ENTRY INFORMATION
The PPA Independent Publisher Awards recognise and celebrate exceptional individuals and companies within the UK independent publishing sector who have delivered standout work and made a difference in their sector over the last 12 months.
For the purpose of these awards, an independent publisher is one with an annual publishing turnover that is less than £10M.
Entry eligibility period: 1 August 2021 to 31 July 2022
What you need to enter:
Within each entry you will be asked to detail your success in 500 words, please ensure that you address each individual category criteria point within this written section, as this is what the judges will be scoring against.
You will have the chance to upload three supporting documents, which can include full editions where space permits (max 40MB per document). If you are providing links to information behind a data/pay wall, please make sure to include login details for our judges. The judges have a lot of entries to work through so please make sure these three documents best showcase the story within your entry.
Important note: when completing the section on your results, financial or otherwise, please make sure to give context by comparing to previous years, business plan, or to the rest of the market. Any results given without context are very hard to judge and weaken the entry.
All information submitted within an entry will remain confidential and will only be used for the purpose of judging.
Judges may award both B2B and B2C winners in some categories
How to enter:
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Click to expand each award category below and view the criteria
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Use the tick boxes to the right of the category name to select the categories you would like to enter, then select 'PROCESS'
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Complete your entry via the online form and upload supporting material
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You will only be charged for an entry once it is completed - it is free to create an account and look at the entry forms
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Discounts will automatically calculate at payment which is stage 4 of the checkout process
PPA Members get 50% off their entries with the code:
PPAMEMBER22
Member Price: £85 +VAT // Non Member Price: £170 +VAT
OFFER: 5 entries for the price of 3
EXTENDED DEADLINE: ENTRIES CLOSE MIDNIGHT FRIDAY 16 SEPTEMBER
CATEGORIES & CRITERIA
Business Publication of the Year
The best business publications are highly respected and trusted by professionals in their sector, who turn to them for insight and opinion that matters. This award recognises the title that has excelled in representing its sector and truly delivering value for its audience.
Entries can be either print or digital titles which are published regularly.
Campaign of the Year (NEW FOR 2022)
Smart thinking, audience insight and clear goals are key ingredients to highly effective campaigns. This award looks to recognise a business campaign with internal or external objectives that overcame challenges and embraced new approaches to deliver significant results.
Commercial Partnership of the Year
Successful commercial partnerships thrive on commitment to a common goal and mutual success. This award recognises a successful collaboration between a publishing business and commercial partner(s) that has effectively promoted a product, service, or brand through any (or multiple) platform(s) delivering results for both parties.
Hint: Structure your entry around: The Challenge / The Big Idea / Making It Happen / Results. Please include client testimonial(s) where appropriate.
Consumer Publication of the Year
This award recognises a consumer publication that consistently gets it right for its readers. Featuring strong design and engaging editorial, this title really knows and understands its audience and what they are passionate about. It will demonstrate excellent performance in its field and use a combination of platforms and smart audience insight to deliver a market-beating performance.
Entries can be either print or digital titles which are published regularly.
Content Piece of the Year
Great content can be thought provoking, inspiring or simply useful. It is credible, interesting and engaging, and provides a great user experience. This award is for a standalone piece of content that truly captures the attention of its intended audience. Submissions can include anything from a feature piece, report, film, podcast episode, or any other piece of content produced for an audience or community.
Cover of the Year
Standout covers can be headline grabbing, a piece of art, or simply capturing a moment or theme that makes the reader want to find out more. This award celebrates the best of those first encounters.
Creative Director/Designer of the Year
A great designer really understands their audience and brings to life the essence and personality of their publication. This award is open to the very best Creative Directors, Art Directors or Designers whose vision and craft creates a product that readers want to engage with.
Digital Product of the Year
New products can be game-changing or simply make the life of the user better for existing. This award recognises the brilliant digital products created by media brands and publications that are content or data services led. Entries can include apps, research-based data products, digital magazine editions, archives or video.
Note: there are separate categories for podcasts and newsletters
Diversity and Inclusion Award
This award seeks to recognise media brands or publications that are elevating the important conversations around D&I within their business, or to their audiences. This may be via a product, campaign, brand extension, magazine, event, or anything which enhances or promotes D&I across the business and beyond.
Editor of the Year
Editors are the beating heart of a publication. This award recognises the editor of a media brand or title whose dedication, drive and vision has ensured that their content is a ‘must read’. They know their audience and deliver a high standard of content that is both trusted and welcomed.
Event of the Year
Events bring our brands to life, allowing interaction with customers and forging closer ties with key audiences. This award will recognise an outstanding event, either in-person, hybrid or virtual, that demonstrated strong results and commercial metrics.
Entries can include but are not limited to an exhibition, awards, conference, experiential event, festival, celebration or anniversary, community event, or any bespoke event, at which the media brand or publisher brings together its target audience.
The event can either stem from an existing parent brand or be a wholly standalone experience.
Game Changer of the Year (NEW FOR 2022)
This new award is to recognise an individual who has made a significant impact within their business, the team, and the sector within which they work. Entrants from any job function or specialism are encouraged to enter (please note though that there are specific categories for creative directors and editors).
Independent Publishing Company of the Year (annual publishing turnover less than £3M)
Let’s hear it for the small but mighty independent publisher, a business that punches above its weight delivering an impressive performance that makes it sound out in its competitive set. This award is for the independent publishing companies with a publishing turnover of less than £3million per annum.
Independent Publishing Company of the Year (annual publishing turnover £3M-£10M)
This award celebrates the best of the best – an independent publishing company that has delivered a market-beating performance and is a true example of a business delivering at every level.
Entries are open to businesses with an annual publishing turnover of between £3-10 million.
Industry Partner of the Year
Do you go the extra mile for your clients or do you work with a business that does this for you? This award recognises the suppliers to the specialist media industry with an exemplary record of customer service, who regularly over-deliver, ensure challenges are overcome with minimal fuss and proactively suggest initiatives that deliver.
Entries are open to any organisation that supplies a product, platform or service to the industry can enter – from distribution and fulfilment to digital publishing, training, subscription management, printing, marketing, paper, event services and beyond.
Launch/Relaunch of the Year
Specialist media businesses recognise a particular community or audience need for content and information. This award recognises the media brand or publication who has successfully created a product or brand to satisfy a gap in the market, delivering a strong commercial performance along the way.
Submissions can be for a launch or relaunch during the eligibility period.
Media Brand of the Year
A great media brand stands head and shoulders above its peers. They produce content their audience wants, tackle important topics in their sector, inform their communities and have an authoritative voice in their market. This award is for a consumer or business media brand that has demonstrated exceptional performance in the market.
Membership Publication of the Year
Member publications are at the very core of their communities. The winner of this award will be delivering exceptional industry insight and quality content to inform and update its readers.
For the purpose of this award, a membership publication is a publication produced at least twice a year by or on behalf of an organisation to communicate with its members, be that in print or on a digital platform.
Newsletter of the Year (NEW FOR 2022)
This category honours the brilliantly crafted newsletters that showcase a unique voice of a business or publication, providing an invaluable touchpoint with customers. From regular news digests, sharing ideas and insight, to delivering invaluable information and opinion, this award will recognise the creativity and engagement that comes from truly knowing your audience.
Entries can be for newsletters created to complement existing brands or publications, to help launch new ones, or as a standalone product.
Please ensure you provide audience metrics, open rates, etc.
Podcast of the Year
Truly great podcasts connect specialist media brands with their audiences and engage communities around topics they are passionate about.
This award is for podcasts which are created in-house to complement existing brands or publications, or to help launch new ones. The podcasts can be produced in-house or using external production support.
Subscriptions Strategy of the Year
Successful subscription business models are at the core of many PPA Member businesses. This award recognises the teams utilising audience knowledge, smart thinking and clever use of data to deliver new customers and retain loyal ones.
This new award looks to recognise a media brand, publication, campaign or portfolio that has maximised revenue through effective implementation of a new or enhanced subscriptions strategy. This can be focused on acquisition, retention, or both.
Team of the Year
Successful teams are goal-focused, communicate well and support each other to deliver on business objectives. Truly great teams have that bit of extra stardust and magic that sees them make a significant impact in their sector, working together to overcome obstacles and collaborating for the benefit of their organisation. This award recognises such a team or department that has truly excelled in making a positive and measurable contribution.
Eligible teams include, but are not limited to: Content, Creative, Commercial, Marketing, Production, HR, Operations, Subscriptions, Business Development and Events.
Writer of the Year
The best writers have a distinct voice, a unique style and an engaging way with words. For those who craft compelling copy that connects with an audience, this award is for you.