Anthem wins five awards at the PPA Independent Publisher Awards 2024

After being shortlisted for 10 awards at this year’s PPA Independent Publisher Awards, Anthem was delighted to come away with five wins at the event on 22nd November 2024

The PPA Independent Publisher Awards are always a highly anticipated event in Anthem’s calendar, and the 2024 awards were no different.

After being shortlisted in 10 categories, the Anthem team travelled en masse to the awards ceremony held at 133 Houndsditch, London, on 22nd November 2024.

The shortlist spanned across Anthem’s entire portfolio, from Classic Pop‘s nomination for Content Piece of the Year and Writer of the Year, to Healthy Eating‘s shortlist as Launch of the Year.

Women’s Running were up for no less than four awards, including Editor of the Year, Podcast of the Year, Consumer Magazine of the Year and Commercial Partnership of the Year.

The exciting new A3 In Focus poster magazines were up for Innovation of the Year, and reflecting the successes of all the teams and the hard work put in by the entire company througout the year, Anthem was shortlisted for Independent Publishing Company of the Year.

Anthem’s winning categories

On the day, Anthem walked away with an impressive five wins.

Innovation of the Year – In Focus

Anthem launched its In Focus A3 poster magazine series in 2023 after a meeting with Barnes & Noble’s magazine buyer Krifka Steffi sparked the idea. The first three issues, dedicated to Taylor Swift, BTS and Pedro Pascal, flew off the shelves and led the way for several more issues thanks to the high-quality production values, insightful editorial, and captivating imagery.

The PPA commented that “the judges were impressed by the outstanding innovation and creativity displayed by the winning entry. Smart decisions, clear strategy and engaging content lead to impressive commercial results.”

Podcast of the Year – Women’s Running Podcast

For the fourth year, the Women’s Running Podcast was awarded Podcast of the Year. The incomparable relationship between co-hosts Esther and Holly, as well as their unique relationship with their ‘podsquad’ listeners, has allowed the podcast to develop and thrive, branching out into live events, bookazines and new spin-off series over the last year.

Judges commented that “the journey for this winner has been incredible, with creativity leading to impressive engagement, content extensions and record high numbers.”

Editor of the Year – Esther Newman

As editor of Women’s Running, and co-host of the Women’s Running Podcast, Esther’s commitment to upholding the brand’s core values of diversity, inclusivity, and encouraging every person who identifies as female to run their own way really shines through from the moment you meet her. Her honest, reliable and passionate approach to journalism has gained her exclusive interviews to cover a variety of sensitive issues, plus she is frequently invited to be the voice of female running in mainstream media.

“The judges were inspired by the winner in this category and commended their ability to display exceptional editorial authority whilst also delivering on commercial aims. Their ability to foster a culture of inclusivity through an authentic and compassionate approach to journalism is commendable.”

Game Changer of the Year – Jon Bickley

As CEO, Jon is regarded within Anthem as the beating heart of the company, always the first person to champion successes, and empower all members of the team to look out for new opportunities and strive to reach their full potential. To Anthem’s partners, Jon is regarded as a pioneer in innovation, a natural entrepreneur, and a forward-thinking leader.

The judges picked up on these characteristics and explained that “the judging panel decided to award one outstanding winner in this category to someone who pushed the boundaries of traditional publishing to deliver success within their business. Their clever overall strategic vision, impressive innovations, and ability to motivate their wider team is commendable.”

Highly Commended: Commercial Partnership of the Year – Women’s Running and SportsShoes

Building upon a solid foundation, the Women’s Running commercial team – led by Megan Gibbings – has taken its partnership with major retailer SportsShoes to new heights in 2023/24, combining innovative new content ideas, fresh digital approaches and exciting print opportunities.

The judges said the campaign showed “an innovative approach to content, resulting in significant engagement measures and excellent commercial results.”

Anthem extends its congratulations to all the winners at the PPA Independent Publisher Awards 2024. It’s fantastic to see such excitment and innovation coming from a diverse range of independent media companies.