The old guard of consumer publishing showed its continued strength, as Radio Times, Good Housekeeping and Country Living took the top gongs at last week's PPA awards.
The wins were also personal triumphs for three of the industry's most respected and influential women, as Lindsay Nicholson's Good Housekeeping took the prize for consumer magazine of the year; Susy Smith's Country Living was consumer lifestyle magazine of the year; and Radio Times's Gill Hudson was crowned consumer editor of the year.
Hudson, described as an "inspired and inspiring editor", had transformed a national institution into a groundbreaking, compelling and easy-to-use title, while increasing sales and readership, the judges said.
Hudson said: "It's good to win with a magazine that's not just flavour of the month. Particularly in the market we're in and the confusing media landscape, people want to hang on to voices they can trust, and that works in our favour."
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Hudson added that what she noticed about the winners was that they were very traditional brands.
"With us, Good Housekeeping and Country Living, which is the young upstart of the three, it's just a really good sign that these established brands can still cut the mustard," she said.
Country Living celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2005 and built on its reputation as a campaigning title with its 10th consecutive period-on-period ABC sales growth.
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The judges said Good Housekeeping "sustained quality and growth in the face of competition due to its bravery, integrity and heritage" and is still evolving to fit its audience. Nicholson, now editorial director at NatMags, recently handed over the reins to Louise Chunn.
Natmags chief executive Duncan Edwards said: "The industry is obsessed by the new, and it is refreshing to see brilliant journalism and publishing over a long period of time recognised.
"Despite any number of attempts, no one has managed to replicate the unique characteristics of either Good Housekeeping or Country Living."
It was a good evening for Reed Business Information: its Farmers Weekly won the weekly award and it secured both the online consumer and B2B titles for www.newscientist.com and www.personneltoday.com
Chemistry World, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, won the B2B monthly award, and Architects'
Journal's Isabel Allen and Sarah Douglas picked up the B2B editor and designer titles respectively, for work on the Emap Construct publication that the judges described as "a most inspirational title".
Customer magazine of the year went to Waitrose Food Illustrated from John Brown Citrus.
A full list of winners is available at www.pressgazette.co.uk
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