passion and life into the best-selling book of all time. Scores of award-winning actors at peak form, a breathtaking score, realistic audio effects and an overall commitment to excellence make The Bible Experience a transcendent listening experience."

Finalists in 30 categories are considered each year for The Audies® and are chosen based on content, production quality, packaging and narration. More than 800 entries were submitted for consideration in 2008. Inspired By… The Bible Experience is also nominated for four additional 2008 Audie awards, including Best Multi-Voiced Recording, Inspirational/Spiritual, Achievement in Production and Package design.

"We are absolutely thrilled to be in the running for this prestigious award for the second consecutive year for a project we are so proud of," said Paul Caminiti, vice president and publisher of Bibles for Zondervan. "We have heard over and over again how Inspired By… The Bible Experience has touched the hearts and souls of countless people and our hope is it will continue to impact lives for years to come."

Inspired By… The Bible Experience features the voice talent of nearly 400 African-American actors, musicians and religious leaders, including Forest Whitaker, Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Blair Underwood and Bishop T.D. Jakes. In addition to dramatic performances of the entire Old Testament text by leading artists and celebrities, the product also features Hollywood-style sound design and effects and an original musical underscore featuring performances by the Prague Symphony Orchestra.

The project was created by Inspired By Media Group, a company comprised of new media and entertainment industry veterans committed to producing creative and culturally relevant products for the faith-based and family markets.

Inspired By… The Bible Experience (Old Testament) is available in stores nationwide. In addition to the Old Testament edition, New Testament and Complete Bible editions are available in CD and MP3 formats as well as audio download. A behind-the-scenes "making of" video, audio samples, news and reviews can be found at www.zondervan.com/TBE.  

About Inspired By Media Group

Branded by its signature banner Inspired By…, Inspired By Media Group, Inc. is committed to serving the faith-based and general markets by creating family-oriented products that are culturally relevant in scope. With more than a combined 40 years in the convergent areas of music, television, film, theater, literature, new media and technology, the company is an industry leader in delivering contemporary multimedia products. Visit Inspired By Media Group on the Web at www.inspiredby.com.

About Zondervan

Zondervan is the world's leading Bible publisher. With a vision to see more people engaging the Bible more, Zondervan produces bestselling study, devotional, reference, text, audio, software, and digital Bibles designed to inspire readers at every age and stage of life. Zondervan holds exclusive North American publishing rights to the New International Version (NIV), which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2008. The NIV, the most popular modern English Bible translation, has more than 300 million copies in print worldwide. Zondervan also publishes Bibles in the TNIV (Today's New International Version), NIrV (New International Reader's Version), KJV (King James Version), NRSV (New Revised Standard Version), NASB (New American Standard Bible), Amplified Bible, and parallel Bibles featuring The Message. Over the past 75 years, Zondervan, a HarperCollins company, has grown to be a global leader in Christian communications through its bestselling Bibles, books, curriculum, children's, and new media products. Visit Zondervan Bibles on the Internet at www.zondervan.com/Bibles