The magazine was judged the Publication of the Year.

"It gives the team here a great sense of achievement to receive this award, amongst so many good publications", said Tui Motu Interislands editor, Fr. Kevin Toomey.

The judges said that Tui Motu Interislands:

• Was editorially excellent
• Was topically relevant
• Had engaging writing
• Made judicious use of imagery
• Draws you in
• Is example of 'less is more' when it comes to the editorial use of graphics and photography to serve the story

Earlier in the week four Tui Motu Interislands contributers picked up awards at the Australasian Catholic Press Association (ACPA) Awards:

Winners

• Cavan Wild: Best Mission Coverage, "The Gift of Vernon Douglas"

Highly Commended

• Robert Consedine: Best Column
• Kevin Toomey: Best Article on Catechesis, "Let's Talk"
• Mary Horn: Best Original Artwork, "Wise Women"

Michael Otto from NZ Catholic was highly commended for his story "Bishop tells activists to change name" at the ACPA Award presentation.

Source:

• Supplied
• Image: Tuimotu.org

Australian Catholics won the Bishop Philip Kennedy Memorial prize for Magazines and Electronic Publications. Tui Motu was Highly Commended.

The Southern Cross won the Bishop Philip Kennedy Memorial prize for the best newspaper. NZ Catholic was Highly commended.

The Conference was attended by 53 journalists who work in Catholic Media in Australia and New Zealand. On Thursday, the Archbishop of Wellington, Archbishop John Dew, celebrated the Conference Mass in the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart and later presented the 2012 Awards for Excellence.

The theme of this year's conference was "Voices from the Margins: How the Catholic press can speak for the disenfranchised and marginalised people."

The Keynote speaker was Dame Claudia Orange who spoke on the Treaty of Waitangi.

Other guest speakers were well-known columnist Rosemary McLeod and Kitty McKinley (Founder Youth Charity Challenge 2000) who spoke on Marginalised Youth and the Church.

Other awards received by New Zealand publications were

Marist Messenger

• Best: Editorial - Brian O'Connell
• Best: Article on Catechesis - Mervyn Duffy
• Best: Magazine Layout and Design - Glen McCullough

Tui Motu Interislands

• Best: Ecumenical /Inter-faith Story - Danny Kettoola
• Best: Editorial Feature -Various
• Highly Commended: Social Justice Coverage - Nicky Chapman
• Highly Commended: Devotional Article Applying Faith to Life - Anonymous

NZ Catholic

• Best: News Story - Michael Otto
• Highly Commended: Newspaper Layout and Design -Peter Grace, Anne Rose