Caxton Awards announces winners for 2016

Hosted at the Globe Theatre at Silverstar Casino on 16 March, with prize money totalling R285,000, the Awards celebrated the achievements of local and community newspaper's editorial, sales, advertising, management and support staff.

“This year, the Awards underwent a complete makeover, with some categories falling away while others, like Best Emerging Newspaper, being added,” says Karen Geurtse, GM Caxton Local Media Regionals. “The work produced by individuals and the papers, gets better with each passing year.”

Dave Savides

The Zululand Observer and Dave Savides won for Best Sold Newspaper of the Year, Brakpan Herald and Thelma Koorts won the Best Free Newspaper of the Year, Mpumalanga News and Bongani Hlatshwayo won the Best Front Page of the Year category and winner of the new category Best Emerging Markets Newspaper went to Sunette Visser at Record Noweto.

Multimedia Journalist of the Year went to Helene Eloff from Lowvelder, Most Promising Newspaper Journalist of the Year was awarded to Erica Abrahams from North Coast Courier, Best Get It Journalist was awarded to Nicolene Olckers from Lowveld while Vaalweekblad's Ettienne van Rensburg won the Best Sports Journalist category.

Both Trevor Aingworth of Witbank News and Ettienne van Rensburg of Vaalweekblad handed in impressive portfolios but in the end the judges were unanimous in their decision with Aingworth walking off with R10,000 and a Canon camera worth nearly R18,000.

The category for Best Get it Magazine had such a close race, the judges felt it necessary to mention the top four instead of the standard three. These were Joburg North, Lowvelder (last year's winner), Ballito and Durban. The judges felt that Get It Joburg North, edited by Samantha Richardson, impressed them the most.

“Advertisers and marketers should never underestimate the power and potential of local community newspapers,” says joint CEO of SPARK Media, Gill Randall. “Every person at these awards lives, breathes and loves the community that they work for and critically, know what their readers want. This clearly shows in the exceptional work that has been produced.

"We congratulate all the winners and applaud the quality of entries from all our teams,” concluded Randall.

For the full list of winners, go to CaxtonAwards.co.za.

The judges' feedback is embedded below: