The Magazine Publishers Association (MPA) has announced the finalists for the industry’s annual awards with 19 judges making the calls.
Bauer has the lion’s share with 43 of its entries making the finals, Fairfax with 21, Tangible with 15, Kowhai Media with nine, as well as a few independent publishers and columnists making the list.
MPA commercial director Julian Andrews is disappointed that entry numbers were down overall on last year (Stoppress hasn’t learnt how many, but last year the awards had 240 entries, up from 228 the previous year), saying entries in the Trade and Sport & Leisure categories were particularly in short supply.
But some categories were very well subscribed. “Trying to judge the Home & Food titles was a bit of a nightmare. It felt like every entry was as good as anything produced in any of the other categories combined. That’s why it ended up having so many finalists. Hopefully next year that category can be split in two again,” he says.
Andrews also said the quality of the entry forms submitted varied hugely even within single companies. “You guys all have sub editors on staff – you should bloody well use them!”
However, he did say it was great to see entries from one-title publishers. “The Barkers customer magazine 1972 was one such, first-time entry that stood out, in a good way.”
And the judges were impressed by obvious sign that editorial and commercial departments were working together much more closely than in the past. This is good considering some say magazines influence purchase behaviour more than other media.
The awards night will be held on Thursday 25 September at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, with Oliver Driver as MC. Tickets will be available for purchase on the MPA website in the next week – “but companies keen to get the best tables at the front can contact me directly beforehand”, says Andrews ([email protected]).
The finalists are:
Best Columnist
BUSINESS & TRADE Finalists: Mike Hutcheson; Vaughn Davis; Shaun Hendy; Pattrick Smellie
CONSUMER Finalists: Jane Clifton; Steve Braunias; Diana Wichtel
Best Journalist
CELEBRITY & WOMEN
Finalists: Nicky Dewe; Nicola Russell; Aroha Awarau; Eleanor Black; Rachael Russell; Suzanne McFadden
LIFESTYLE
Finalists: Miranda Spary; Rebekah White; Ann Warnock
NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS
Finalists: Donna Chisholm; Rebecca Macfie; Joanna Wane; Mike White; Catherine Woulfe; Duncan Greive; Steve Braunias
Sales Excellence
Finalists: Angela Earl; Lisa Deken; Krista Rostenberg; Elaine Millar
Best Marketing Campaign
Finalists: TV Guide – Best on the Box Awards; New Zealand Geographic– Photographer Awards
Best Publishing Innovation
Finalists: OH Baby! – Personalised Covers; Pro Photographer – Pro Photographer Apps; New Zealand Weddings – Fashion Week Experience
Best Use of Photography
CELEBRITY & WOMEN’S INTEREST
Finalists: Cleo – Beauty and the Beat; Fashion Quarterly– New Mexico; New Zealand Weddings – Love at Veronica Bay
LIFESTYLE Finalists: Taste – Once Upon a Teatime; NZ Life & Leisure – Juggling With Life; Cuisine – The Iceberg Cometh; Dish – Fabulous Fungi
NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS Finalists: North & South – The Meaning of Life; Metro – Pride!; NZ Geographic – Treasure Islands
Best Designer
BUSINESS & TRADE
Finalist: Marc Backwell
CONSUMER
Finalists: Anna Savelieva; Arch MacDonnell; Tanya Wong; Derek Ward; Richard Brunton;
SPECIALIST TITLES
Finalists: Emma Henderson; Scott Copeland; Marc Backwell; Samantha Smith; Tracey Ellin
Best Cover
BUSINESS & TRADE
Finalists: Idealog (March/April 2014); NZ Doctor (August 2013); Pro Photographer (August/September 2013)
CELEBRITY & WOMEN’S INTEREST
Finalists: Creme (February 2014); NEXT (January 2014); Little Treasures (December/January 2014); NZ Weddings (Planner; December 2013); Australian Women’s Weekly (October 2013)
LIFESTYLE
Finalists: Good (January/February 2014); Cuisine (May 2013); NZ Life & Leisure (March/April 2013 & January/February 2014); Home (December/January 2014)
NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS
Finalists: The Hobson (March 2014) NZ Geographic (March/April 2014); NZ Listener (May 4 2014)
SPORT & LEISURE
Finalist: Sky Sport (June 2013)
Most Creative Use of Magazines
Finalists: BMW; Draft FCB; Tourism Victoria; Fairfax Media; Vicks VapoNaturals; Bauer Media; Telecom; Dynamo; Unitec; Bauer Media;
Editor of the Year
CELEBRITY & WOMEN’S INTEREST
Finalists: Sarah Henry; Melissa Gardi; Sido Kitchin
LIFESTYLE
Finalists: Jeremy Hansen; Jo McCarroll; Sally Duggan; Sarah Heeringa; Sarah Nicholson NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS
Finalists: Simon Wilson; James Frankham
SPORT & LEISURE
Finalist: Rebecca Hayter
Magazine of the Year
BUSINESS & TRADE
Finalists: NZ Business; Idealog; 1972
CELEBRITY & WOMEN’S INTEREST
Finalists: Oh Baby!; Woman’s Day
LIFESTYLE
Finalists: Your Home & Garden; Good Health Choices; Home; KiaOra; Cuisine; NZ House & Garden; NZ Life & Leisure; Healthy Food Guide; Good; Dish
NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS
Finalists: Metro; NZ Geographic
SPORT
Finalist: Boating NZ
