The first two years of the Whitney Awards have been great, but we also learned a lot along the way and we're making a few improvements.

The changes to the 2009 Whitney Awards are outlined below.

We've made a few tweaks to the rules. You can view the entire document here, but below are the major changes:

• The judging panels will no longer be choosing finalists for the two overall categories, Best Novel of the Year and Best Novel by a New Author. Instead, Academy voters will can vote for any of the genre category finalists for these awards.
• Voters will be required to certify (through checking a box on the ballot) that they have read all of the books in the category they are voting on. For example, to vote in the Romance category, the voter will have to check a box that reads "I certify that I have read all the finalists in the Romance category." Likewise, to vote for the overall awards, the voter will have to have read all of the finalists in all genre categories.

The 2009 judging committees are listed below.

• Shanda Cottam (Critic and founding member of the LDS Women's Book Review)
  
• Josi Kilpack (Winner of the 2007 Whitney Award for Best Mystery/Suspense)
• Crystal Leichty(Author of The First Year)
• Annette Lyon (Finalist for the 2007 Whitney Award for Best Historical)
• Heather Moore (Winner of the 2007 and 2008 Whitney Awards for Best Historical)

• Julie Coulter Bellon (Author of four novels, including All's Fair)
• Hilary Parkin (Critic and founding member of the LDS Women's Book Review)
• Robison Wells (President of the Whitney Awards Committee)
• To be announced
• To be announced

• Ally Condie (Three-time Whitney Awards finalist)
• LuAnn Staheli (Winner of the Utah 2008 Best of State awards as Educator of the Year)
• Sheila Staley (Critic and founding member of the LDS Women's Book Review)
• Dan Wells (Author of I Am Not A Serial Killer)
• To be announced

• John Ferguson (Member of the 2009 Whitney Awards Committee)
• J. Scott Savage (2008 Whitney Award finalist for Farworld: Water Keep)
• Sheila Staley (Critic and founding member of the LDS Women's Book Review)
• Robison Wells (President of the Whitney Awards Committee)
• Julie Wright (Author of Eyes Like Mine)

• Julie Coulter Bellon (Author of four novels, including All's Fair)
• Danyelle Ferguson (Member of the 2009 Whitney Awards Committee)
• Jennie Hansen (Two-time Whitney Awards finalist and critic for Meridian Magazine)
• Josi Kilpack (Winner of the 2007 Whitney Award for Best Mystery/Suspense)
• Gale Sears (2007 Whitney Award Finalist for Upon the Mountains)

• Danyelle Ferguson (Member of the 2009 Whitney Awards Committee)
• Jennie Hansen (Two-time Whitney Awards finalist and critic for Meridian Magazine)
• Michele Holmes (2007 Whitney Awards winner for Counting Stars)
• Crystal Leichty(Author of The First Year)
• Annette Lyon (Finalist for the 2007 Whitney Award for Best Historical)

• Robison Wells, President
• Julie Coulter Bellon
• Danyelle Ferguson
• John Ferguson
• Crystal Liechty
• Sheila Staley
• Jaime Theler

At the 2008 Whitney Awards Gala, it was announced that Robison Wells would be stepping down as president of the Whitney Awards, and that the new president would be Kerry Blair. However, due to health problems Kerry Blair was unable to continue in the role as president. Robison Wells has resumed duties as president for one additional year.