Louisiana Life Magazine Wins International Awards
Renaissance Publishing announces Magazine of the Year award finalist 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, Louisiana Life magazine won 10 awards, at the 42nd annual International Regional Magazine Association (IRMA) awards presentation in Ottawa, Canada. Louisiana Life was a finalist for Magazine of the Year.
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 and Louisiana Life,” 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 Louisiana. We are fortunate to live in a place with far-reaching history, abundant creative energy and an endless wealth of stories to tell.”
Louisiana Life also took home the top prize in the design category winning bronze for Louisiana Life for Overall Art Direction by longtime art director Sarah George.
As a finalist for Magazine of the Year, Louisiana Life didn’t escape notice by the judges. “Every page resonates with a sense of place, and the images are stunning, the design modern, refreshing. Also, some interesting editorial surprises that fueled my curiosity,” noted one judge. While another said, “All stories line up with the mission of highlighting the best of Louisiana’s culture. It is obvious that editorial and design work well together as the stories are well crafted!”
Louisiana Life took home a gold for Cover, silver in the Nature and Environment Feature category and a photography award of merit for its feature focusing on alligator hunting in South Louisiana. “Gator Hunt” which explored the sport and business sides of this often intergenerational, and truly Louisiana, pastime.
Attached is a complete list of awards including judge’s comments.
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 Louisiana Life Awards
Nature and Environment Feature 35,000 or less APR
Silver – Louisiana Life
Gator Hunt by Kevin Rabalais
The excellent writing of this article partnered with the sepia-toned photographs captured me, sitting without breathing, until the very END.
Hed & Dec
Bronze – Louisiana Life
Plight of the Honeybee by Melanie Spencer
Photo Series 35,000 or less APR
Award of Merit – Louisiana Life
Gator Hunt by Kevin Rabalais
Strong and engaging photography! The images create a strong emotional reaction. Nicely done.
Art Direction of a Single Story 35,000 or less APR
Silver – Louisiana Life
Plight of the Honeybee by Sarah George
Beautifully designed and well executed package. There’s lots of content and the mix of photography and illustration make for a dynamic package.
Department
Bronze – Louisiana Life
Natural State by Kevin Rabalais, Sarah George, and Melanie Spencer
Content is well focused and varied. Well written copy and images that advance the story.
Travel Package
Bronze – Louisiana Life
Luxe LA by Cheré Coen, Sara Essex Bradley, Haylei Smith, Sarah George and Melanie Spencer
Who doesn’t love to treat themselves? Great angle for those looking to up-level a pandemic-caused staycation.
Cover 35,000 or less APR
Gold – Louisiana Life
Gator Hunt by Kevin Rabalais, Sarah George, and Melanie Spencer
Shock factor + stunning photography = newsstand sales. I love this cover and would love to see local magazines in the UK be so brave.
Special Focus
Award of Merit – Louisiana Life
Conservation Issue by Sarah George and Melanie Spencer
Wonderful airy design gives space for the photography to sing and bring in the reader into such an important topic.
Overall Art Direction 35,000 or less APR
Bronze – Louisiana Life
Sarah George
Overall design is clean, clear, and well-organized with beautiful, compelling photography and an excellent balance of copy to image ratio.
2022 MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR 35,000 or less APR
Finalist – Louisiana Life
Sarah George and Melanie Spencer
Beautifully designed magazine! Covers are consistently done really well with great photography, beautiful typography and I like the minimal cutline approach.
