All the 2008 MPASA PICA winners

The 2008 MPASA PICA Awards were held for the second time in Cape Town at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Friday night, 21 November 2008, attended by the glitterati of South Africa's magazine publishing history. For the first time ever, a Lifetime Achiever's Award was given out - posthumously to the late Harold Rupert Eedes, longtime industry stalwart and MD of Ramsay, Son & Parker (now RamsayMedia) who passed away from cancer earlier this year. [video]

22 Nov 2008

MC Nataniel kept the awards ceremony flowing smoothly and speedily and the audience in stitches with his droll humour and pithy wisecracks. The lights of the Cape Town city bowl served as a glittering backdrop to the proceedings.

The 2008 awards saw a record number of entries - an increase of more than 100 over the previous year. Entries were significantly up in most publishing streams, with Visual Production of the Year attracting over 60 submissions. Theere were also seven new categories.

In terms of the results, newcomers to the industry fared well, with Pick n Pay Fresh Living (John Brown Publishing) earning the Pica award for Customer Magazine of the Year. Fairly-new-kids on the block, Mindshift (now published by IT Web) and Entrepreneur (Smart Business Solutions) scooped the Business-to-Business (B2B) Cover award and International Special Interest awards respectively. Destiny (Ndalo Media), Wild (TiP Publishing) and Mindshift (in addition to its PICA) also received Highly Commended accolades.

Consistent achiever

A consistent achiever in the B2B sector, The Dairy Mail (AgriConnect) bagged the Watling Trophy for Business-to-Business Magazine of the Year, while Weg!/Go! (Media24) took home the Rossi Trophy for Consumer Magazine of the Year.

Willemien von Solms of The Dairy Mail ended up with a PICA in each hand after winning Business-to-Business Editor of the Year towards the end of the evening. Abigail Murison of Clicks Clubcard (The Publishing Partnership) won Customer Editor of the Year, while Frith Thomas of Woman & Home (Caxton) won the Jane Raphaely Consumer Editor of the Year award. Thomas was lauded by the judges for consistently growing her title's circulation despite increasingly tough market conditions.

The Philip Tyler Trophy for Launch/Relaunch was won by Psychologies (Media24), with Highly Commended being awarded to both Intiem (Media in Africa) and Femina (Media24). Judge Muzi Kuzwayo, group CEO of TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, commented that South Africa was built on bravery - and that bravery in entering a new publishing niche was a criterion that influenced the final selection.

Publishing sector judges paid particular attention to commercial performance, to the extent that those entering the Consumer Cover category (won by Media24's Finweek) had to prove that circulation had spiked in the month in which the cover was featured. A common thread running through both MPASA chairman John Relihan's opening speech and chief judge Gisele Wertheim Aymes' summary of the standard of the 2008 submissions was the need for titles to meet the demands of newly evolving technologies and media consumption trends by extending their brands to other media platforms, particularly digital and mobile.

Exceptionally high standard

Judge Mandy de Waal, a brand and content manager, commended the Editorial Excellence entrants for the superb quality of their work, much of which “could sit comfortably alongside the best international journalism”. Fellow judge Sue Grant-Marshall - author and journalist - praised the Afrikaans magazines in particular for their exceptionally high standard - De Kat clinched three Highly Commended Awards in the Profile Writer of the Year category (won by Gavin Foster for Best Life), as well as the PICA for Feature Writer of the Year (Ilse Salzwedel). Dana Snyman of Weg! was named Travel Writer of the Year.

Paul McNally of Men's Health was named Public Interest Writer of the Year - a brand new category calling for journalism that actively exposes and tackles a topical issue, making a positive impact on society.

Visi made a clean sweep of the design categories, winning not only the Décor, Crafts, Food and Gardening publishing award, but also the journalism awards for Visual Production of the Year (Tina-Marie Malherbe) and Designer of the Year (Etienne Hanekom). Judges commended Visi for being a “benchmark magazine” that keeps setting new standards for SA design. Other hot favourites were Elle Decoration (Avusa Media) - last year's Consumer Magazine of the Year winner - and Tuis/Home (Media24), which both clinched the Highly Commended publishing accolades.

Tribute

MPASA Board director Julia Raphaely honoured Harold with a tribute composed by her mother, Jane, and PICA chief judge Gisele Wertheim Aymes shared her fond memories of working alongside Eedes on the MPASA Board. Anthea Eedes, Harold's wife, closed the tribute with a moving account of his passion for the industry, indomitable spirit and philosophical outlook.

Category	Section	Result	Title/Person	Person	Publishing house	Column
Customer publishing excellence	Retail and Consumer Goods	Winner	Pick 'n Pay Fresh Living		John Brown Publishing
Customer publishing excellence	Retail and Consumer Goods	Highly Commended	Plascon Colour		New Media
Customer publishing excellence	Leisure and Lifestyle	Winner	Obrigado		The Publishing Partnership
Customer publishing excellence	Leisure and Lifestyle	Highly Commended	No highly commended
Customer publishing excellence	Education, Health, Conservation, Safety and Security	Winner	Hip2B2		New Media
Customer publishing excellence	Education, Health, Conservation, Safety and Security	Highly Commended	Wild		TiP Publishing
Customer publishing excellence	Finance and Other Professional Services	Winner	JSE		Highbury Safika Media
Customer publishing excellence	Finance and Other Professional Services	Highly Commended	No highly commended
Customer publishing excellence	Annuals, Directories, Product Guides and Special Editions	Winner	Digest of SA Architecture		Picasso Headline, Avusa Media
Customer publishing excellence	Annuals, Directories, Product Guides and Special Editions	Highly Commended	Nedbank Golf Challenge		The Publishing Partnership
Customer publishing excellence	Supplements	Winner	No winner
Customer publishing excellence	Supplements	Highly Commended	Classicfeel Jewellery		DeskLink Media
Customer publishing excellence	Cover	Winner	Design Indaba		Interactive Africa
Customer publishing excellence	Cover	Highly Commended	JSE		Highbury Safika Media
Business-to-business publishing excellence	Leisure Pursuits, Business Tourism and Hospitality	Winner	No winner
Business-to-business publishing excellence	Leisure Pursuits, Business Tourism and Hospitality	Highly Commended	Travel News Weekly		Now Media
Business-to-business publishing excellence	Leisure Pursuits, Business Tourism and Hospitality	Highly Commended	SA Horseman		AgriConnect
Business-to-business publishing excellence	Essential Services	Winner	No winner
Business-to-business publishing excellence	Essential Services	Highly Commended	Delivery		String Communication
Business-to-business publishing excellence	Professional Services	Winner	Leadership		Cape Media Corporation
Business-to-business publishing excellence	Professional Services	Highly Commended	Brand		Brand Africa Media
Business-to-business publishing excellence	Professional Services	Highly Commended	Mindshift		IT Web
Business-to-business publishing excellence	Resource-based Industries	Winner	The Dairy Mail		AgriConnect
Business-to-business publishing excellence	Resource-based Industries	Highly Commended	SA Mining		Avusa Media
Business-to-business publishing excellence	Construction, Engineering and Related Industry	Winner	Civil Engineering		SAICE
Business-to-business publishing excellence	Construction, Engineering and Related Industry	Highly Commended	IMIESA		3 S Media
Business-to-business publishing excellence	Cover	Winner	Mindshift		IT Web
Business-to-business publishing excellence	Cover	Highly Commended	Leadership		Cape Media Corporation
Consumer publishing excellence	General Interest	Winner	Sarie		Media24
Consumer publishing excellence	General Interest	Highly Commended	Destiny		Ndalo Media
Consumer publishing excellence	International General Interest	Winner	Woman & Home		Caxton
Consumer publishing excellence	International General Interest	Highly Commended	Real Simple		8 Ink Media
Consumer publishing excellence	International General Interest	Highly Commended	Seventeen		8 Ink Media
Consumer publishing excellence	Special Interest	Winner	Weg!/Go!		Media24
Consumer publishing excellence	Special Interest	Highly Commended	Africa Geographic		Africa Geographic
Consumer publishing excellence	Special Interest	Highly Commended	Finweek		Media24
Consumer publishing excellence	International Special Interest	Winner	Entrepreneur		Smart Business Solutions
Consumer publishing excellence	International Special Interest	Highly Commended	National Geographic Kids		8 Ink Media
Consumer publishing excellence	Décor, Crafts, Food and Gardening	Winner	Visi		New Media
Consumer publishing excellence	Décor, Crafts, Food and Gardening	Highly Commended	ELLE Decoration		Avusa Media
Consumer publishing excellence	Décor, Crafts, Food and Gardening	Highly Commended	Home/Tuis		Media24
Consumer publishing excellence	Annuals, Directories, Product Guides and Special Editions	Winner	Eat In		New Media
Consumer publishing excellence	Annuals, Directories, Product Guides and Special Editions	Highly Commended	Eat Out		New Media
Consumer publishing excellence	Supplement of the Year	Winner	O - Find Your Balance		Associated Magazines
Consumer publishing excellence	Supplement of the Year	Highly Commended	Cosmo Kicks Butt!		Associated Magazines
Consumer publishing excellence	Cover	Winner	Finweek		Media24
Consumer publishing excellence	Cover	Highly Commended	ELLE		Avusa Media
Consumer publishing excellence	Cover	Highly Commended	Move!		Media24
Consumer publishing excellence	Consumer Magazines (largely free distribution)	Winner	The Property Magazine		Media Nova
Consumer publishing excellence	Consumer Magazines (largely free distribution)	Highly Commended	no highly commended
Overall publishing excellence	Launch/Relaunch - The Philip Tyler Trophy	Winner	Psychologies		Media24
Overall publishing excellence	Launch/Relaunch - The Philip Tyler Trophy	Highly Commended	Femina		Media24
Overall publishing excellence	Launch/Relaunch - The Philip Tyler Trophy	Highly Commended	Intiem		Media in Africa
Overall publishing excellence	Online Solution	Winner	www.fin24.com		Media24
Overall publishing excellence	Online Solution	Highly Commended	www.yourparenting.co.za		Alchemy Publishing
Overall publishing excellence	Online Solution	Highly Commended	www.shapemag.co.za		Touchline Media
Editorial excellence	Columnist of the Year	Winner	Obrigado	Chris Roper	The Publishing Partnership	“Risky Business”
Editorial excellence	Columnist of the Year	Highly Commended	Manwees	Jean Meiring	Man-wees	Series of columns
Editorial excellence	Columnist of the Year	Highly Commended	Mindshift	Max du Preez	ITWeb	“Left? What Left?”
Editorial excellence	Trade and Industry Writer of the Year	Winner	Mining Weekly	Irma Venter	Creamer Media	“Sea Change”
Editorial excellence	Travel Writer of the Year	Winner	Weg!	Dana Snyman	Media24	“Ons Trek is Op”
Editorial excellence	Travel Writer of the Year	Highly Commended	Longevity	Angus Begg	Avusa Media	“A Taste of Darjeeling”
Editorial excellence	Travel Writer of the Year	Highly Commended	WegRy	Barnie Louw	Media24	“Op Soek Na Khauxa!nas”
Editorial excellence	Clicks Clubcard Health and Wellness Writer of the Year (sponsored by Clicks Clubcard)	Winner	Shape	Joanne Lillie	Touchline Media	“Mommy, Do I Look Fat in This?”
Editorial excellence	Clicks Clubcard Health and Wellness Writer of the Year (sponsored by Clicks Clubcard)	Highly Commended	Men's Health	Paul McNally	Touchline Media	“Soweto Muscle Rising”
Editorial excellence	Clicks Clubcard Health and Wellness Writer of the Year (sponsored by Clicks Clubcard)	Highly Commended	Shape	Joanne Lillie	Touchline Media	“Dying to be Thin”
Editorial excellence	Clicks Clubcard Health and Wellness Writer of the Year (sponsored by Clicks Clubcard)	Highly Commended	Huisgenoot Pols	Mari Hudson	Media24	“Die Span Wat Dit Laat Gebeur”
Editorial excellence	Visual Production of the Year	Winner	Visi	TinaMarie Malherbe	New Media	“Eastern Promises” and “Fragile Microcosmos”
Editorial excellence	Visual Production of the Year	Highly Commended	Obrigado	Geogia Gardner	The Publishing Partnership	“Roll Up, Roll Up”
Editorial excellence	Visual Production of the Year	Highly Commended	Visi	Daryl McGregor and Kevin Mackintosh.	New Media	“Elephants”
Editorial excellence	Designer of the Year	Winner	Visi	Etienne Hanekom	New Media	“Time Flies”
Editorial excellence	Designer of the Year	Highly Commended	Obrigado	Georgia Gardner	The Publishing Partnership	“Snatched”
Editorial excellence	Designer of the Year	Highly Commended	Taste	Mark Serra	New Media	“Sprigs of Verdant Mint”
Editorial excellence	Designer of the Year	Highly Commended	De Kat	Ronel van Heerden	African Sky Publishing	“Kortliks”
Editorial excellence	Feature Writer of the Year	Winner	De Kat	Ilse Salzwedel	African Sky Publishing	“Ons is Swart Afrikaners”
Editorial excellence	Feature Writer of the Year	Highly Commended	Farmer's Weekly	Stephan Hoffstatter	Caxton	“Police in Sky Switch Crops in Old Transkei"
Editorial excellence	Feature Writer of the Year	Highly Commended	Men's Health	Chris Park	Touchline Media	“My Friend's a Junkie”
Editorial excellence	Profile Writer of the Year	Winner	Best Life	Gavin Foster	Touchline Media	“The Dad Who Won't Forget”
Editorial excellence	Profile Writer of the Year	Highly Commended	De Kat	Simone Scholtz	African Sky Publishing	“Grietjie van Garies”
Editorial excellence	Profile Writer of the Year		De Kat	Theo Kemp	African Sky Publishing	“Die Nagjakkals van Zoar”
Editorial excellence	Profile Writer of the Year	Highly Commended	De Kat	Louine van der Vyver	African Sky Publishing	“Die Houtskooltowenaar”
Editorial excellence	Public Interest Writer of the Year	Winner	Men's Health	Paul McNally	Touchline Media	“You're HIV-Positive - Now What?"
Editorial excellence	Public Interest Writer of the Year	Highly Commended	Farmer's Weekly	Stephan Hofstatter	Caxton	“SA's Looming Water Crisis”
Editorial excellence	Public Interest Writer of the Year	Highly Commended	Marie Claire	Lori Cohen	Associated Magazines	“Anyone Can Be A Victim”
Editorial excellence	Public Interest Writer of the Year	Highly Commended	The Property Magazine	Ed Suter	Media Nova	“The Price of Indifference”
Editor of the year	Editor of the Year - Customer Publishing	Winner	Clicks Clubcard	Abigail Murison	The Publishing Partnership
Editor of the year	Editor of the Year - Business-to-Business Publishing	Winner	The Dairy Mail	Willemien von Solms	AgriConnect
Editor of the year	Jane Raphaely Editor of the Year - Consumer Publishing	Winner	Woman & Home	Frith Thomas	Caxton
Magazine of the year	Customer Magazine of the Year	Winner	Pick 'n Pay Fresh Living		John Brown Publishing
Magazine of the year	Business-to-Business Magazine of the Year - Watling Trophy	Winner	The Dairy Mail		AgriConnect
Magazine of the year	Consumer Magazine of the Year - Rossi Trophy	Winner	Weg!/Go!		Media24

The publisher of Wild magazine was incorrectly cited as The Publishing Partnership in the POCA Winners' Showcase magazine. The correct publishing house is TiP Publishing. MPASA regrets the error and commends the magazine on its performance at the 2008 PICA Awards.