It's the season for cookbook awards, with the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) announcing theirs first, followed in a few weeks by the James Beard Foundation. The awards are a big deal for cookbook authors, even though the awards rarely make a difference in sales. They do, however, provide opportunity for authors and make future projects more do-able and with larger advances.

This year, IACP is also having a People's Choice Cookbook Award, which the general public, as well as IACP members, can vote on. Find out more here about placing your vote by April 5. IACP had more than 500 entries in its contest this year. See if any of your favorites show up in this list. I know I found several of mine. The finalists will be announced on April 22.

2010 IACP Cookbook Award NOMINEES

American
"DamGoodSweet"
Authors: David Guas and Raquel Pelzel
Editor: Carolyn Mandarano
Publisher: The Taunton Press, Inc.

"My New Orleans: The Cookbook"
Author: John Besh
Editor: Jean Lucas
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC

"New American Table"
Authors: Marcus Samuelsson and Heidi Walters
Editor: Pamela Chirls
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

"Real Cajun"
Authors: Donald Link and Paula Disbrowe
Editor: Rica Allannic
Publisher: Clarkson Potter

Baking: Savory or Sweet
"All Cakes Considered"
Author: Melissa Gray
Editor: Bill LeBlond
Publisher: Chronicle Books (China)

"My Bread"
Authors: Jim Lahey and Rick Flaste
Editor: Maria Guarnaschelli
Publisher: W.W. Norton

"Rose's Heavenly Cakes"
Author: Rose Levy Beranbaum
Editor: Pamela Chirls
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Chefs and Restaurants
"Ad Hoc At Home"
Authors: Thomas Keller and Dave Cruz
Editor: Ann Bramson
Publisher: Artisan Books

"Bottega Favorita"
Author: Frank Stitt
Editor: Ann Bramson
Publisher: Artisan Books

"How to Roast a Lamb"
Author: Michael Psilakis
Editor: Michael Sand
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Children, Youth and Family
"Baking Kids Love"
Authors: Cindy Mushet and Sur La Table
Editor: Jean Lucas
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC

"Mad Hungry"
Author: Lucinda Scala Quinn
Editor: Ann Bramson
Publisher: Artisan Books

"Williams-Sonoma Family Meals"
Author: Maria Helm Sinskey
Editor: Lauren Hall
Publisher: Oxmoor House

Compilations
"Cooking Light Way to Cook"
Authors: Editors of Cooking Light
Editor: Rachel Quinlivan, R.D.
Publisher: Oxmoor House

"Gourmet Today"
Author: Ruth Reichl
Editor: Rux Martin
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing

"Southern Living Comfort Food"
Authors: Editors of Southern Living
Editor: Julie Gunter
Publisher: Oxmoor House

Culinary History
"Chocolate: History, Culture and Heritage"
Authors: Louis Grivetti and Howard-Yana Shapiro
Editor: Jonathan Rose
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

"From Demon to Darling: A Legal History of Wine in America"
Author: Richard Mendelson
Editor: Blake Edgar
Publisher: University of California Press

"Of Sugar and Snow: A History of Ice Cream Making"
Author: Jeri Quinzio
Editor: Sheila Levine
Publisher: University of California Press

First Book: The Julia Child Award
"Seasonal Spanish Food"
Author: Jose Pizarro
Editor: Sophi Allen
Publisher: Kyle Cathie (England)

"The Brazilian Table"
Authors: Yara Castro Roberts and Richard Roberts
Editor: Jennifer King
Publisher: Gibbs Smith, Publisher

"The New Portuguese Table: Exciting Flavors From Europe's Western Coast"
Author: David Leite
Editor: Rica Allannic
Publisher: Clarkson Potter

Food and Beverage Reference/Technical
"The Deluxe Food Lover's Companion"
Author: Ron Herbst
Editor: Patricia Hunter
Publisher: Barron's Educational Series, Inc.

"The Fundamental Techniques of Pastry Arts"
Author: The French Culinary Institute
Editor: Luisa Weiss
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

"Why Italians Love to Talk about Food"
Author: Elena Kostioukovitch
Editor: Jonathan Galassi
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Food Photography and Styling
"Hot and Hot Fish Club: A Celebration of Food, Family & Tradition"
Authors: Chris Hastings and Idie Hastings
Photographer: Jason Wallis
Stylist: Chris Hastings
Editor: Geoffrey Stone
Publisher: Running Press Book Publishers

"Restaurant Nicholas: The Cookbook"
Authors: Nicholas Harary and Peter Zuorick
Photographer: Steve Legato
Stylist: Chris Fenison
Editor: Joe D. Angelo
Publisher: Pediment Publishing (Canada)

"Williams-Sonoma Cooking for Friends"
Authors: Alison Attenborough and Jamie Kimm
Photographer: Petrina Tinslay
Stylists: Alison Attenborough and Jamie Kimm
Editors: Sarah Putman Clegg and Sharon Silva
Publisher: Oxmoor House

General
"Get Cooking"
Author: Mollie Katzen
Editor: Robert Miller
Publisher: HarperStudio

"Stephanie Alexander's Kitchen Garden Companion"
Author: Stephanie Alexander
Editor: Kathleen Gandy
Publisher: Penguin Group (Australia)

"Williams-Sonoma Family Meals"
Author: Maria Helm Sinskey
Editor: Kim Laidlaw
Publisher: Oxmoor House

Health and Special Diet
"Golden Door Cooks at Home: Favorite Recipes from the Celebrated Spa"
Authors: Dean Rucker and Marah Stets
Editor: Rica Allannic
Publisher: Clarkson Potter

"Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life"
Author: Louisa Shafia
Editor: Sara Golski
Publisher: Ten Speed Press

"The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing, Big-Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery"
Authors: Rebecca Katz and Mat Edelson
Editor: Melissa Moore
Publisher: Celestial Arts, an imprint of Ten Speed Press

International
"Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking"
Author: Eileen Yin-Fei Lo
Editor: Bill LeBlond
Publisher: Chronicle Books (China)

"Seven Fires"
Authors: Francis Mallmann and Peter Kaminsky
Editor: Ann Bramson
Publisher: Artisan Books

"The Songs of Sapa"
Author: Luke Nguyen
Editor: Kim Rowney
Publisher: Kay Scarlett
Publishing Company: Murdoch Books (Australia)

Literary Food Writing
"Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York"
Author: William Grimes
Editor: Jonathan Galassi
Publisher: North Point Press / FSG

"The Sweet Life in Paris"
Author: David Lebovitz
Editor: Charlie Conrad
Publisher: Broadway Books

"Waste"
Author: Tristram Stuart
Editor: Robert Weil
Publisher: W.W. Norton

Professional Kitchens
"Baking and Pastry: Mastering the Art and Craft 2nd Ed."
Author: The Culinary Institute of America
Editor: Pamela Chirls
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

"How to Bake Bread: The Five Families of Bread"
Author: Michael Kalanty
Editor: The Breas Head Group
Publisher: Red Seal Books

"International Cuisine"
Author: The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes
Editor: Mary Cassells
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Single Subject
"Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Samosas, and More"
Author: Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Clancy Drake
Publisher: Ten Speed Press

"Go Fish"
Author: Al Brown
Publisher: Random House (New Zealand)

"Seven Fires"
Authors: Francis Mallmann and Peter Kaminsky
Editor: Ann Bramson
Publisher: Artisan Books

Wine, Beer or Spirits
"The Finest Wines of Champagne: A Guide to the Best Cuvées, Houses, and Growers"
Author: Michael Edwards
Editor: Blake Edgar
Publisher: University of California Press

"The King of Vodka"
Author: Linda Himelstein
Editor: Ben Loehnen
Publisher: Harper

"World Whiskey"
Author: Charles Maclean
Editor: Shannon Beatty
Publisher: DK Publishing