New and improved Pica Awards

Chaired by Elizabeth Shorten, an award winning journalist and publisher, the 2004 Awards Committee comprises experienced and skilled representatives from a broad spectrum of leading consumer, business-to-business and customer publishing houses. "Having scrutinised the awards process, debated every suggestion and taken cognisance of all the feedback we received from the industry, we are confident that the changes we've implemented will enhance this year's SAPPI/MPASA Pica Awards making them the most prestigious and sought after publishing excellence awards," comments Shorten.
 
"A number of consumer categories have been added to meet the growing demands, whilst the business-to-business categories have been refined. With the exception of traditional awards, magazines may now enter only one category per sector. The entry forms also call for more detail to enable the judges to identify true publishing excellence," she explains. "Separate awards for supplements and annuals have been created in the business-to-business and consumer sectors. Publishers do not enter the Best Customer, Best Business-to-Business nor Best Consumer magazine awards - these will be bestowed upon the best overall entrant in each sector.
 
To oversee and ensure a transparent process, the position of Chief Judge has been created and this year, former editor of O Magazine, Taweni Gondwe has accepted the challenge. Her first task is to allocate panels of judges for each category. "I am determined to ensure the integrity of the judging process which starts with the selection of suitably qualified judges," says Gondwe. "There can be no inappropriately influential associations between judges and entrants in any category. Ideally each panel will comprise five judges, balanced between the publishing and market sectors relevant to the category."
 
Entries for the 2004 Sappi MPASA Pica Awards close on Friday 6 August. For more information pertaining to entry forms, eligibility, requirements, costs and categories visit www.pica.org.za.