Acadiana Profile Magazine Wins International Awards
Renaissance Publishing announces Magazine of the Year award and other honors in editorial, photography, art direction and more during the 42nd Annual International Regional Magazine Association Awards
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA — On May 16, Acadiana Profile Magazine won 9 awards, at the 42nd annual International Regional Magazine Association (IRMA) awards presentation in Ottawa, Canada. The top prize for Magazine of the Year went to Acadiana Profile.
IRMA members include state, province and regional publications from across the United States, Bermuda, and Canada. The awards were granted for work published in 2021 and judged by an independent panel of industry experts. Executive Editor Errol Laborde accepted the awards on behalf of the magazine during the annual event.
“We are honored to receive this recognition from the International and Regional Magazine Association for Acadiana Profile,” says managing editor Melanie Warner Spencer. “In an industry where it can sometimes seem as though we are creating in a vacuum — especially during the height of the pandemic — it is exciting and validating when our work is recognized by our peers. In our pages, we strive to celebrate the rich, colorful culture and significant history of the Acadiana region. We are fortunate to live in a place with far-reaching history, abundant creative energy and an endless wealth of stories to tell.”
The magazine also took home the top prize in the design category winning gold for Overall Art Direction by longtime art director Sarah George.
For the Magazine of the Year win, one of the judges described Acadiana Profile as “A beautiful publication that leverages great photography and a smart use of white space to entice readers and direct them on the page. Strong and varied editorial lineup that highlights the editors’ understanding of the audience.”
Acadiana Profile, which places the food of the region at the heart of much of its coverage, earned silver for its “Best of Dining” story in the Food Feature category and an Award of Merit in the General Feature category.
Below is a complete list of awards for both magazines, including excerpted judge’s remarks.
About Renaissance Publishing
Based in New Orleans, Renaissance Publishing publishes eight in-house publications, including Acadiana Profile, Louisiana Life, New Orleans Magazine, Biz New Orleans, New Orleans Bride, New Orleans Homes and St. Charles Avenue, as well as multiple custom publishing for various businesses and entities around the Greater New Orleans area.
About IRMA
IRMA is a non-profit association composed of 25 regional magazines from across North America. Since its founding in 1960, IRMA has provided an unparalleled environment for open communication, support and trust among member magazines. Regional magazines are defined as having general interest, lifestyle, or tourism editorial content about a specific region. Our members are: Acadiana Profile; Adirondack Life; albemarle Magazine; Arizona Highways; Arizona Wildlife Views; Avenue Calgary; Big River Magazine; Bucks County Magazine; Cottage Life; Delaware Beach Life; Discover Concord; Down East: the Magazine of Maine; Downhome; KANSAS! Magazine; Louisiana Life; Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors; Mountain Home; New Mexico Magazine; Oklahoma Today; Saltscapes; Texas Highways; Texas Parks& Wildlife Magazine; The Bermudian; Wyoming Wildlife; and Yukon, North of Ordinary. See more at http://www.irmamagazines.com
About the IRMA Awards
To evaluate the achievements of member magazines, IRMA annually selects a panel of industry experts from outside IRMA who choose winners from the pool of submitted entries. The various award categories include editorial, design, and photography. Example categories include Reader Service Article, Photo Series, Art Direction of a Single Story and Magazine of the Year. Winners were announced at the annual conference on May 16th at the beautiful Andaz Hotel in Ottawa, Canada.
Complete List of Acadiana Profile Awards
General Feature 35,000 or less APR
Award of Merit – Acadiana Profile
Best of Dining by Lisa Leblanc-Berry and Joseph Vidrine
A well-packaged feature that explores the region’s culinary standouts.
Reader Service Article
Bronze – Acadiana Profile
Where To Live Next by Lisa Leblanc-Berry
This is a powerful service piece for potential home buyers and also a powerful community service piece.
Portrait Series
Gold – Acadiana Profile
Trailblazers by Danley Romero
This portrait series is beautifully lit and strikingly consistent.
Art Direction of a Single Story 35,000 or less APR
Gold –Acadiana Profile
Best of Dining by Sarah George
Great art direction! Taking a straightforward dining feature and giving a ton of varied content and levels of interaction.
Food Feature
Silver – Acadiana Profile
Best of Dining by Lisa Leblanc-Berry, Joseph Vidrine, Sarah George, and Melanie Spencer
So much energy and excitement in this presentation; the reader can feel the enthusiasm for the subject. Beautiful type, great images. Well done!
Cover 35,000 or less APR
Award of Merit – Acadiana Profile
Oysters by Sam Hanna, Sarah George and Melanie Spencer
Great image, love the overall cover, nice range of headlines all still discussing oysters. Fun type.
Special Focus
Bronze – Acadiana Profile
The Home Issue by Sarah George and Melanie Spencer
Lovely, modern, airy design! Good homes package with lots of supporting articles made this feel like well-rounded special issue.
Overall Art Direction 35,000 or less APR
Gold – Acadiana Profile
Sarah George
I always love what Sarah and her team are able to achieve. It’s a full on immersion into the personality and culture of the South, and this design team is able to take you every single time. And I’m totally here for it.
Magazine of the Year
2022 MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR 35,000 or less APR
Winner – Acadiana Profile
Sarah George and Melanie Spencer
Beautifully designed from start to finish! Modern design techniques and pushes design trends. Interesting and engaging stories representing the Acadian culture! Well thought out and executed!
