TIME won the largest number of awards, dominating the magazine category with six first place wins and four Honorable Mentions, at the 2004 Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Editorial Excellence Awards.

“The awards of excellence from SOPA demonstrate TIME’s high editorial standards and reflects the dynamic team effort of all our writers, photographers, editors and production staff to consistently deliver to our readers Asia’s top stories every week,” said Michael Elliott, TIME’s editor in Asia.

SOPA’s first place awards to TIME included

Excellence in Special Issue
For TIME’s insightful ‘Asian Journey: The Journey Home’ annual double issue, showcasing stories on the changing definition of ‘home’ in Asia. The report included pieces by TIME writers and some of the top Asian writers living abroad. Contributing writers included Pico Iyer, Ved Mehta and Chang-rae Lee.

“The best special issues are those that readers would want to keep for their libraries, turning a throwaway periodical into a treasured publication. TIME’s ‘Journey Home’ issue stands out for achieving this benchmark. The concept is strong and tightly focused, with writing, art and design working together to create a classy package,” commented one of the SOPA Award judges.

Excellence in Human Rights Reporting
For TIME’s ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ breaking news report on the plight of the Hmong tribe in Laos.

Excellence in Magazine Design
For TIME’s ‘Japan Rules OK!’, ,Asian Journey’, and ‘Stealing Beauty’ issues.

Excellence in Magazine Front Cover Design
For TIME’s ‘Lost Lives’ cover report on mental health sufferers in Asia.

Best News Photography
For TIME’s photos in ‘Welcome to the Jungle’. A SOPA judge called the photos on the Hmong tribe in Laos “Stunning, evocative, photojournalism at its best.”

Phillip Blenkinsop’s photos on the Hmong have already won prizes from the World Press Photo Awards (People in the News story - first prize), the National Press Photographers Association Best Photojournalism 2004 Awards (Magazine News Picture Story - Honorable Mention) and the HK Foreign Correspondents Club Amnesty Human Rights Press Awards (first prize).

Best Feature Photography
For TIME’s ‘Lost Lives’ cover report photos on the suffering of mental health patients in Asia.

John Stanmeyer’s photos on the mentally ill in Asia also received a merit award from the South Asia journalists Association’s 2004 Awards and a certificate of merit from the HK FCC Amnesty Human Rights Awards.

Other SOPA awards for TIME were in the following categories:

Best News Photography - Honorable Mention for TIME’s Bali Anniversary report photos

Best Feature Photography - Honorable Mention for TIME’s ‘Asian journey’ photo essay ‘Time bends’ on a village in Taiwan

Excellence in Magazines - Honorable Mention: TIME Asia

Excellence in Feature Writing - Honorable Mention for TIME’s ‘Stealing Beauty’, a cover report on the international illicit trade of stolen Asian artifacts

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NPPA'S PHOTOJOURNALISM 2004 CONTEST

Magazine Illustrative Story: 1st Place - Lost Lives Lisa Botos - Picture Editor, Maria Wood - Deputy Picture Editor.

Magazine Feature Picture Story: 1st Place - Mental Health John Stanmeyer

Best Use of Photography: 2nd Place - Lisa Botos - Picture Editor, Maria Wood - Deputy Picture Editor.

Magazine Story Opener: Award of Excellence - Hidden Away Lisa Botos - Picture Editor, Maria Wood - Deputy Picture Editor.

Award of Excellence One Year Later Maria Wood - Deputy Picture Editor.

Award of Excellence Time Bends Lisa Botos - Picture Editor, Maria Wood - Deputy Picture Editor.

Magazine Personality or Lifestyle Story: Award of Excellence - Time Bends Lisa Botos - Picture Editor, Maria Wood - Deputy Picture Editor

Magazine News Picture Story: Honorable Mention Hmong rebels, Laos Philip Blenkinsop