About the SOPA Awards for Editorial Excellence
The Society of Publishers in Asia Awards for Editorial Excellence were established in 1999 as a tribute to editorial excellence in both traditional and new media throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
Growing industry recognition of the SOPA Editorial Awards as a benchmark for journalistic excellence has become evident in the year-on-year increase in entries. In 2009 a record 547 entries were received from Australia, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.
The awards cover a broad range of categories reflecting Asia's diverse geo-political environment and vibrant editorial scene. To encourage entries from both large and small publications, entries are classified by circulation, monthly uniques and language type - either English or Chinese.
Key to the awards' growing success is the high caliber of international judges who preside over the entries. Each year, the number of judges willing to dedicate their time to the awards has grown and this year SOPA has 84 professional journalists, design experts and photographic editors collaborated to select winners.
The SOPA Awards are coordinated by a committee of publishing professionals from the business and editorial sectors. These dedicated individuals volunteer their time throughout the year to ensure the award rules, judges, entries, event, sponsorship and promotion all come together smoothly.
Corporate Support
Sponsorship is key to ensuring the awards' growth and over the past years, SOPA has been fortunate to receive the support from Invest Hong Kong. As the awards have grown, so too has the interest from corporations, and in 2009, the SOPA Awards were also supported by Grand Hyatt Hong Kong and Swiss Post International Management AG.
International Recognition
The SOPA Awards are supported by a number of international media organizations and regional media industry press: WAN-IFRA, International Federation of the Periodical Press (FIPP), the World Editors Forum (WEF), and fraternal industry associations around the region.
Committee
2010 Sub-committee Members
- Peter Stein (Chairman)
- Zoher Abdoolcarim
- Leonard M. Apcar
- Reginald Chua
- Don Durfee
- Kin-ming Liu
- Robyn Meredith
- Demetri Sevastopulo
- Rusty Todd
2009 Sub-committee Members
- Kevin Brown (Chairman)
- Zoher Abdoolcarim
- Leonard M. Apcar
- Cliff Buddle
- Adrian Dickson
- Don Durfee
- Kin-ming Liu
- Robyn Meredith
- Peter Stein
- Rusty Todd
2008 Sub-committee Members
- Kevin Brown (Chairman)
- Zoher Abdoolcarim
- Cliff Buddle
- Tom Leander
- Liu Kin Ming
- Robyn Meredith
- David Plott
- Frank Proctor
- Peter Stein
2007 Sub-committee Members
- Kevin Brown (Chairman)
- John Bussey
- Dr. Cheung Kwai-yeung
- Ho Kay Tat
- C.K. Lau
- Tom Leander
- Robyn Meredith
- David Plott
- Frank Proctor
- Felix Soh
2006 Sub-committee Members
- Mark Clifford (Chairman)
- Kevin Brown
- Dr. Cheung Kwai-yeung
- Reginald Chua
- C.K. Lau
- Ho Kay Tat
- Tom Leander
- David Plott
- Frank Proctor
- Felix Soh
- Azmar Sukandar
2005 Sub-committee Members
- Simone Wheeler (Chairman)
- Reginald Chua
- Mark Clifford
- Tom Leander
- Robyn Meredith
- Gene Mustain
- John Ridding
- Azmar Sukandar
2004 Sub-committee Members
- Simone Wheeler (Chairman)
- Reginald Chua
- Tom Leander
- Kin-Ming Liu
- Robyn Meredith
- Gene Mustain
- Azmar Sukandar
2003 Sub-committee Members
- Simone Wheeler (Chairman)
- Amanda Turnbull
- Azmar Sukandar
- Reginald Chua
- Robyn Meredith
- Thomas Crampton
- Zoher Abdoolcarim
2002 Sub-committee Members
- Simone Wheeler (Chairman)
- Zoher Abdoolcarim
- Mary Frances Bellman
- Emma Fung
- Amanda Turnbull
- Azmar Sukandar
Award Categories
Category A
English-language newspapers that circulate widely in three or more countries, English-language magazines with circulation greater than 50,000, English-language wire services and English-language websites with more than 5 million monthly uniques.
Category B
English-language newspapers that circulate primarily in one or two countries, English-language magazines with circulation under 50,000 and English-language websites with 5 million monthly uniques or below. Independent online publications in English.
Category C
Chinese-language publications, including Chinese-language websites and wire services. Independent online publications in Chinese.
Excellence in Investigative Reporting
Excellence in Reporting Breaking News
Excellence in Business Reporting
Excellence in Human Rights Reporting
Excellence in Reporting on the Environment
Excellence In Feature Writing
Excellence in Opinion Writing
Excellence in News Photography
Excellence in Feature Photography
Excellence in Special Coverage
Excellence in Editorial Cartooning
Excellence in Information Graphics
Excellence in Newspaper Design
Excellence in Magazine Design
Excellence in Multimedia News Presentation
The Scoop Award
Journalist of the Year - English language (one each for category A and B)
Journalist of the Year - Chinese language
Judging Process
Three-person panels are appointed to judge each category, comprising experienced journalists and former journalists from around the world. The judges assess and discuss the entries and decide on the winner. In the case of questions or a deadlock, they seek the assistance of the Director of Judges.
The judges and Director of Judges are chosen so as to ensure there are no conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest with the publications entering the category they are judging.
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