The Stack Awards 2017
The winners of the third annual Stack Awards for independent magazines were announced at a busy ceremony in London last night. Over 200 people, most of them magazine editors, designers and publishers, came together to support and celebrate small magazines.
While the award-giving was the central part of the evening, the new, larger, venue, The Queen of Hoxton, allowed more mixing of people and so the event took on a broader social role. It was great to catch up with old friends, make new friends and see that happening across the room.
But the Awards are the reason we’re all there. The judging is carried out by a different pair of judges for every category, with some intelligently selected specialists included to spread the load beyond people directly involved in making magazines. This explains the occasional crossover, such as the double wins for Anxy and MacGuffin.
It’s difficult to draw too many solid conclusions from the winning and commneded titles, but it is worth noting the international reach and the healthy mix of new and old; Rouleur and Eye have both been around for some time, while MacGuffin and Buffalo Zine are both relatively new. Overall, the winners and commended demonstrate again the creative health of the printed magazine.
As one of the judges of the Mag of the Year category, I was super happy to present the award to Buffalo Zine. I’ve admired their unique take on fashion publishing since their first issue, but last years fifth issue (above) was an absolute tour de force of creative thinking and an exhilirating expression of the joy of making a magazine. I still flick through its pages in awe.
I love the contrast between Buffalo Zine and the two commended mags Good Trouble and Migrant Journal. Both beautifully produced, yet very different from each other, they share a more earnest outlook that seems absolutely appropriate in today’s troubled times. I recommend looking beyond the winners to the commended magazines in all the categories to get a feel for the richness of contenporary independent publishing.
Congratulations to all the winners.
Special offer
For the next seven days we’re offering a 15% discount on all the Stack Award winners and commended titles at the magCulture shop. Use the discount code STACK2017 online or visit the shop. Note we are awaiting late deliveries of MacGuffin, Eye and some of the other winners. They will be added soon.
Magazine of the Year
Buffalo Zine London, UK
Commended:.00
Good Trouble New York, USA
Migrant Journal London, UK
Launch of the Year
Anxy Berkeley, USA
Commended:
Migrant Journal London, UK
The Move London, UK
Editor of the Year
MacGuffin Amsterdam, NL
Commended
the Happy Reader London, UK
Howler Tampa, USA
Art Director of the Year
MacGuffin Amsterdam, NL
Commended
Hello Mr New York, USA
Sabat London, UK
Cover of the Year
Eye London, UK
Commended:
Good Trouble New York, USA
Pan and the Dream New York, USA
Best Use of Photography
Four & Sons Victoria, Aus
Commended:
Petrie London, UK
Victory New York, USA
Best Use of Illustration
Weapons of Reason London, UK
Commended:
Beneficial Shock Wiltshire, UK
Oogst Antwerp, Belgium
Best Original Non-Fiction
Rouleur London, UK
Commended:
Even New York, USA
Scenario Copenhagen, Denmark
Best Original Fiction
Harvard Design Magazine Cambridge, USA
Commended:
212 Istanbul, Turkey
Zoetrope San Francisco, USA
Student Magazine of the Year
Crumble Edinburgh, UK
Commended:
Brasilia Hanover, Germany
The Tangerine Belfast, UK
Stack Subscribers’ Choice
Anxy Berkeley, USA
Commended:
Racquet New York, USA
Photographs by Robert Parfitt