Magazines’ big chance to create an awards event that matters
Friday saw Publishers Australia’s excellence awards.
Previously known as the Bell Awards, I think it’s the fifth time I’ve been along.
If you’re not familiar with them, previously they’ve to a certain extent been the “other” magazine awards – a chance for those from the less glamorous world of B2B and niche publishing to have a moment in the spotlight instead of their glossy peers.
Until the downturn, the big mags had their own big night – organised by Magazine Publishers of Australia.
What ended up happening was that there were two events – a slightly dowdy (although much better the last couple of years) Publishers Australia bash generally characterised with a coma-inducing speech from the main sponsor and a glamorous, but thanks to the small number of publishing houses eligible, not-fully-competitive awards night from the MPA.
Happily, on Friday there was no speech from the sponsor. And I think for the first time ever, the awards wrapped up on time.
Which was all the more impressive as chairman Geoff Hird had the big announcement that the two organisations are to work together, culminating in “magazine week” at the same time next year.
As host Adam Spencer put it on Friday, it’s a chance for the two organisations “to be the Brangelina of the Australian publishing industry”.
I wouldn’t treat a joint awards as a certainty. But it would certainly now be odd to hold an awards during magazine week, and not have it eligible to everyone.
It’s a big opportunity. There’s a real chance for a night that could be as big for magazines as the Walkleys are for newspapers or the Logies are for TV.
If ever it was going to happen, this is the chance.
Tim Burrowes
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