Southern Cross was recognised with five prizes at the 2014 awards ceremony of the Australasian Religious Press Association, held in Canberra last weekend.
Members were also celebrating the 40th anniversary of the ARPA conference, which recognises the work – in print and online – of Christian publications from a range of denominations in Australia and New Zealand.
In the category for Best Faith Reflection the Dean of Sydney, the Very Rev Phillip Jensen, was given the gold award for his feature “A Muslim teaches us” – about the courage of Australian cricketer Fawad Ahmed and others to risk national selection because of their beliefs – which appeared in the October 2013 edition of SC.
The citation with the award said the feature “raises questions about non-compromise which might make many Christians uncomfortable”, and was “a thought-provoking and cogently argued article, based on a timely issue”.
SC was presented with the silver award for Most Improved Hard Copy Publication, with the judges commenting on the more attractive covers, and adding that the change in format and style from the previous year gave it a “more contemporary feel” – noting in particular the “careful use of colour for background and impact”.
Moore College lecturer Dan Wu received a silver award for his September 2013 feature “From the naughty chair to the knowledge of God” in the category of Best Theological Article.
Southern Cross editor Judy Adamson was awarded a bronze prize in the Best Review category for her story on the comedy apocalyptic film This is the End, while SC art director Steve Mason won a Best Headline bronze for his witty “How Hauwerwas how-to wowed the house” – which topped an October 2013 news story about the visit to Australia of US theologian Professor Stanley Hauwerwas.
The major prize of the awards ceremony, the Gutenberg Award, was presented this year to Aurora, the Catholic magazine of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. The publication is distributed monthly inside six regional Fairfax newspapers, including The Newcastle Herald and The Maitland Mercury.
