On Thursday, 22 May, the Australian print industry gathered in celebration at the revitalised 2025 National Print Awards (NPAs) Gala Night, hosted in Sydney by the Visual Media Association (VMA). The evening was a resounding success with just over 400 printing industry colleagues united to recognise the craftsmanship, innovation, and execution of commercial print, digital print, packaging, and visual media.
This year’s theme, “Celebrate + Elevate,” was cheered with applause that greeted each of the more than 30 award recipients presented across the Commercial Print, Digital Print, Packaging + Labels, Sales + Marketing, and Creative Services + Prepress categories and the Major Awards. Guests from across the country came together to create a positive atmosphere alive with congratulations, and a shared respect for all nominees and winners from the crowd.
The 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award was announced posthumously to Geoff Selig of IVE Group by Chief Executive Officer Kellie Northwood who spoke of Geoff’s approachability, energy, passion and dedication to the industry. The Selig family were in attendance and accepted the award on behalf of Geoff to a standing ovation. Jane Selig, Geoff’s wife with Geoff’s brother Paul Selig delivered a moving tribute. “Geoff loved people and was an extremely compassionate person,” Paul Selig shared. “He knew unequivocally that executing a brilliant strategic business plan was of little use if you did not have the right people and the right culture in the business. He was generous to a fault, a hard worker, he had a strong and strategic mind, and he was a skilled negotiator. He invariable guarded loyalty from all who worked closely with him, born out of his personal attributes and his approach to business, where everyone in the business mattered.”
The 2025 Major Awards also honoured Zaidee Jackson, Ball & Doggett with the Ricoh Australia Women in Industry Award and Isobel Clark, Flying Colours who received the Konica Minolta and Plockmatic Group Emerging Talent of the Year. Zaidee Jackson and Isobel Clark each received an exclusive professional development opportunity - a fully funded trip to the United Kingdom to attend the Power of Print conference and an international networking tour this November.
Eckersley Print Group was awarded the Environmental Sustainability Achievement for their contribution to environmental sustainability in the industry. Southern Impact received the Workplace Culture + Wellbeing Achievement award, and Cameron Ellis, City of Armadale received the award for Industry Employee of the Year. The Industry Supplier of the Year winner was Henryk Kraszewski, and MCC Australia was presented the award for Print21 Printer of the Year for their numerous winners, finalists and highly commended placings throughout the night.
To acknowledge and celebrate over four decades of dedication to the print industry the Industry Service Award honoured Wayne Robinson, Print21.
In category highlights, Taylor’d Press earned distinction as the sole finalist - and winner -in the Commercial Print: Stationery category for “Create Expectations Stationery.” Taylor’d Press also took home an award in the Sales & Marketing – Self Promotion category for their work titled “Coasters”.
Other key winners included Bambra Press, who took home the Judges Choice/Excellence in Craft award for their “Bella McGoldrick – Visa Issues” and the Commercial Print – Embellishment: Paper + Binding + Finishing award for their “Macquarie Rise Property Brochure”. MCC Australia won Commercial Print: General Print for “Multicolor Lark The Christmas Cask” and Packaging and Labels: Labels for their “Libation Front and Back Set”, as well as strong finalist positions and highly commended recognition.
IVE Group was recognised in the category Labels and Packaging: Packaging for “Starward Panettone Christmas Box” and as the winner of Creative Services + Prepress: Design for “Hendrick’s Grand Cabaret PR Kit.” Rawson Print & Packaging, no strangers to the winners’ stage, were winners across Commercial Print: Specialty + Miscellaneous, as well as Creative Services + Prepress: Multi-Channel Campaign – for their “Montecito Property Brochure.”
Spicers had success with the Commercial Print: Leaflets & Flyers + Brochures award for their “Environs Volume 3” as well the award for Creative Services + Prepress: Branding + Identity for “The Vellum”. Carbon8, Greenigo, Morgan Printing, and Sunprint also took home accolades for their outstanding contributions.
“We reworked every aspect of the Awards with our members and industry stakeholders, I am proud we can announce that the Awards are now financial once more and this provides sustainability to a strong future Awards program recognising excellence,” commented Kellie Northwood, CEO of the Visual Media Association. “Further, as a not-for-profit organisation, every dollar we raise is put back into initiatives for the industry and this year, all funding from the Awards will be placed into a fighting fund to bring all Australian government print work back into Australia shores.”
The challenge from the VMA to the government is to bring ~$180million of government print work being produced offshore to be produced in Australia. Northwood highlighted the VMA Board are committed to bringing the voice of printers to the government across all levels and raise discussions at the highest levels of government – federal, state and local.
The success of the 2025 Gala was only made possible through the support of valued partners and sponsors. HP & Currie Group were acknowledged with personal tributes to Craig Walmsley, Country
Manager at HP Indigo and PWI Australia and New Zealand and Matt Tangey, Marketing Manager, Currie Group and both companies for their support as Platinum Sponsors. Gold sponsors Ball & Doggett, Fujifilm, Konica Minolta, Media Super, Plockmatic Group and Ricoh Australia. Silver Sponsor Spicers and Bronze Sponsors are Allkotes, Anchor Health, Candida, CMYKhub, Flint Group, Print & Pack and Smartech were acknowledged through the night. Print21 were also recognised as the official Media Partner, with IVE Group and Ball & Doggett as Print and Paper Sponsors, respectively.
“We thank every entrant, finalist, winner, sponsor, and partner for helping us celebrate and elevate excellence in print, packaging and sign, whether a printer, producer or supplier,” added Kellie Northwood. “Together, we’re building a stronger, more unified industry - fit for the future.”
As the evening concluded, it was agreed the NPAs are not only a platform for recognition, but also a symbol of collaboration, progress and strong connections. The complete list of the National Print Awards 2025 Winners are available on the Visual Media Association website. The official photo gallery from the National Print Awards Gala Night can be viewed here.
