The winners were yesterday announced online at www.themaggies.co.uk
Category winners:
Overall Winner – GQ (September 2009)
Entertainment Winner – Metal Hammer (December 2009)
Fashion Winner – GQ (September 2009)
Lifestyle Winner – FHM (October 2009)
Specialist Winner – New Scientist (5th December 2009)
Sport Winner – Whitelines (January 2009)
Technology Winner – Wired (June 2009)
Trade Winner – Marketing Week (10th December 2009)
Youth Winner – Beano (October 2009)
Editor Dylan Jones said, “I’m thrilled that GQ has won this prestigious award. I like to think that GQ puts more effort into its covers than any of its competitors, and it’s fabulous that we have been recognised in this way. Creative Director Paul Solomons did a great job. We had a sensational subject, a world class photographer and a smart idea. And the issue was one of our most successful of the year. So thank you!”
The monthly men’s title fought off stiff competition, in the fashion category, from Vogue, Stylist, LOOK and Harper’s Bazaar to also be named Winner of the Best Fashion Cover.
GQ chose the English beauty to front the September issue believing she epitomised their winning strength of character. Charlotte Zamani, Managing Editor of GQ, said of the cover, “At a time when ‘flat was the new up’, GQ grew by 8% at the UK newsstand and now outsells the main competitor by 2-1, making it the pre-eminent title in the luxury men’s lifestyle sector and taking home 45 per cent of the men’s lifestyle advertising. We made [Sienna Miller] one of our best-selling covers of 2009, a year best forgotten by some, maybe, but another memorably successful one for GQ.”
Initiated by online subscription company, iSUBSCRiBE, and supported by the PPA, the UK’s trade association; the awards were open to all UK print magazines cover-dated 2009. Nominated covers were shortlisted by a panel of industry heavyweights, including twice voted ‘Magazine Editor of the Year’ Peter Jackson; Eve Pollard, second ever female editor of a national newspaper in the UK; Peter Genower, ex editor of Chat, TV Times and What’s On TV; Barry McIlheney, CEO of the PPA; Sally Cartwright, ex-Publishing Director of HELLO!; Harriet Dennys, editor of MediaWeek; Chris Llewellyn, President and CEO of FIPP; Jim Bilton, Managing Director of Wessenden Marketing; and Andrew Burge, CEO of iSUBSCRiBE.
This shortlist was then put to a public vote, where over 40,000 votes were cast during a six week period. Judging panel chairman, Jim Bilton, said of the winning cover, “So good, it looks completely effortless, but a great deal of skill has gone into the execution of a cover which combines beautiful photography and strong coverlines. Not as obviously dramatic as some of the other entries, yet this is actually a textbook example of great cover design.”
Visit the winner’s gallery at www.themaggies.co.uk
The Maggies campaign raises money for children’s charity, Rays of Sunshine. All money raised goes directly to help put a smile on the face of children in the UK who are living with serious or life-threatening illnesses.
