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COSMOS Takes Out Magazine of the Year at 2009 Excellence Awards

MediaBiz | 19 Nov 2009


The Publishers Australia Excellence Awards – acknowledging the talent, expertise and outstanding achievements over the past 12 months for publications across Australia – were held in Sydney last Friday in front of 500 industry professionals. ‘Magazine of the Year', went to Luna Media's popular science title, COSMOS magazine.


COSMOS, a Luna Media publication was represented by Kylie Ahern (Publisher), Alan Finkel (Executive Publisher), Wilson da Silva (Editor-in-Chief), John Pickrell (Editor), and Jacqui Hayes (Assistant Editor).

The Australian print magazine and digital media publishing industry's awards are now the only Association backed awards event in Australia. Many Publishers Australia members have ABC and CAB audited titles, which further highlights the industry's high regard for accountability, and reinforces the notion that these awards are true indicators of excellence.


Hosted by ABC TV personality, James O'Loghlin, the awards were staged on the foreshores of Sydney Harbour, at the new Doltone House.


In addition to winners across 25 categories, the Board of Directors awarded life memberships to three long-time publishing innovators, Bruce Roff, John Blondin, and Adrian Farrow. Blondin, CEO of Media Titles, was also the recipient of the inaugural Pinnacle Award for "recognition of excellence, integrity and innovation in promoting, marketing and raising the profile of the specialist media publishing sector".


As for COSMOS, the judges were impressed with how the title "displayed a commitment to publishing excellence and innovation...was clever in re-mediating its content outside of the traditional magazine format, embraced innovative ways of marketing itself to its readers, including the use of relevant social media and cause marketing... was able to demonstrate success on metrics including subscriptions, readership audit, and engagement... and was clearly connecting with its readership community."


Luna Media also won the trophy count, picking up 5 Winner trophies and a Highly Commended certificate.


Other major winners were The Intermedia Group's ‘Professional Beauty' for ‘B2B Magazine of the Year' (for the second year in a row); ‘NETT Magazine' from He Said She Said Communications taking out best custom magazine, Best Digital Only Publication went to Sproog Media's ‘The Overclocker'; and Brett Winterford of Haymarket Media's ‘iT News' picked up the highly coveted ‘Editor of the Year' award.


This year's panel of judges was hand-picked in each category for their specialist expertise in addition to their capacity to evaluate submissions to the highest level of professionalism. The judges reported that the level of innovation and overall standard of entries had risen this year and Publishers Australia CEO, Alan Sarkissian believes it points to smarter thinking in the face of challenging circumstances.


"There has been a noticeable increase across the 3 "R's", being relevance, resonance and reader engagement," said Sarkissian. "And the overall level of quality is not only inspiring, but continues to raise the benchmark for the entire industry."


The complete list of awards are:

Magazine of the Year

Winner: Cosmos Magazine, Luna Media.

Board awarded ‘The Pinnacle Award'

Winner: John Blondin - CEO, Media Titles

B2B Magazine of the Year

Winner: Professional Beauty - The Intermedia Group

Runner up: ‘Nett' Magazine - He Said She Said Communications

Highly Commended: Sold Magazine - GASP Media

Consumer Magazine of the Year

Winner: Cosmos Magazine - Luna Media

Runner up: Australian Road Rider's Cruiser & Trike - Universal Magazines

Highly Commended: Selector Magazine - Australian Wine Selectors

Highly Commended: Runner's World Magazine, Australia & New Zealand - Dingoes Refrain

Custom Magazine of the Year

Winner: ‘Nett' Magazine - He Said She Said Communications

Runner up: Mercedes Magazine - Hardie Grant Magazines

Digital-only Publication of the Year

Winner: ‘The Overclocker - Sproog Media

Best Magazine Launch

Winner: The Week - Dennis Publishing

Runner up: Australian Advanced Aesthetics magazine - The Intermedia Group

Best Magazine Relaunch

Winner: Spice Magazine - The Intermedia Group

Runner up: Dogs NSW Magazine - Mahlab Media

Best Small Publisher

Winner: Luna Media

Runner up: T-World

Best annual printed publication

Winner: UDIA 2009 - The Magazine Publishing Company

Runner up: Wellbeing Food - Universal Magazines

Highly Commended: Outdoor Design Source - Universal Magazines

Best Print and Media Integration

Winner: Four Four Two magazine - Haymarket Media

Runner up: ‘Voice&Data Magazine +eMag' - Westwick-Farrow Media

Editor of the Year

Winner: Brett Winterford, ‘iT News' - Haymarket Media

Runner up: Rob Johnson, Editor of ‘Next', ‘Smile', ‘Bite', Broadway', and ‘Restaurant & Catering' magazines - Engage Media

Highly Commended: Lisa Holmes, Runners World magazine Australia & New Zealand - Dingoes Refrain Publishing

Highly Commended: Mark Hughes, Selector Magazine - Australian Wine Selectors

Journalist of the Year

Winner: Zoe Lyon - Lawyers Weekly, LexisNexis Media

Runner up: Trevor Treharne - Four Four Two magazine, Haymarket Media

New Journalist of the Year

Winner: Paul Rodger - The Open Road, NRMA Publishing

Runner up: Jeff Megahan - Club Marine Magazine

Highly Commended: Jacqueline Hayes - Cosmos magazine, Luna Media

Best Analytical Writing

Winner: Luna Media - Cosmos Magazine, Luna Media

Runner up: Harriet Morely - Runners World Magazine Australia & New Zealand, Dingoes Refrain

Best Integrated Media Advertisement or Campaign

Winner: DMAG - SmartyPantz Communications

Runner up: What's New In Process Technology magazine - Westwick-Farrow Media

Best Digital Engagement Strategy

Winner: Cosmos Magazine - Luna Media

Most successful subscriptions campaign

Winner: Australian Road Rider's Cruiser & Trike - Universal Magazines

Runner up: Westwick-Farrow Media magazines

Designer of the Year

Winner: Kelley Sheenan - Peppermint magazine

Best Designer - B2B

Winner: Loni Parker - The Magazine Publishing Company.

Best Designer - Consumer

Winner: Kelley Sheenan - Peppermint magazine.

Best Designer - Custom Media

Winner: Steven Ah Tow, Senior Designer - The Open Road, NRMA Publishing

Best Customer Magazine Cover

Winner: Craig Hodges and Georgina Armour - ‘Private Word' (NAB), Edge Custom Media

Runner up: Stephen Dibden - Australian Classic Car, NRMA Publishing

Highly Commended: Alys Martin - Lawyers Weekly, LexisNexis Media

Highly Commended: Eddie Zammit - T-world

Innovation in Distribution

Highly Commended: Sproog Media

Sustainability in publishing

Winner: Kelley Sheenan - Peppermint magazine.


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