Better Homes and Gardens was crowned the Magazine of the Year at the inaugural Australian Magazine Awards in Sydney (6 November).
click here to view the AMA awards supplement.
A who’s who of Australia’s magazine publishing fraternity assembled for the AMA presentation breakfast at Centennial Parklands Restaurant to witness Better Homes and Gardens triumph.
The popular Pacific Magazines title was a clear choice for the top AMA prize having made substantial gains in subscription, readership and advertising volume despite coming off a high base amid challenging market conditions.
The magazine posted a 10.4% year-on-year increase in circulation in the June 2009 Audit Bureau of Circulations report representing the biggest circulation increase of any magazine. Sales hit 370,000, making it the third best-selling magazine in Australia.
Roy Morgan figures revealed the magazines readership increased by 2.3% in the same period, to 1.74 million – its seventh consecutive reporting of year-on-year growth.
However, its most impressive result was in advertising volume, with a 19% increase in the year to June 2009, according to Nielsen AdEx.
The panel of judges, led by Fusion Strategy’s Steve Allen, said the strength in numbers overwhelmingly stated Better Homes and Garden’s case for Magazine of the Year, The magazine beat finalists Shop Til You Drop (ACP Magazines) and Delicious (News Magazines) for the top gong, contested from among the 15 AMA category winners.
Better Homes & Gardens had earlier won the Home & Garden category, while Shop Til You Drop and Delicious were judged the best Womens Lifestyle and Food & Entertainment titles respectively.
The AMA program, an initiative of AdNews, did not solicit entries, rather the titles were appraised on set criteria circulation and readership growth, advertising volume, editorial content and design and front cover.
A total of 67 finalists were shortlisted across the categories.
Guest speaker Estee Lauder Australia MD Terry Little, spoke of the continued vitality of magazines as an advertising medium for brands that need to engage with consumers in a meaningful way.
In the welcoming speech AdNews editor Matt Porter said it was crucial the AMAs were as inclusive, transparent and robust as possible.
