Caxton Awards celebrates winners and its 25th anniversary

The annual Caxton Awards celebrated its journalistic, sales, managerial and administrative talent from its local community newspapers on the 25th anniversary of the event at the Joburg Theatre on Thursday night 13 March.

This year, 1 300 entries were received from around the country and over R200 000 was awarded in prize money.

Lowveld Media walked away with no less than seven awards – the most of any branch – while the Joburg North branch took second place with four awards. Although the Joburg West branch walked away just with one award, they stepped it up this year considering its employees were nominated and received highly commended certificates in many categories.

Joburg West achievements:

• Geraldine Scott: winner in the category Best Large Magazine Ad

• Get It Joburg West: runner up as Best Get It magazine of the Year

• Jacobus Myburgh: Highly Commended for Best Portrait Photograph

• Megan Lennox: Highly Commended for Best Telesalesperson of the Year

• Tanya Young, Lianne West, Tersia Schutte and Megan Lennox: Highly Commended for Best Classified Feature called the Professionals

• Roodepoort Record commended for an exemplary low bounce rate and nominated for Best looklocal Site

• Clinton Botha: Highly Commended for Best Sports Writer

• Mathilde Myburgh: Nominated for Best Feature Photograph

• Megan Lennox and Robert Kruger: Nominated for Best Small Ad of the Year with Coffee Shop

• Ida Erasmus: Nominated for Best Switchboard Operator of the Year

• Minette Marais: Nominated for Best Medium Newspaper Ad

• Minette Marais: Nominated for Best Medium Magazine Ad

• Get It Joburg West: Nominated Best Major Advertising Feature or Supplement with “Kids Autumn” and “Kids Winter” Get It Joburg West, West Rand Production, ROP Sales West Rand.

A special thank you from the Joburg West team goes to sub-editor Mariëtte Brink and chief sub-editor Lorraine Brown for their hand in achieving the above.

Some of the most anticipated awards of the night included the Most Promising Newspaper Journalist of the Year, awarded to Nokuthula Ntuli of North Coast Courier; Best Get It Magazine of the Year went to Get It Jhb North; Field Salesperson of the Year was awarded to Marelize Greeff of Bloemfontein Courant and Newspaper Journalist of the Year was awarded to Daleen Naude of the Middelburg Observer.

Best Free Newspaper (more than 24 pages) went to Berea Mail, edited by Wanda Daly and the Best Sold Newspaper (with circulation exceeding 8 000) went to The Lowvelder, edited by Irma Green. The Lowvelder had a particularly successful evening walking away with multiple awards.

CEO of Caxton’s Local Newspapers, Bruce Sturgeon says: “Mirroring the growth of Caxton itself, from small beginnings the awards have grown into the spectacular event they are today. A key spinoff has been the improvement in excellence across the board. Well done to all our winners, we’re very proud of you.”

Other awards included:

• Ad Designer of the Year: Anton de Waal of the Zululand Observer

• Best Headline writing: Mark Kinnear of The Lowvelder

• Best Investigative journalist: Irma Green of The Lowvelder with her investigation: Uncovering a conman

• The Best looklocal site: The Lowvelder

• Best Free Newspaper, less than 24 pages: Steelburger, edited by Christopher de Wet

• Best Sold Newspaper, circulation less than 8 000: Mid South Coast Mail, edited by Bevis Fairbrother

• Best Portrait photograph: Clive Dorrington of Witbank News with Bad Santa

• Best Sports photograph: Ettiene van Rensburg of Vaalweekblad with Eye of the tiger

Gill Randall, Joint MD of NAB (Newspaper Advertising Bureau) stressed the importance of the awards. “It’s fantastic to see that the commitment for local newspaper excellence continues to grow over the last 25 years as is evidenced by the 1 300 entries received this year.

“Equally important, however, is that it’s crucial that each local newspaper knows its community well and reflects that through its editorial and advertising content. That is the key ingredient of what makes our local papers so well read and supported. Well done to all the winners.”