The loudest and most celebratory tables in the Cape Town International Convention Centre last Friday evening belonged to New Media (NMP). Hardly surprising as the company picked up five category wins and four highly commended accolades at the 39th annual Magazine Publishers Association of South Africa's PICA Awards for magazine and publishing excellence.
VISI dominated in all things design and décor, scooping best magazine in its category. "From the moment readers turn the cover, they are treated to a visual feast. With each spread accented by graphic elements and typography, VISI is more than just a collection of beautifully styled shoots and well-written stories, it is a design entity in itself," commented the judges.
VISI also won Designer of the Year and Best Visual Production of the Year - a hotly contested category which received over 60 submissions. Interestingly, the judges couldn't choose between two of multi-award winning Tina-Marie Malherbe's creations, so they awarded the PICA for both. "Two striking and equally magnificent entries... once again showcase VISI as a benchmark magazine for witty, intelligent visual productions with a breathtakingly cinematic flair and an exhaustive attention to detail. Bravo!"
In addition to winning these categories, NMP was also the runner-up, with Highly Commended accolades for both VISI and Woolworths Taste. “This is a triple-whammy,” said NMP's elated editorial development director Irna van Zyl. “I commend the teams on VISI and Woolworths Taste for constantly pushing the creative boundaries in magazine design.”
NMP's foodie annuals fared equally well with Eat In 2008 winning Best Annual, and sister publication, Eat Out 2008 garnering a Highly Commended award. "Eat In cleverly taps into the growing market of stay-in cooks,” commented the judges. “The publication does a great job of promoting small businesses and supports the food industry without forfeiting its editorial integrity. A delectable package, it boasts high production values too."
Top marks in the education category went to NMP too with HIP2B² winning for the second year in a row. The youth title, which reaches over 400 000 learners per issue was described by the PICA judges as "boldly going where no youth publication has gone before... The edgy design and whacky content send a strong message that being smart is sexy - and will get you everywhere."
"It's always been our strategy to headhunt the best talent in the country. I love the fact that we can deliver as well on the subjects of science and maths as we do on food and décor. These awards are testimony to our flexibility, in providing not only the best content, but also editorial solutions which make business sense," applauds NMP MD, Bridget McCarney.
NMP received accolades for the following categories:
Customer Publishing Excellence
Category: Education, Health, Conservation, Safety and Security
Winner: HIP2B²
Category: Retail and Consumer Goods
Highly Commended: Plascon Colour
Consumer Publishing Excellence
Category: Décor, Crafts, Food and Gardening
Winner: VISI
Category: Annuals, Directories, Product Guides and Special Editions
Winner: Eat In
Highly Commended: Eat Out
Journalistic Excellence
Category: Best Visual Production of the Year
Winner: Tina-Marié Malherbe for "Eastern promises" and "Fragile microcosmos" in VISI
Highly Commended: Daryl McGregor and Kevin MacKintosh for " Elephants" in VISI
Category: Designer of the Year
Winner: Etienne Hanekom for "Time flies" in VISI
Highly Commended: Mark Serra for "Sprigs of verdant mint" in Woolworths Taste
