The 2020 TABBIE Awards, presented by Trade, Association and Business Publications International, recently announced its winners, with Fresh Cup Magazine earning four awards: one Gold, two Silver, and an Honorable Mention. The competition, now in its 17th year, honors excellence in editorial and design work by B2B publications worldwide.
Fresh Cup art director Cynthia Meadors earned Gold for Front Cover, Special Issue (“The A/V Issue,” October 2019), and Silver for Front Cover, Illustration (“The Inclusivity Issue,” March 2019).
“Cynthia has an exceptional command of illustrated design and an innate ability to visually complement editorial,” says Fresh Cup editor Caitlin Carter. “Both of these covers not only highlight her skill, but signal to readers that these issues wouldn’t be their usual cup of Fresh Cup.”
Kentucky-based writer Robin Roenker placed Silver for Regular Column, with her sustainability-focused series, “The Last Plastic Straw” (renamed “Sustainability Matters” in 2020).
“Though aimed at its B2B audience, this regular column about sustainability in the specialty coffee and tea industry is one we all can benefit from,” reads the feedback from the judge. “The writer profiles cafés and businesses worldwide that implement zero-waste practices and more. Coupled with a fresh design and editorial that uses storytelling to inform readers, this column is unusually accessible—a must-read.”
Earning Honorable Mention for Feature Article are Luke Daugherty and Anastasia Prikhodko for their cross-continental collaboration on “Fanning the Flames: Co-roasting Spaces Open the Door for New Roasters Around the Globe” (September 2019). Working from St. Louis and Sydney, respectively, these two writers spent several months researching and interviewing coffee roasters and industry professionals around the world for this in-depth feature on a practice that is changing the coffee market.
Paul J. Heney, TABPI president, says that B2B journalism continues to thrive in what has been a difficult time for publishing companies.
“Even before the pandemic, we’ve seen a lot of turbulence in both B2B publishers and publishing associations. The last decade has been a tough one to navigate with the Internet becoming a preferred source for many readers. But each year, the editorial and design work submitted for the Tabbies continues to show the astonishing journalism that continues to happen in this space,” he says. “Around the world, editors and designers are doing quality work, meaningful to the industries they serve—and we’re proud to help spotlight it.”
Complete results, along with selected comments from the judges and samples of the winning entries, are available at tabpi.org.
