Gore has taken his global warming message around the world

Mr Gore's climate change book, which is also a film, won in the history, current events and politics category.

The Quills are regarded as a challenger to the more established Pulitzer Prize and National Book Awards in the US.

Winners are voted for online by the public. Nominees are chosen by 6,000 US booksellers and librarians.

Top prize went to Tyler Perry's Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off her Earrings, which won book of the year, as well as the humorous book category.

'Terrifying'

The Quills, which began last year, are designed to promote literacy and gain recognition for nominated authors.

Lemony Snicket author Daniel Handler won the children's middle-grade award for The Penultimate Peril.

Other winners include Christopher Moore's A Dirty Job in the general fiction category and Maya Angelou, whose Christmas poem Amazing Peace won the poetry award.

Al Gore's book, which ties in with the documentary of the same name, looks at scientific evidence on the causes and likely impacts of global warming.

Mr Gore has said he wants to make ordinary people aware of the "terrifying" reality of climate change, and demand action from their political leaders.

The Quill Book Awards will be broadcast on the NBC network in the US on 28 October.