NEW ORLEANS — On June 14, two Renaissance Publishing titles won a total of 15 awards at the 44th annual International Regional Magazine Association awards presentation in Charlotte, North Carolina. Acadiana Profile Magazine won six awards and Louisiana Life Magazine won nine. The award-winning entries were edited by the magazines’ former editor, Melanie Warner Spencer.
Renaissance Publishing also produces Biz New Orleans magazine and BizNewOrleans.com.
“While telling the culturally rich and compelling stories of this region and its inhabitants is always gratifying, it is both thrilling and heartening to gain recognition from our industry peers for our work,” Spencer said. “We are beyond fortunate to have immensely skilled writers and photographers in Louisiana to help us tell these stories and we couldn’t do it without their hard work and talent.”
Acadiana Profile art director Sarah George took home gold for Overall Art Direction. She also won silver for Art Direction of a Single Story for “25 Fun Things to Do this Summer.”
Kevin Rabalais earned gold in the Nature and Environment category for the story “Shrimping in Acadiana.” Writer David Cheramie earned bronze for his profile on Chris Stafford.
Rabalais also won several awards for Louisiana Life. These include silver in the Nature and Environment category for “Shell Game,” silver in Department for “Natural State,” silver in Photo Series for “Hog Wild,” and bronze for Magazine Writer of the Year. George won silver in the categories of Print Calendar and Overall Art Direction as well as gold in Art Direction of a Single Story for “Louisianian’s Field Guide.”
IRMA members include state, province and regional publications from across the United States, Bermuda and Canada. The awards were granted for work published in 2023 and judged by an independent panel of industry experts. Renaissance Publishing Executive Editor Errol Laborde accepted the awards on behalf of the magazine during the annual event.
Based in New Orleans, Renaissance Publishing publishes eight in-house publications, including Acadiana Profile, Louisiana Life, New Orleans Magazine, Biz New Orleans, New Orleans Bride, New Orleans Homes and St. Charles Avenue, as well as multiple custom publishing for various businesses and entities around the greater New Orleans area.
Complete List of Acadiana Profile Awards/Magazines with 34,999 or less circulation:
- Gold Overall Art Direction – Sarah George
- Gold Nature and Environment – Shrimping in Acadiana, Kevin Rabalais
- Silver Art Direction of a Single Story – 25 Fun Things to Do This Summer, Sarah George
- Merit Illustration, Spot – La Butte des chiens, Sarah Willia
- Silver Hed and Dek – Getting Smoked, Melanie Warner Spencer
- Bronze Profile – Chris Stafford, David Cheramie
Complete List of Louisiana Life Awards/Magazines with 34,999 or less circulation:
- Silver Nature and Environment – Shell Game, Kevin Rabalais
- Silver Department – Natural State, Kevin Rabalais
- Silver Photo Series – Hog Wild, Kevin Rabalais
- Bronze Magazine Writer of the Year – Kevin Rabalais
- Bronze General Feature – The Rush of Chasing Haints, Cheré Coen
- Bronze Hed and Dek – Top Fun, Melanie Warner Spencer
- Silver Print Calendar – Culinary Calendar, Stanley Davis, Eugenia Uhl, Sarah George, Ashley McLellan
- Gold Art Direction of a Single Story – Louisianian’s Field Guide,
Sarah George - Silver Overall Art Direction – Sarah George
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