Awards season is upon us! The next few weeks see the awarding of media and advertising accolades in various disciplines. This week it's the annual Mondi Newspaper Journalism Awards in Sandton; the Advertising Communications Association (ACA) Apex advertising effectiveness awards in Midrand; the AdVantage Admag Awards, also Sandton; and AMASA announces the Roger Garlick Awards finalists at their AGM this week. Also coming up are the two major ad industry media awards: Tony Koenderman's rival Ad Review Awards published in Finance Week, on 24 April, and Financial Mail's Ad Focus Awards which will take place on 8 May this year. Both will be in Jo'burg's northern 'triangle': Sandton, Rivonia or Rosebank! Mondi are breaking with tradition and including the wishes of all its industry stakeholders by alternating the prestigious annual Mondi Magazine Awards between the major centres. They are taking place in Cape Town this year on 18 May at the Arabella Sheraton on the Cape Town foreshore. Awards are so important to reward, foster and benchmark excellence, although they are often expensive, time consuming and very hard work for cash-strapped industry organizations, so well done to those associations and their sponsors that enable these events to take place consistently. Enjoy! Louise Marsland, editor: editor@bizcommunity.com