Broken Bay News (BBNews), the quarterly magazine of the Diocese of Broken Bay, has taken the top honour at the 2026 Australasian Catholic Press Association Awards in Christchurch overnight.
BBNews was runner up in a number of categories but took out the top honour, the Bishop Philip Kennedy Memorial Award for Overall Excellence, with judges in particularly praising the May 2025 Commemorative Edition following the election of Pope Leo XIV.
"BBNews has the most disciplined design system in the field, and the interiors hold that standard with proper headline hierarchy, generous picture use and section furniture that genuinely helps navigation,” the judges said in their feedback.
“The May Commemorative Edition is the argument: Francis died on Easter Monday, Leo was elected three weeks later, and a team of two turned a full edition around inside a fortnight, ran an enlarged print run and had it signed by Pope Leo himself. Topicality, professionalism and service to the audience in a single artefact.”
Archbishop Anthony Randazzo had Pope Leo XIV sign a copy of the magazine when he visited the Holy Father earlier this year.
The award was accepted by Head of Media and Communications at Broken Bay, Katrina Lee.
The Philip Kennedy Memorial Award recognises overall editorial excellence and outstanding contribution by a Catholic publication in either print or online format.
ACPA President David Ahern congratulated Broken Bay on its win.
“Broken Bay is a very deserving winner and congratulations go to all involved,” he said. “Beating a high-quality field, Broken Bay continues to maintain an excellent standard, and all the winners deserve praise.”
Broken Bay News was also runner-up in the Most Improved Publication, Print category and runner-up for the Best Front Page category, for the front cover of its May 2025 Commemorative Edition.
The awards night capped a two-day conference built around Pope Leo XIV’s message for the 60th World Day of Social Communications, on the theme Preserving Human Voices and Faces.
