The virtual event was hosted by PPA CEO Owen Meredith and Caroline Cronin, Director - Commercial & Events.
The winners of the PPA Independent Publisher Awards were:
BRAND OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by dsb.net
London Review of Books
Judges’ comments: “Not only do they demonstrate good stats across the board, but they clearly have a strong understanding of the target audience and despite Coronavirus, have driven up their Digital Assets significantly. Identifying their target market and acting on this accordingly has clearly accrued strong results.”
Highly Commended: Wanderlust, Think Travel
BUSINESS PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by ESco
Dentistry, Finlayson Media Communications
Judges’ comments: “Dentistry magazine sets out a very strong entry, demonstrating that the magazine is obviously a key source of information, news and support for its industry. They adapted to the pandemic and they have consistently published essential content for this industry, which is a testament to their professionalism.”
COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIP OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Affino
Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) & Arm
Judges’ comments: “Their strategy was clear and concise, which resulted in a well-executed partnership that was well received by the audience, enhancing both parties’ position and reputation as well as generating direct revenue for one and leads for the other. This partnership reflected passion, personality and pride.”
CONSUMER MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by YM Group
Magneto, Hothouse Media
Judges’ comments: “This magazine has a clear vision of a gap in the market and is able to meet the need of readers and advertisers alike. The editorial and design are both outstanding and it produces strong commercial results. An impressive feat for a two-man team.”
CONTENT PIECE OF THE YEAR
‘Government Unlocks Extra Crisis Funds After Admin Errors’ – RN, Newtrade Media
Judges’ comments: “There are two great wins here as a result of this strong and informative article. A change in government policy directly as a result of this investigation that has helped businesses across the UK and also great results for the publisher’s traffic as well. Investigative journalism feels like a dying art in B2B media so it's great to see someone doing it and showing that it can make a real difference.”
Highly Commended: Ford v Ferrari, Motor Sport Magazine
CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE AWARD
Sponsored by Air Business
Virtual Design Festival, Dezeen
Judges’ comments: “The thinking behind this range of initiatives is really inspirational and clearly produced excellent results. Dezeen represents a sector that relies on people being able to get together and this strategic pivot to create a truly accessible cultural event provided a great outlet during the pandemic.”
Highly Commended: Coronavirus Response, TTG Media
CUSTOMER MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Denmaur Paper Media
Slimming World Magazine, Slimming World
Judges’ comments: “This magazine has an impressive design, layout and selection of articles with a confident and supportive tone for their audience. They clearly had a fantastic response to a fast-changing situation which deepened the relationship they had with their readers and resulted in impressive commercial results.”
DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Anderson Norton Design
Peter Allen, Magneto, Hothouse Media
Judges’ comments: “Peter demonstrates strong design skills and its clear that he has been a major factor in the success of Magneto. The covers are dynamic, striking and sleek and the graphic devices used give the strong sense of a contemporary brand in what is often a traditional market. Peter is possibly the best designer of car magazines in the world today.”
DIGITAL INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by ReThink Publishing Consultancy
Virtual Design Festival, Dezeen
Judges’ comments: “Getting something like this conceived and live in mid-April is a real feat. The revenue generation was very impressive and ultimately they launched something that will become a permanent part of their ongoing strategy. The depth and breadth of digital experiences that the event delivered to the audience were cutting edge and market leading and the positive coverage it generated also added to the strength of Dezeen’s conviction in hosting this type of virtual event.”
DIGITAL INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Publishers’ Licensing Services
Zamir Walimohamed, Motor Sport Magazine
Judges’ comments: “Zamir is clearly very good at what he does and seems like a steady pair of hands. There is clear evidence of a long-term commitment to growing the business and adapting to digital opportunities.”
DIVERSITY INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Studio PI
We are OutThere, OutThere Publishing
Judges’ comments: “This was a brilliant initiative and it was clear that diversity was embedded at the core of the offering. The core magazine goal is innovative, but even better was the brand expansion into events, consultancy and international partnership.”
E-NEWSLETTER OF THE YEAR
Better Managers, Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
Judges’ comments: “The results from this newsletter are impressive and show a multi-platform approach with content that has clearly been successfully engaging. They had fantastic agility in responding to audience needs during COVID with solid statistics demonstrating the success of the new product.”
EDITOR OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Shutterstock Editorial
Esther Newman, Women's Running, Anthem Publishing
Judges’ comments: “This feels like a magazine that punches above its weight and take a very holistic approach to the sector. A good editor is able to see the full picture and bring fresh ideas to any sector and Esther does this in spades. Her awareness of wider issues and drive to make change is inspirational.”
EVENT OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Evessio
The British Book Awards, The Bookseller, Bookseller Media
Judges’ comments: “It’s very encouraging to see the speed and agility of the team to create digital awards for the first time keeping in mind audience needs, commercial drive and importantly for awards, the reach generated for the entrants, winners and the industry. The amplification to broader consumer media seems a key ingredient in making this an important place for the industry to congregate.”
FRONT COVER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Acorn Web Offset
National Trust Magazine, National Trust
Judges’ comments: “This is a brave, beautiful and effective cover which is consistent with the brand and target audience. The photography is beautiful and reflective, drawing you in and creating an impactful cover.”
INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING COMPANY OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Pensord
MGP
Judges’ comments: “They have carried out great events work by transforming Guidelines Live from free to paid and increasing attendance. MGP is a very competent operator and their entry was very strong, showing impressive uplifts in profit.”
Highly Commended: London Review of Books
INDUSTRY PARTNER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by PPA
Air Business
Judges’ comments: “Air Business's Covid-19 response demonstrates a commitment to going the extra mile. They show strong communication and a nimble approach, switching transportation to get the most reliable service and good deals. The growth figures are a testament to strong performance in more 'normal' times.”
LAUNCH / RELAUNCH OF THE YEAR
The Mag With No Name, Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
Judges’ comments: “A bravely executed relaunch that takes an old brand and makes it something completely new and reflective of/appealing to the modern audience. It feels like they have challenged every aspect of their existing model and left no stone unturned.”
MEMBERSHIP PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR
National Trust Magazine, National Trust
Judges’ comments: “The engagement statistics are exceptionally strong and show the audience is more in tune than ever with the trusts aims. This is clearly a team that constantly pushes to enhance and evolve the title.”
PODCAST OF THE YEAR
The kbbreview Podcast, Taylist Media
Judges’ comments: “What kbbreview have managed to do with so few resources during COVID is impressive, and that is reflected in the listening numbers, especially as a proportion of their circulation. It's encouraging to see that they're in talks to secure sponsorship. The podcast itself is well-edited, engaging and concise. We could all learn from this excellent little podcast and it deserves to be more widely listened to.”
Highly Commended: Seven Stages, The Stage, The Stage Media Company
TEAM OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by White Space Creative Solutions
The Stage News Team, The Stage Media Company
Judges’ comments: “The news team at The Stage is passionate, going the extra mile to save the industry it serves. The small team responded well to the crisis and they have made a significant contribution to the overall performance of the company.”
Highly Commended: Slimming World Magazine Team, Slimming World
WEBSITE OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by NLA media access
motorsportmagazine.com, Motor Sport Magazine
Judges’ comments: “It is always a challenge to take a long-established business, make changes and see significant improvements. Motor Sport has achieved this with their website improving across the functionality, usability and financial effectiveness of the site. Motor Sport has a rich catalogue of content and has found an improved way to present it to its audience and the results are there for all to see.”
WRITER OF THE YEAR
Tom Seymour, The Royal Photographic Society Journal, Royal Photographic Society
Judges’ comments: “The writer is covering powerful subjects and the articles have a depth that takes you into the environment that he is writing about. When a picture is worth 1,000 words it takes a special writer to make the words that accompany those images meaningful.”
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