It's got the look: Herald takes top award

Rob Cox was at the forefront of design for the new <i>Herald</i>. Photo / Natalie Slade

Congratulations - you're reading New Zealand's best newspaper.

We're still on a high after the new-look New Zealand Herald scooped top honours, including Newspaper of the Year, at Friday night's Canon Media Awards. The judges described the new-look compact newspaper as a triumph - "there's nothing to touch it this year. It is the standout".

The awards didn't stop there, and we're proud that many of our journalists - writers, photographers and designers - were honoured.

Among the awards was the prized gong for Best Design.

When it came to designing the new paper, we looked around the world for inspiration but the true genius came from own newsroom.

Herald art director Rob Cox, and Creative Services Marketing art director at APN Justine Black were at the forefront of the new-look compact, spending months developing prototypes and mock-ups to put before our readers and editors.

As well as going into compact format, the entire paper was given a facelift, with new fonts, a better display of our longer-form news features, and a renewed focus on visual journalism.

They also designed the hugely successful new food magazine, Bite.

"It's been an amazing year," said Cox. "It's incredibly humbling to win, and to work alongside such a committed group of creatives - artists, photographers, designers, sub-editors and writers."

The Herald's experience has been closely watched by overseas newspapers, including La Nacion in Argentina.

Design judge Matt Martel, of the Sydney Morning Herald, said the compact daily just pipped its broadsheet weekend version.

"The weekday Herald is a refined and inventive publication that takes its presentation seriously."

A week of winners

Today
Best-designed paper

Tomorrow
Best reporter, David Fisher and best news site, nzherald.co.nz

Wednesday
Best columnist, John Armstrong

Thursday
Best photo essay, Richie Robinson

Friday
Best inserted magazine, The Business