NEW ORLEANS – Biz New Orleans magazine won five “editorial excellence” awards this week from the Alliance of Area Business Publishers, an organization that represents more than 70 publications in the United States, Canada and Australia with a combined circulation of more than 1.2 million.
Biz won gold awards for explanatory journalism, feature design and magazine design. It earned a silver award for best feature in a medium-sized publication and a bronze award for best use of multimedia.
Here are notes from the judges about each award:
Category: Best Overall Magazine Design
Gold Winner: Biz New Orleans – Sarah George, art director
Everything about the design is regal and stately. Outstanding branded covers open to a solid table of contents and consistent “In the Biz” front-of-book section. Designers commit to an elegant, minimalist vision in such features as “Business People of the Year” and “Black in Business.” Overall, this is outstanding work.
Category: Best Feature Layout – Magazine
Gold Winner: Biz New Orleans – “Black in Business” – Sarah George, art director
The consistent portraits use crisp light combined with excellent use of toning for contrast. This style honors the people through wonderful images, anchoring the beautiful pages. The design supports the structure of the story, and the navigation has been turned into a design element. A restrained use of shading divides the space without drawing attention to itself. The display type effectively ties the pieces together. Typography is sophisticated, reinforcing the serious tone.
Category: Best Explanatory Journalism, Medium
Gold Winner: Biz New Orleans – “Black in Business” – Kim Singletary, managing editor
An effectively told, nicely paced story on a vital topic that humanizes its subject while also providing plenty of data to make its points. Layout and presentation add to the content.
Category: Best Feature, Medium
Silver Winner: Biz New Orleans – “If Oak Street is a Microcosm of N.O. Economy, the Outlook is Encouraging” – Rich Collins, associate news editor
The writer breathes life, vitality and consequence into this story about the economy of a New Orleans street known for its many restaurants and bars. It details the decline, dying, coming to life again and then thriving life cycle. It’s a familiar story powered along by strong writing and deft observation.
Category: Best Use of Multimedia
Bronze Winner: Biz New Orleans – “Glass Act: Local Students Create Their Own Recycling Project” – Rich Collins, associate news editor
The character-driven narrative is a fun and approachable way to meet the next generation’s innovative minds. It draws in the viewer and delivers a lot of memorable and amusing moments.
