"It's an honour to be associated personally with such an award and I'm sure it will add to the importance and stature of the Sappi Pica's," says Jane Raphaely, founder and chairperson of Associated Magazines which is sponsoring the award. "Well done to MPASA Sappi Pica for realising the importance of not only honouring the publishers, but also the editors for excellence in magazine publishing.
"Great magazine editors are major newsmakers because they are creators, innovators, trendsetters and opinion formers. They are also talent-spotters and mentors. Acknowledging this is not only good for the editors themselves but also good for the industry as a whole. It shows the importance that we place on putting the very best people in such influential positions."
The award will be open to all editors of general consumer magazines. Editors must be nominated to participate, and all entrants will be judged on the basis of the information and motivations submitted by the nominator across a range of criteria. These include editorial excellence, management of staff, promotion of magazine, business involvement and unique characteristics, actions or contributions.
"Unlike most other awards, this one will be made by the most critical and expert judges of all, fellow editors. And the criteria for judging is heavily weighted towards the support a publication receives from the most discriminating people in South Africa, magazine readers themselves," comments Raphaely.
Adds Elizabeth Shorten, the Awards' chairperson, "As such, [it will] represent a particularly hard-won accolade."
Entries may be submitted to Sandy Goulding, Magazine Publishers Association of South Africa, 5th Floor, Nedbank Gardens, 33 Bath Avenue, Rosebank. For more information about the award, contact MPASA on tel +27 (0)11 721 3217.
