The star of the image, taken by renowned photographer and global pop star Bryan Adams, is former Sergeant Rick Clement, who joined Adams and The Big Issue Editor Paul McNamee on stage to accept the award at the Grosvenor House Hotel on the evening of Thursday July 9.
Clement lost both legs in 2010 after stepping on an improvised explosive device (IED) while serving as an Infantry Platoon Sergeant in Afghanistan with the 1st Battalion The Duke Of Lancaster’s Regiment. He now runs A Soldier’s Journey, a charity that provides support to current and former members of the British Armed Forces, particularly those suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The Big Issue was one of ten magazine covers to be put to the public vote, with nearly 30,000 votes being cast. A cover of ELLE magazine featuring actress and UN Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson received the second highest number of public votes in the online poll, closely followed by Time Out's Selfridges-styled cover highlighting London’s best shops.
Front Cover of the Year was just one of 25 PPA awards handed out on the night by broadcaster Lauren Laverne at a ceremony attended by nearly 1,000 senior editors and executives from the UK’s leading consumer magazine and business media brands, says the PPA.
Hearst Magazines UK won in four categories, with Good Housekeeping being named Consumer Media Brand of the Year and Lindsay Nicholson winning Editor of the Year, while Esquire’s Will Self and Cosmopolitan's Stuart Selner took home the awards for Writer and Designer of the Year.
Dennis Publishing received two awards: Consumer Magazine of the Year for The Week and Specialist Consumer Magazine of the Year for Cyclist.
Immediate Media’s Radio Times also collected two awards, with Alison Graham being named Columnist of the Year and Managing Director Kathy Day taking the award for Team Leader of the Year.
In the Business Media categories, The BMJ was named Business Magazine of the Year. There were also three awards for EMAP, including Editor of the Year (Business Media) for Eric Musgrave of Drapers and Business Media Brand of the Year for HSJ.
Time Inc. UK’s Woman’s Weekly received the PPA Chairman’s Award, which recognises the consistent achievements of a long-established magazine brand.
The event also saw Stephen Quinn, Publishing Director of Vogue, inducted into the PPA Hall of Fame, which recognises individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to magazine media over the course of their long careers.
Barry McIlheney, CEO of the PPA, said: “Congratulations to all of this year’s winners, who can be very proud to stand out from an incredibly competitive field of finalists. The class of 2015 exemplify the innovation and creativity that are driving magazine media forward into an exciting multi-platform future, and the PPA is proud to lead and support our industry on that journey.”
Winners of The PPA Awards 2015:
PPA CHAIRMAN'S AWARD
Woman's Weekly, Time Inc. (UK)
PPA HALL OF FAME
Stephen Quinn
BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Heat, Bauer Media
DESIGNER OF THE YEAR (BUSINESS MEDIA)
Darren Endicott, Professional Manager, Think
DESIGNER OF THE YEAR (CONSUMER MEDIA)
Stuart Selner, Cosmopolitan, Hearst Magazines UK
WRITER OF THE YEAR (BUSINESS MEDIA)
James Halliwell, The Grocer, William Reed Business Media
WRITER OF THE YEAR (CONSUMER MEDIA)
Will Self, Esquire, Hearst Magazines UK
COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR (BUSINESS MEDIA)
Mark Ritson, Marketing Week, Centaur Media
COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR (CONSUMER MEDIA)
Alison Graham, Radio Times, Immediate Media Co
TEAM LEADER OF THE YEAR (CONSUMER & BUSINESS MEDIA)
Kathy Day, Managing Director, Radio Times, Immediate Media Co.
PUBLISHING INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR (ANNUAL TURNOVER UNDER £10M)
Nicholas Rapley, Open Door Media
DIGITAL INNOVATION OF THE YEAR (BUSINESS MEDIA)
HSJ Intelligence, EMAP
DIGITAL INNOVATION OF THE YEAR (CONSUMER MEDIA)
The Economist Espresso App, The Economist
EVENT OF THE YEAR (BUSINESS MEDIA)
The Drum Live
EVENT OF THE YEAR (CONSUMER MEDIA)
The Photography Show, Future
GAMECHANGER OF THE YEAR
Porter Magazine, Net-A-Porter
EDITOR OF THE YEAR (BUSINESS MEDIA)
Eric Musgrave, Drapers, EMAP
EDITOR OF THE YEAR (CONSUMER MEDIA)
Lindsay Nicholson, Good Housekeeping, Hearst Magazines UK
FRONT COVER OF THE YEAR
The Big Issue
CUSTOMER MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR
N by Norwegian, Ink
SPECIALIST CONSUMER MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR
Cyclist, Dennis Publishing
BUSINESS MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR
The BMJ
CONSUMER MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR
The Week, Dennis Publishing
INTERNATIONAL CONSUMER MEDIA BRAND OF THE YEAR
Jamie Magazine
BUSINESS MEDIA BRAND OF THE YEAR
HSJ, EMAP
CONSUMER MEDIA BRAND OF THE YEAR
Good Housekeeping, Hearst Magazines UK
