Cycling Plus wins PPA’s mag of the year

The winners of The PPA Awards 2010 were unveiled at a 1950s-themed ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Mayfair’s Park Lane last night.

More than 1,000 guests from across the magazine publishing industry gathered for the 30th anniversary of the event, which celebrates editorial and publishing excellence in the consumer magazines and business media sector. The awards were hosted by comedian Sean Lock who handed out a total of 22 awards.

Barry McIlheney, chief executive of the PPA, said: “With a greater number of entries than last year our congratulations go to all those who made it to the shortlist. However, special praise must be reserved for the winners who stood out from an exceptional crowd.”

Cycling Plus won the Specialist Consumer Magazine Of The Year award. The title is edited by Rob Spedding and saw its last ABC circulation increase 15.8 percent year-on-year, its 12th consecutive rise.

John Stevenson, editor in chief of Futre Publishing’s cycling magazines Tweeted from the event: "Bloody stunning effort by Capt Spedding and his krewe."

Cycling Plus was in a strong category, beating Radio Times, The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, Country Living, Lonely Planet and Jamie Magazine to the award.

Simon Wear, Future’s Chief Operating Officer said:

“A hearty congratulations to everyone on Cycling Plus for winning Specialist Consumer Magazine of the Year. It’s been 18 years in the making and is so deserved! The consistent circulation growth the magazine has seen over the years is testament to its outstanding journalism. Cycling Plus encapsulates everything that is brilliant about specialist magazines and Future: the team’s enthusiasm, passion and encyclopaedic knowledge pack every page.”

The Designer Of The Year for Consumer Magazines was won by Wired’s Andrew Diprose who works for Condé Nast Publications but, in his spare time, is also one of the publishers of The Ride Journal, the bicycle magazine.