For the 11th consecutive year, Communications Concepts, Inc. has honored PhotoMedia with its APEX Grand Award, repeating last year's recognition in the Best Overall Magazine or Journal, print, over 32-pages (for profit, small office) category.

The 2013 APEX Grand Award was for the entire Spring/Summer 2012 25th Anniversary issue, which featured a cover story on renowned photographer Albert Watson and another feature revisiting all the 15 past PhotoMedia Photography Persons of the Year.

The Apex Award judges had these comments about PhotoMedia's entry: "Anniversary issues can be tricky. Easy to lose sight of the reader while journeying down memory lane. But this top-drawer magazine has much to remember in its 25 years, and the presentation is reader-focused, starting with the stunning cover and carrying through with spectacular photos -- each taken by a renowned, world class photographer -- and compelling, in-depth feature articles. The individual parts of this issue are exceptional, but when you put them all together, the result is a marvelous creative synergy."

In addition to the Grand Award, PhotoMedia received two APEX Awards of Excellence, one in the Personality Profiles category for the Spring/Summer 2012 issue cover story, "Albert Watson: No Slowing Down," along with another in the Best Covers category for the same issue featuring Albert Watson's "Golden Boy" photograph.

This was the 25th annual APEX Awards competition honoring publishing excellence nationally. Altogether, PhotoMedia has now received a total of 12 APEX Grand Awards and 16 APEX Awards of Excellence over the last 14 years, and has earned one, the other or both every year. Only 100 Grand Award winners were chosen from the 2,500 entries. Previous Grand Award wins were for Best Overall Magazine or Journal, Best Magapaper or Newspaper, Best Photography, and Best Writing.

PhotoMedia has also won nine Maggie Awards — another highly prestigious publishing excellence honor — in 33 nominations over the last 14 years.