NYMetroParents Wins 16 Awards at 2014 Parenting Media Association Banquet

NYMetroParents was recognized by the Parenting Media Association with 16 excellence awards at its 2014 Editorial and Design Awards Competition banquet in Philadelphia. This is a record-high number of PMA Awards for NYMetroParents.

(New York, NY) – On March 1, Parenting Media Association presented NYMetroParents, a division of Davler Media Group and the largest publisher of regional parenting publications on the East Coast, with 16 excellence awards at its 2013 Editorial and Design Awards Competition banquet, held in Philadelphia.

The total is a record-high number of awards for NYMetroParents, which has set a new personal best each year for the past four years, winning eight PMA awards in 2010, 10 in 2011, 11 in 2012, and 15 last year.

NYMetroParents includes monthly titles Big Apple Parent, Brooklyn Parent, Fairfield Parent, Long Island Parent – Nassau edition, Long Island Parent – Suffolk edition, Queens Parent, Rockland Parent, Suffolk Parent, Westchester Parent, and the biannual ancillary publication NYMetro Special Parent.

Parenting Media Association is a national trade association of regional parenting publications. PMA's annual Editorial and Design Awards Competition recognizes excellence in journalism, photography, and design achieved by publishers, editors, writers, and designers at parenting newspapers and magazines throughout the U.S., Canada, and Australia.

PMA's awards recognize excellence in journalism, photography, and design, and they are judged by an independent panel from the University of Missouri's School of Journalism. This year a panel of 26 judges reviewed 705 entries across 18 Editorial categories, 11 Design categories, four Ancillary Publications categories, three Digital Media categories, and three General Excellence categories reflecting editorial and design. Open to all member publications, the competition was broken into three circulation divisions: 25,000 or fewer; 25,001 to 44,999; and 45,000 or more.

In one of the most competitive categories, Service Feature, NYMetroParents took home the Gold Award for "Clear and Present Danger" by Deputy Editor Kaitlin Ahern. According to the judges' comments, "The report provides an extensive set of ways parents can monitor their family's exposure by restricting use of BPA. Altogether, it is a powerful way to inform and protect."

As in many years past, NYMetroParents was recognized for its superb calendar section, which features a comprehensive selection of low-cost, family-friendly events in the New York City area. This year, Fairfield Parent (edited by Karen Demeter) took the Gold Award in Editorial along with the Silver Award in Design for Calendar of Events (circulation 25,001-44,999), while Westchester Parent (edited by Ellen Pocost) took the Bronze Award in the corresponding Editorial category for publications with circulation of 45,000 and higher.

"I am so proud of our edit and design teams for their dedication to providing
excellent, valuable content to parents in our area every month," said Dawn Roode, editorial director of NYMetroParents. "We’re especially elated to receive the Bronze Award for General Excellence on the heels of a thoughtful redesign that benefitted from the input of our entire staff."

Davler Media Group CEO David Miller added: "Winning awards in the Editorial and Design categories demonstrates our continued commitment to producing high-quality media that serves both our readers and our clients."

Below is the full list of NYMetroParents' 2014 Awards:

2014 General Excellence Awards for NYMetroParents

BRONZE: Big Apple Parent
A redesign that offered not only a refreshed look but also new content propelled this publication into the top three. Big Apple has a clear sense of place because of its local emphasis. Readers can see themselves in the pages because the magazine uses social media to collect comments from across their readership. The magazine offers something for all parents.

2014 Editorial Awards for NYMetroParents

GOLD: Calendar of Events
Fairfield Parent (25,001 - 44,999)

BRONZE: Calendar of Events
Westchester Parent (45,000 and more)

See our online calendar of events for the NYC area

GOLD: Column: Reviews
Lively columns about Broadway productions provide a generous amount of information for parents to assess whether the shows are appropriate for their children. Plenty of interesting detail makes the reviews satisfying for the armchair theatergoer as well.

Read theater editor Griffin Miller's most recent reviews

SILVER: Column: Child Development & Parenting Issues
The "Special Needs" column highlights resources in the community to help families while also featuring poignant narratives from local residents. The writing contributes to both empowerment and empathy.

Check out our wide range of Special Needs articles, including the following two articles that received standout reviews from the judges:

Four-Legged Friends Help Kids with Special Needs by Amber Greviskes

Just Imagine by Arianne Zurcher

BRONZE: Column: Child Development & Parenting Issues
In "Ask the Experts," the editors do a commendable job of selecting interesting questions and finding articulate experts from their community. The answers are clear and helpful.

See our most recent Ask the Expert articles

GOLD: Personal Essay
"Diagnosis: Brotherly Love" by Denise Henry
This is a heart-warming account of the developing relationship between 3-year-old twins, one of whom is seriously developmentally delayed. The brother, while subject to the usual ups and downs of toddlerhood, has adopted a protective, supportive stance toward his struggling sister. Seen through their mother’s eyes, this is a beautiful sight.

GOLD: Service Feature
"Clear and Present Danger" by Kaitlin Ahern, Deputy Editor
The report provides an extensive set of ways parents can monitor their family's exposure by restricting use of BPA. Altogether, it is a powerful way to inform and protect.

SILVER: Special Series
This series on nutrition for young athletes is very helpful to anxious parents, reporting on the latest in nutritional research. A tremendous resource for parents of all ages on what to feed active kids – including the latest research on drinking milk after workouts.
Part 1: Nutrition for Teen Athletes
Part 2: Nutrition for Young Athletes

SILVER: Special Section within a Publication
The "Roll Into Summer" special section is lots of fun – 125 ideas worth, in fact. The package is well organized and cohesive, as well as offers a variety of activities in terms of costs and interests.