Audio storytelling can engage communities and enhance narratives, with stories, advice and key learnings they are passionate about.

This award celebrates the outstanding use of audio - whether as a standalone product, an enhancement to existing content, or an integrated part of a wider publisher series.

Entries can include podcasts, audiobooks, narrated or translated content, or any innovative audio format that brings a brand’s journalism or storytelling to life.

Entries should demonstrate:

- Excellent audience engagement and listening figures in the context of specialism universe size (could include listener growth, retention, reviews, community interaction etc)

- Innovation and creativity (fresh formats, inventive audio design and production techniques for example)

- Original content which meets the needs of the target audience

- Long term sustainability in line with brand objectives

Digital products and services continue to transform how audiences engage with brands — and how publishers operate behind the scenes.

This award recognises the brilliant digital products created by media brands and publications that create, delight, enhance user experience, or provide tangible efficiencies in organisational workflow internally.

Entries can include websites, platforms, apps, membership portals, internal tooling and archives, and other digital tooling (there are separate categories for audio, video and newsletters)

Entries should clearly demonstrate the following:

• Innovation and creativity in approach 
• Effective product development
• Impressive metrics and audience engagement
• A strong commercial performance or internal operational efficiencies
• How the product contributes to the brand/publication success and user experience
  

The impact of AI is rapidly changing the way publishers and media brands create content and operate their businesses.

AI isn’t just one thing, but a raft of technologies that cover the spectrum of audience experiences such as personalisation and search, to workflow tooling, content enrichment, data modelling, predictive analytics, translation, and new forms of creative production - to name a few.

This award recognises the most innovative, responsible and effective uses of AI to create new products, provide value to audiences, strengthen editorial or commercial performances, or celebrates what AI is doing to help with operational efficiency.

Entries should clearly demonstrate the following:

• Innovation and creativity
• The benefit and outcomes of the use of AI
• Metrics and performance aligned to goals 
• What experience, capability, or technology was enhanced by the use of AI?
• Methodology and approach (was it created inhouse, partnership, other / what are the training methods used?)

This award is not open for entries but is selected by the PPA and announced on the night. It's based on the over arching picture of judges scores and comments, and by looking at the sector as a whole.

This accolade recognises not only commercial and operational performance, but how an organisation lives its values and positively impacts the audiences it serves.

As an industry, we have strong platforms, trusted authority, and incredibly expert and engaged audiences. And with that comes the opportunity and ability to make a difference, encouraging change for good within professional sectors, specialist areas, or society as a whole.

Smart thinking, audience insight and clear goals are key ingredients to highly effective campaigns. This category celebrates initiatives that go beyond traditional business objectives, focusing on creating a positive impact.

These campaigns can address various issues such as sustainability, equality, mental health awareness, community development, education, or social justice. Successful campaigns will demonstrate creativity, effectiveness, and a genuine commitment to making a difference.

Entries should demonstrate:

• Performance against objectives
• Where the campaign sits within the context of the brand strategy
• Clear mission and relevant to cause 
• Creativity, new approaches, and innovation
• Solid results
  

This award recognises successful and impactful collaboration between a B2B publishing business and commercial partner(s) that has promoted a product, marketing service initiative, or brand through any (or multiple) platform(s), be it print, online, face-to-face, events, video, audio, or other digital offerings.

The strongest partnerships deliver measurable results for the advertiser while engaging the publisher’s specialist audience with clarity, creativity and purpose.

The winning entry will show how both parties worked together to meet shared goals, create value for the target audience, and demonstrate innovation, effectiveness and return on investment across multiple channels.

Entries should demonstrate:

• Deep audience and community understanding 
• Clear objectives, shared goals and delivery against the brief 
• Strong commercial performance and demonstrable ROI 
• Creativity and innovation 
• Significant traction among the target audience

This award recognises successful and impactful collaboration between a B2C publishing business and commercial partner(s) that has promoted a product, marketing service initiative, or brand through any (or multiple) platform(s), be it print, online, face-to-face, events, broadcast, mobile, or other digital offerings.

The strongest partnerships deliver measurable results for the advertiser while engaging the publisher’s specialist audience with clarity, creativity and purpose.

The winning entry will show how both parties worked together to meet shared goals, create value for the target audience, and demonstrate innovation, effectiveness and return on investment across multiple channels.

Entries should demonstrate:

• Deep audience and community understanding
• Clear objectives, shared goals and delivery against the brief 
• Strong commercial performance and demonstrable ROI 
• Creativity and innovation
• Significant traction among the target audience

This award has been created to recognise the huge variety of audiences who trust and engage with specialist media, and the value these communities bring to both commercial partners and publishers.

As well as providing background insight and data about the particular community you serve, judges will be looking to understand how you deliver content and value to this audience, as well as opportunities for commercial monetisation. You will need to be able to demonstrate the impact of your activity – engagement, audience growth, commercial performance, social media presence (where applicable) as well as evidence of advertiser ROI, across the eligibility period.

Entries should demonstrate:

• Scope of community (size, sector, personas)
• How and why the community comes together
• Community data insight integration
• Alignment of content with community values
• Monetisation model and commercial value
• Development and impacy of community within the eligibility period

Innovation, deep audience understanding, and flawless execution are all central components of creating great content.

This award is open to both content marketing agencies and to in-house teams who deliver content marketing solutions that build and grow brands, engage audiences and drive meaningful results.

Judges will be looking for an agency that delivers exceptional work, is strategically grounded, creatively ambitious, and demonstrably effective.

Entries should demonstrate:

• Success in enhancing their market position through the development of their client’s brands
• Strong commercial performance and measurable results
• Creativity, new approaches and innovation 
• How the team's collaborative working and strategic goals have exceeded business expectations

Standout covers remain one of the most powerful expressions of a brand's identity. They can be headline grabbing, a work of art, something that delivers visual impact, or something that captures a moment or theme that makes the reader want to find out more.

This award is for the standout front covers that are simply unmissable, that display bold creativity and editorial clarity, capture audience attention, and which really deliver that 'magical magazine moment'.

Entries should demonstrate covers that:

• Create instant visual impact
• Compliment and enhance the editorial relevance and storytelling
• Offer a compelling and an enticing promise
• Enhance sales and readership figures, and fit in with the overall brand positioning
• Show originality and creativity

The judges shortlist will be put to public vote to help decide the winner. Brands/publications may enter multiple front covers.

Data is everywhere and when translated into meaningful insights it can drive growth and change within organisations and becomes a business critical function for today's succcessful media practices.

This award will celebrate an initiative that demonstrates outstanding use of data to deliver measurable value — whether to their audience, their business, or both.

Projects can include audience segmentation and retention, data journalism, data insights which encourage new behaviours or experiences, data performance, metrics and reporting, AI alignment, amongst others.

Entries should clearly demonstrate:

• How the project translated data into actionable insight, strategy, or business value 
• Clear evidence of impact, including audience engagement, commercial results, behavioural change, or operational efficiency 
• Creativity and innovation in approach — including methodology, use of tools, or integration of emerging technologies 
• Alignment with objectives and long-term value to the business or audience

A great designer combines skill, creativity, strategy, and audience understanding to bring a media brand or publication to life.

This award is open to Creative Directors, Art Directors or Designers whose skilful and distinctive work has elevated a media brand or publication.

Entries should demonstrate:

• Evidence of how the design work has played a key part in the overall success of the brand or publication
• Excellence in skill (photography, typography, illustration, layout, colour etc)
• Imaginative and creative designs which push boundaries
• Audience understanding and relevance

Change and innovation is driven by people and teams committed to transforming their organisations by doing things differently. This could be improving their organisational culture, rethinking workflows, and delivering processes to better serve their audiences. 

This award celebrates an individual or a team who have led significant digital transformation within their organisation that has led to business growth or operational improvements. This could be new digital workflows and practices, pioneering new platforms, leveraging data, optimising for performance and new experiences.

Entries should demonstrate:

• The nature and impact of the changes
• Commercial figures / operational improvements in relation to business objectives
• The implementation of new digital experiences or workflows
• How the adoption was achieved in terms of team/ company roll out

This award recognises both b2c and b2b digital publishing businesses that deliver exceptional content for their specialist audience across multiple channels.

Utilising tech and data to enhance the user experience, expand audiences and achieve commercial success. Successful distribution and monetisation of digital content, data or insight is key here.

Judges will be looking for evidence of outstanding digital strategy, audience engagement, editorial excellence, and monetisation across platforms.

Entries should demonstrate:

• Clear digital strategy and innovation
• Audience growth, engagement, and reach
• Editorial excellence
• Commercial performance
• User experience and technology integration

This award seeks to recognise a company, brand, or publication that takes recognising the importance of diversity across their business and publications one step further by actively tackling inequalities, and dismantling barriers.

The winner of this award might have created an inclusive workplace in which all employees not just feel valued but thrive, or developed a product or campaign which serves, promotes, and upholds underrepresented communities, or is promoting a career in publishing to inspire the next generation of diverse talent.

Entries should clearly demonstrate:

• The values that underpin the efforts to make either the sector, or your own operations, more inclusive
• Measurable outcomes and impact (i.e. improvements in workforce diversity, inclusive audience reach, community outcomes etc)
• A track record of successfully embedding a commitment to ED&I internally or externally 
• Commitment to delivering long lasting and sustainable change
• The engagement of underrepresented audiences, raising awareness of publishing as a career, or developing a diverse workforce

Editors are the driving force behind a brand, shaping content, guiding strategy, and connecting with audiences.

This award celebrates the editors of a business media brand or publication whose consistent excellence, deep sector understanding, leadership, and ability to deliver trusted and high quality content has put their brand at the forefront of the market.

Entries should demonstrate:

• High quality journalism and industry insight
• Significant editorial developments and initiatives
• Understanding and engagement with the market and/or audience
• Measurable results and commercial impact
• Leadership skills and team development

Please enter nominees for one brand/publication only. Individuals may enter this category once only.

Editors sit at the heard of a brand, demonstrating a deep understanding of audience needs and consistently delivering high quality content that is trusted, engaging, and impactful.

This award celebrates the editors of a consumer media brand or publication whose consistent brilliance, leadership, and understanding of their sector has put their brand at the forefront of the market.

Entries should demonstrate:

• High quality journalism and understanding of the industry developments
• Significant editorial developments and initiatives
• Understanding and engagement with the market and/or audience
• Measurable results, audience reach, and commercial impact
• Leadership skills and team development

Please enter nominees for one brand/publication only. Individuals may enter this category once only.

This award is for businesses that have demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to creating a positive, inclusive, and supportive work environment for its employees.

They have excelled at engagement with their teams, promoted employee welfare, and have showed strong support for both their internal workforce and for the wider community in which they operate.

Entries should demonstrate:

• Clear strategies around employee development and retention 
• Robust and thought through ED&I policies and commitments
• A clearly defined and well communicated company culture
• Open communication channels with teams and opportunities for staff to provide feedback
• Examples of going the extra mile to provide a supportive and welcoming workplace

Events bring our brands to life, allowing interaction with customers, strengthening connections with peers, and forging closer ties with key audiences.

This award will recognise a highly successful event demonstrating exceptional execution, creativity and impact and can be either in-person, hybrid, or online. The event can either stem from an existing parent brand or be a wholly standalone experience at which a B2B publisher brings together its target audience.

Entries should demonstrate:

• Evidence of innovation and creativity in relation to the event format and content 
• Increased audience reach and/or strong commercial performance
• Deep levels of engagement with the target audience 
• How the event serves the audience beyond the day itself
• Considerations of ED&I and sustainability

Events bring our brands to life, allowing interaction with customers, strengthening connections with peers and forging closer ties with key audiences.

This award will recognise a highly successful event demonstrating exceptional execution, creativity and impact and can be either in-person, hybrid, or online. The event can either stem from an existing parent brand or be a wholly standalone experience at which a B2C publisher brings together its target audience.

Entries should demonstrate:

• Evidence of innovation and creativity in relation to the event format and content
• Increased audience reach and/or strong commercial performance
• Deep levels of engagement with the target audience
• How the event serves the audience beyond the day itself
• Considerations of ED&I and sustainability
  

Do you go the extra mile for your clients or do you work with a partner that does this for you? This award recognises the service providers to the specialist media industry with excellent examples of customer service, trusted and reliable delivery, proactive innovation and who regularly ensure challenges are overcome with minimal fuss.

Any organisation that supplies a product, platform or service to the industry can enter, from creation, delivery, distribution and fulfilment, to digital publishing, training, product, design, printing, marketing, event services and beyond (there is a separate category for Tech Partner of the year).

Entries should demonstrate:

• Exceptional service levels and genuine partnership
• Meeting or exceeding client objectives and expectations
• Innovation and creativity in finding solutions
• Working towards sustainability alternatives and best working practices
  

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 business media brand or market intelligence product which successfully integrates editorial excellence, audience engagement, strategic vision and market understanding.

Entries should demonstrate:

• How they understand and meet the needs of their target audience
• Strong and sustainable commercial performance
• Editorial and design that represents and enhances the brand
• Innovation in responding to the changing dynamics of its market
• A multi-channel approach that creates a deeper engagement with the target audience 

Please note that brands cannot enter both Media Brand of the Year and Special Interest Magazine 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 a trusted and authoritative voice in their market.

This award is for a consumer media brand that successfully integrates editorial excellence, audience engagement, strategic vision and market understanding.

Entries should demonstrate:

• How they understand and meet the needs of their target audience
• Strong commercial performance
• Editorial and design that represents and enhances the brand
• Innovation in responding to the changing dynamics of its market
• A multi-channel approach that creates a deeper engagement with the target audience

This category honours the brilliantly crafted newsletters that showcase a unique voice of a business or publication, providing a personal touchpoint with customers.

From regular news digests, sharing ideas and insight, to delivering invaluable information and opinion, this award will recognise the distinctive voice, creativity, engagement and personalisation 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.

Entries should clearly demonstrate the following:

• Performance against objectives
• Excellent audience engagement and readership figures (please provide metrics)
• Innovation and creativity
• Original content which meets the needs of the target audience
• Well researched topics and trusted content resources

Delivering specialist content to engaged audiences is what this industry is all about.

This category celebrates the brands that serve specialist communites with content, products, and experiences tailored to their passions, lifestyles or professional needs.

Whether that be a specific business-to-business community or sector, or a consumer leisure interest (including childrens brands, food, health, sport, hobbies, homes, interiors, and travel), these brands succeed by knowing their niches intimately and delivering content that feels both relevant and indispensable.

Entries should demonstrate:

• Understanding of the needs of the target audience
• Strong commercial performance
• Editorial and design excellence
• Innovation in responding to the changing dynamics of its market
• Multi-channel strategy and engagement
  

Please note that brands cannot enter both Media Brand of the Year and Special Interest Brand of the Year. The childrens brand of the year category has been combined into special interest brand of the year.

Successful subscription business models and strategies are at the core of many brands. This award looks to the teams utilising audience knowledge, smart thinking and clever use of data to deliver new customers and retain loyal ones.

This award recognises a business that has significantly grown subscription revenue, reach, or long-term value through the effective implementation of a new or enhanced subscription campaign or initiative. Judges will be looking for strategic clarity, maximised revenue, measurable results, and strong audience insight.

Entries should demonstrate:

• Innovation and creativity
• Understanding of the target market
• Effective implementation and execution
• Use of data to drive conversions
• Measurable impact and commercial success

This award looks to reward and champion a change, campaign, project or event (internal or external) that has enhanced the social and environmental credentials of the publishing company across the eligibility period.

Entries should demonstrate:

• The aim of the initiative and the strategic reason for developing it (e.g reputation, new business development, employee engagement, sustainability impact, net zero targets, etc)
• How the initiative engaged with the target audience and championed sustainable behaviours in a positive way
• The impact the movement had on the business
• The quantifiable impact it achieved and how success was measured

Successful teams are goal-focused, communicate well and support each other to deliver on business objectives.

Truly great teams have that bit of extra 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 is for a team or department that has excelled in making a positive and measurable contribution to the company in 2025.

Eligible teams include, but are not limited to: Commercial, Content, Product, Marketing, HR, Operations, Finance, Data, Subscriptions, Business Development and Events.

Entries should demonstrate:

• Positive and measurable contribution to the overall company strategy
• How the team's collaborative working and strategic goals have exceeded business expectations
• Creativity, new approaches, and innovation backed up with solid results

This award recognises the tech systems, platforms and suppliers to the specialist media industry who have excellent examples of customer service and technical innovation. We want to see entries from those who regularly over-deliver, proactively suggest initiatives that deliver for their clients, and ensure challenges are overcome with minimal fuss.

Entries should demonstrate:

• Seamless integration with publisher workflow (print or digital)
• Evidence of service levels & a genuine partnership approach
• Meeting or exceeding client objectives and expectations
• Innovation and creativity in finding solutions
• Clarity on what problem was being solved for the client
  

Video storytelling can be one of the most powerful and engaging formats for a brand or publication. It can be the primary storytelling format, or one that enhances an existing product.

This award celebrates those creating compelling and impactful video content, which is used to increase and broaden their value proposition to their audiences. This can be a standalone video piece, or series that drove engagement and revenues, or a longer term video strategy.

Entries should demonstrate:

• How your video content met and exceeded the business goals and objectives
• How the video content strategy increased audience engagement (please provide metrics)
• A strong commercial performance
• Production quality and creativity
• How you successfully optimised your video and made it accessible for your audience
  

This award is open to writers, journalists, and columnists whose writing style offers a fresh perspective to their audience. They might reach their audiences via multiple platforms such as regular columns, features, blogs, newsletters or social media.

This category is for those with a creative approach, interesting viewpoint and unique writing style.

Entries must demonstrate:

• an authoritative, original, and engaging writing style
• well researched and credible journalism
• content which is trustworthy, informative, educational or leads opinion within a target community
• a sense of personality and individual style