ANDREW MURRAY PRIZE FOR CHRISTIAN PUBLICATIONS IN AFRIKAANS
Tom Smith’s book, Vind God in die gewone (2024, published by Lux Verbi), is the winner of the 2026 Andrew Murray Prize. Commentators appreciate Smith’s thought-provoking writing and the practical commitment he employs to support Christian believers to follow Christ.
ANDREW MURRAY-DESMOND TUTU PRIZE FOR THEOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS IN AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF SOUTH AFRICA, OTHER THAN AFRIKAANS
Jacques Beukes, Hassan Musa, Fay van Eeden and Mias van Jaarsveld are the editors of the winning book for the 2026 Andrew Murray-Desmond Tutu Prize: Care for Africa. Witnesses of Earthkeeping and Ecological Justice (2025, published by Christian Literature Fund).
DESMOND TUTU-GERRIT BRAND PRIZE FOR EMERGING WRITERS (DEBUT WORK)
Mark James is the author of the winning book for the 2026 Desmond Tutu-Gerrit Brand Prize: Proud to be Deaf: Ministry, Saintliness and the history of the Catholic Deaf Community in South Africa, 1874 – 1994. The adjudicators value this publication as an exceptional contribution to general Christian and theological literature.
JAAP DURAND-DENISE ACKERMANN AWARD FOR UNITY, JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION
Dr Wayne Alexander, Western Cape Regional Land Claims Commissioner, is the recipient of this award for 2026, sponsored by Remgro Management Services Ltd. According to the adjudicators, Dr Alexander embodies the spirit of the Belhar Confession through his commitment to unity, reconciliation, and justice at grassroots level. His leadership in land restitution represents one of the clearest contemporary expressions of the values embodied by Jaap Durand and Denise Ackermann: courageous justice, compassionate reconciliation, and a commitment to unity grounded in truth. His work has had a profound and lasting impact on communities across the Western Cape and beyond, as he had to grapple with the messiness of post-apartheid redress, making him a deserving candidate for the 2026 Jaap Durand–Denise Ackermann Award for Unity, Justice and Reconciliation.
Dr Alexander was nominated by Laurie Gaum and recommended by the Executive Board of AMDTPF. The award consists of R10 000.
CLF-ELISE TEMPELHOFF AWARD FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND JUSTICE
Dr Attie van Niekerk, founder of the Nova Institute (www.nova.org.za), is the recipient of this award for 2026, sponsored by Christian Literature Fund (CLF). It is presented this year to an individual or organisation that, through sustained and long-term public action, organised projects or academic activities, based on general Christian (Biblical) values, makes a significant impact on the promotion of environmental conservation and justice. The adjudicators unanimously voted to present this award to Dr Van Niekerk as founder of the Nova Institute in 1994, a non-profit organisation committed to enabling poverty-stricken communities to improve their quality of life. Nova works with households and network partners in low-income communities across South Africa to develop practical, sustainable solutions to everyday challenges affecting human well-being and the environment.
Dr Van Niekerk was nominated by Prof. Ignatius Swart and recommended by an impartial panel of adjudicators. The award consists of R10 000.
ANDREW MURRAY-SAKOV AWARD: CHURCH MUSIC
The award for this year (2026) is the first recognition by the South African Church and Organist Association (SAKOV) in its commitment to promote church music. This first-time award goes to Prof Theo van Wyk for his work: The Lockdown-Büchlein: Eighteen Chorale-based Works for the Organ. Prof Theo van Wyk published this work in 2024. It represents a unique and meaningful contribution to South African church music. The collection of eighteen chorale-based works for the organ takes Bach’s Eighteen Great Chorale Preludes as point of departure and originated from the unique context of the COVID-19-lockdown period – a time of isolation, uncertainty and search for meaning and consolation. The chorale works included in the collection vary from German chorales like the beloved Wunderbarer König and Nun danket alle Gott to contemporary songs such as, As the deer pants for the water, as well as typical songs from the New Apostolic Church tradition for example, Not human advice. Prof Theo van Wyk is a long-time prominent figure in the South African organ community, both for his academic achievements as well as for his generosity as a mentor. This collection serves as a permanent witness to his artistry as well as his deep sense of calling.
The adjudicators were Dr Isabelle van Rensburg, Rineke Viljoen, Anneli Roux, Johann Enslin, Wybrand van der Westhuizen. Die Andrew Murray-SAKOV Award: Church Music, is sponsored by SAKOV and consists of R10 000.
REVEREND ANDRIES DREYER AWARD: CHURCH HISTORY RESEARCH
The award for this year (2026) is the first recognition by the Archive of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa in its commitment to stimulate research in church history in Southern Africa. The intention of the award is to give recognition to an individual or institution that strives to make the Southern African church history accessible for public interest, based on primary or archival sources through publications, media or other projects. Dr Gerdrie van der Merwe is the first recipient of the Reverend Andries Dreyer Award: Church History Research 2026, for his work as church historian. He published more than fifty memorial volumes for congregations and other thematic articles. Since the 1970s, he has also been responsible for the In Memorium columns of both the Yearbook of the Dutch Reformed Church (NG) and Die Kerkbode. Dr Van der Merwe, over many years, built an extraordinary book collection on the history of the Dutch Reformed Church and the Afrikaner people, as well as a unique private collection of Africana and church artifacts.
The adjudicators were the Synodical Task Team: Archive, of the Dutch Reformed Church (NG) in South Africa. The Reverend Andries Dreyer Award: Church History Research, is sponsored by the Dutch Reformed Church (NG) in SA and consists of R10 000.
