AOP announces Winners of the Digital Publishing Awards 2022

Published: 16 Jun 2022

• Haymarket Business Media, Haymarket Media Group named Best Digital B2B Publishing Company
• Independent Digital News and Media wins Best Digital Consumer Publishing Company

London, UK, 16^th June 2022 – The Association of Online Publishers (AOP) celebrated the digital publishing industry’s top talent at its in-person awards ceremony held at Old Billingsgate in London, yesterday.

AOP’s flagship event, now in its 20^th year and organised in association with headline partner, PubMatic, was hosted by comedian Sophie Duker. The event showcased the individuals, teams and companies driving the successful growth of the online publishing sector. There were 26 category winners, judged by a panel of experts under the guidance of co-chairs, Amanda Barnes, Chief Executive of Faversham House, and Dominic Carter, Group Chief Commercial Officer of News UK.

“We’re so excited to have welcomed back the Digital Publishing Awards in-person. As the media landscape continues to change rapidly, it’s important we take the time to recognise the companies going above and beyond to deliver the highest possible quality for their audience,” comments Richard Reeves, Managing Director at AOP. “A huge well done to all the inspiring individuals and teams who work so hard to drive creativity and light the way forward through hard work, resilience and determination.”

Emma Newman, CRO, EMEA at PubMatic commented: “The Digital Publishing Awards set the benchmark for excellence in our industry. That’s why we’re so pleased to offer our continued support to the AOP; helping to spotlight the truly exceptional and celebrate their successes of the past year. Congratulations to the winners and everyone shortlisted.”

Among the winners on the night was Karl Flinders from Computer Weekly, who took home Journalist of the Year for his outstanding investigative journalism; breaking the story of the Post Office Scandal and seeing it through to achieve justice for those involved. Brand Metrics won Best Media Technology Partner for its work helping digital publishers achieve better revenues for quality content, and The Big Issue, together with O2, won Best Creative Solutions Led / Content Marketing Campaign.

The full list of winners is as follows:

INDIVIDUAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Editor of the Year

• Winner: Laurence Mozafari, Digital Spy, entered by Hearst UK
• Highly Commended: Jonathan Stapleton, Professional Pensions, entered by Incisive Media

Journalist of the Year

• Winner: Karl Flinders, Computer Weekly, entered by TechTarget

Rising Star

• Winner: Chloe Ash, entered by Hello!
• Highly Commended: Natasa Christofidou, entered by Autovia

Sales Person of the Year

• Winner: Emily Bird, entered by Immediate Media
• Highly Commended: Matt Slade, entered by Outfit7 Group

The Local Hero Award, sponsored by Google News Initiative

• · Winner: Charles Thomson, Archant
• · Highly Commended: Rhiannon J Davies, Greater Govanhill CIC

TEAM EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Advertising Operations Team of the Year, sponsored by Ogury

• Winner: Telegraph's Campaign Planning and Operations Team, entered by Telegraph Media Group

Audience Development Team of the Year, sponsored by UKOM

• Winner: The Sun, entered by News UK

Editorial Team of the Year: B2B

• Winner: Campaign, entered by Haymarket Business Media

Editorial Team of the Year: Consumer

• Winner: Women's Health, entered by Hearst UK
• Highly Commended: PinkNews

Product Development Team of the Year

• Winner: Counterparty Radar, entered by Infopro Digital

Sales Team of the Year

• · Winner: HBM Recruitment Sales Team, entered by Haymarket Business Media
• · Highly Commended: Campaign, entered by Haymarket Business Media

PUBLISHING EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Best Creative Solutions Led / Content Marketing Campaign

• · Winner: The Big Issue together with O2: The National Databank Partnership, entered by The Big Issue
• Highly Commended: VICE Media Group and Levi's Sustainability Partnership, entered by VICE Media Group

Best Digital Publishing Innovation

• Winner: Economist Education, entered by The Economist Group

Best Diversification of Commercial Strategy, sponsored by Google

• Winner: Propolis, entered by B2B Marketing

Best Media Technology Partner

• Winner: How Brand Metrics Is Helping Satisfy Buy-Side’s Relentless Demand for Effectiveness Data, entered by Brand Metrics
• Highly Commended: Video Intelligence

Best Publisher-led Social Good Initiative or Campaign, sponsored by Lewis Silkin

• Winner: InYourArea/Reach, Cash for Connectivity, entered by Reach

Best Research / Insight Project, sponsored by Deloitte

• Winner: Making Change Happen, entered by Independent Digital News and Media

Best Use of Audio

• Winner: Making Charity Donations Easier with Alexa, entered by Octave Audio and Say it Now
• Highly Commended: VICE, Unfiltered History Tour, entered by VICE Media Group

Best Use of Data

• Winner: The Independent's CRM Strategy, entered by Independent Digital News and Media
• Highly Commended: News UK, Nucleus Personalisation, entered by News UK

Best Use of Video

• · Winner: PinkNews, The Queer Catch-Up, entered by PinkNews
• Highly Commended: Social Video Acceleration, entered by Reach

The AOP Employer Excellence Award

• Winner: Texere Publishing

GRAND PRIX

Best Online Brand: B2B

• Winner: Campaign, entered by Haymarket Business Media

Best Online Brand: Consumer, sponsored by Browsi

• Winner: Homes & Gardens, entered by Future
• Highly Commended: The Independent

Small Digital Publisher of the Year

• Winner: B2B Marketing

Best Digital B2B Publishing Company 2022, sponsored by PubMatic

• Winner: Haymarket Business Media, Haymarket Media Group

Best Digital Consumer Publishing Company 2022, sponsored by PubMatic

• · Winner: Independent Digital News and Media

Additional details on the AOP Digital Publishing Awards 2022 can be found here

<ENDS>

About the Association of Online Publishers

The Association of Online Publishers (AOP) is an industry body representing digital publishing companies that create original, branded, quality content. AOP champions the interests of media owners from diverse backgrounds including newspaper and magazine publishing, TV and radio broadcasting, and pure online media. For more information, please visit www.ukaop.org.