Mondi Magazine Award winners make their mark

The verdict? A healthy, steady heartbeat, signalling the continuing relevance and appeal of magazines in an intensely competitive media environment.

Hosted by Mondi Business Paper and the Magazine Publishers Association of South Africa (MPASA) at The Castle in Kyalami, Johannesburg, the awards honoured the outstanding work of magazine journalists, photographers, designers and illustrators in 15 closely contested categories.

"I do not imagine that magazine journalists seek excellence in the hope of winning a Mondi," says John Barton, CEO of Mondi South Africa. "Excellence has just become a part of what they do and what they love doing. It is this quest for excellence that shines through and which is clearly evident in the winning entries."

MPASA chairman Nick Holdsworth thanked Mondi Business Paper for the opportunity to reward excellent journalists, designers and photographers in the magazine industry - those individuals ultimately responsible for giving readers what they want.

A record 880 entries, representing 84 magazine titles, were scrutinised by the judging panel, convened by journalist Gus Silber."Every year," says Silber, "as the members of the Mondi Magazine Awards judging panel gather around the mahogany table, fuelled by coffee and Rooibos, I find myself pondering the same Big Question: Why do people enter awards? Why, in particular, do they enter the Mondi's?"

In Silber's view, the answer lies in a commodity much sought-after by those who earn their keep in the magazine arena. A commodity called feedback.

"The Mondi's are our small way of letting people know that they enthralled us, and moved us, and stirred us," he explains, "as much as they caused us to argue among ourselves."

Silber was joined in the task by magazine editor and communications consultant Anna Boshoff; Dion Chang, journalist and trend consultant; Paula Fray, Harvard Nieman Fellow and media trainer; Ferial Haffajee, editor of the Mail & Guardian; Sue Grant-Marshall, journalist and author; Joe Khumalo, journalist and columnist; TJ Lemon, photographer; Rico Schacherl, cartoonist; and De Waal Venter, critic and author.

Seventy-two finalists were carefully selected across the 15 categories, putting them in line for a share of R150,000 in prize money and a coveted Mondi golden nib trophy.

From the shortlist of 62 contenders, the winners of the 2004 Mondi Magazine Awards are.

In the BUSINESS category, Claire Bisseker received top honours for 'Breaking Class' in Financial Mail. Other contenders for the award were Deon Basson for 'Maduna, The Supermaster' in Finance Week, Chris Gilmour for 'Stormin' Norman' in Financial Mail, and Hilary Prendini-Toffoli for 'Wanneer word afkyk steel?' in Insig.

Elizabeth Shorten won the INDUSTRY category for 'The Road to Perdition' in Transport World Africa. Oscar Foulkes was named a finalist for 'Private Reserves' in The Property Magazine, along with Roger Hislop for 'Hobbled by ball and value chain' in Brainstorm, and Ollie Madlala for 'AECI - TISO - 6% to Alex, Tembisa' in Engineering News.

Lerato Tshabalala and Suzy Brokensha won the HEALTH AND WELLNESS category for 'Would you put any of these into your vagina?' in Marie Claire. The other finalists in this category are Irma Joubert for 'Deur Letters Verpletter' in Insig, Laura Twiggs for 'The scent of memory' in Discovery and Sam Wilson for 'Brilliant . and/or Bipolar' in Marie Claire.

In the BEAUTY category, Robynne Khan came out a winner for 'The Bush Campaign' in Marie Claire. She was closely followed by Heather Parker for 'How to be a fuss-free babe' in Shape, Shannon Smith for 'Forever Young' in Fairlady, and Laura Twiggs for 'Botox and Beyond' in Femina.

Maranda Engelbrecht walked away the winner of the AT HOME category for her series of features in Taste. Other finalists are Tina Bester and Abigail Donnelly for 'Island Style' in Fairlady, Tina-Marie Malherbe for 'Still Life' in VISI, and Genneth Lyn Ofsowitz for 'Alter Eco' in Elle Decoration.

First in FORESIGHT is Irma Venter for 'Mining Space' in Mining Weekly. Other finalists are Alan Duggan for 'Future Warrior' in Popular Mechanics, Lauren Shantall for 'The Rise and Rise of Eco Living' in Elle Decoration, and Gillian Warren-Brown for 'Flying Squad' in Popular Mechanics.

COMMENTARY AND CRITIQUE was won by Dana Snyman for 'Hans Wallaby' in Huisgenoot. Other finalists in this category are Andre Brink for 'Kontrei is Koning' in Insig, Gary du Toit for 'Ads and Nads' in SL Magazine, and Annelize Visser for 'Love Bites' in Taste.

Chris Viljoen won FASHION for 'Eat Out' in FHM. Hot on his heels were Sara Callow for 'Highland Fling' in SL Magazine, Charlotte Collins for 'Sof'town Shuffle' in Marie Claire and Tracy Pywell for 'The Big Easy' in Elle.

Piers Buckle won the VISUAL IMPACT category for a series of layouts in Men's Health. The other finalists are Jaco Janse van Rensburg for 'Spring Openers' in VISI, Scott Robertson for 'Starving for Perfection' in SL Magazine, and Anton Sassenberg for 'Swing' in Pezula.

Justin Fox took the prize in the TRAVEL, SPORT AND LEISURE category, for 'Driving South Africa's Circumference' in Getaway. Other contenders in the category were Andy Ellis for 'Men's Health Challenge' in Men's Health, Dine van Zyl for 'As die Kreef Loop!' in Insig, and Kate Wilson for 'Mucho By Mouth' in House and Leisure.

Getaway's Don Pinnock won the COLUMNS category with 'Natural Selections'. The runners-up are David Goatham for columns in Advantage, Dana Snyman for 'Dana aan die word' in Weg and Marianne Thamm for her columns in Fairlady.

Nick Aldridge came first in the PHOTOGRAPHY section for 'Rian Malan: Ons Hofnar' in Insig, beating Pieter Hugo for 'Birthday Suits' in SL Magazine and Marc Shoul for 'Hip City Guide Pretoria & Jo'burg' in Elle Decoration.

Rian Malan won the PROFILES category for 'The Prince of Darkness' in Fairlady. Other finalists are Larry Lombaard for 'Little Big Man' in Runners World, Bongani Madondo for 'Brenda Fassie is Dead: Long Live the Queen' in Marie Claire, and Kirby van der Merwe for 'Paraat! in Dainfern' in Insig.

Troye Lund and Mike Behr won the REPORTAGE category for 'Murder will out' in Fairlady. Lund's 'Crime College' was also placed in the running, along with Stephan Hostatter's 'Struggling for a title deed to his own farm - another SA land saga victim' in Farmer's Weekly, and Karin Schimke's 'Would you sell your eggs online?' in Femina.

Frederick van Zyl Slabbert won the FEATURES category for 'Die pad na Dakar' in Insig. Finalists were Carl Blignaut for 'Walking into a Bullet' in SL Magazine, Rian Malan for 'The heart of democracy' in Fairlady and Kirby van der Merwe for 'Die baba wat agtergebly het' in Insig.

Winners in each category receive R10,000, a Mondi golden nib, and a framed certificate, while finalists are presented with a framed certificate.