Launching the Emerging Creative Talent Magazine Awards
Supporting the next generation of creatives through real industry opportunities.
It is so important to invest in the next generation of creatives, helping to keep talent in the North and giving young people real reasons to stay inspired by creative work.
That is why we have loved working with third-year Fashion Communication students from Northumbria University, following their progress, sharing our love of print and seeing them develop their final major projects.
It all began in September 2025, when the students visited The Mag Room at Unique Magazines to browse our shelves, immerse themselves in the world of print and develop a campaign promoting our store and services. That first visit marked the beginning of a fantastic partnership, and we’ve enjoyed following their creative journeys ever since as they designed, created and printed their own magazines.
After seeing the thought, creativity and dedication that went into these publications, we wanted to do more than admire the finished work. We wanted to recognise it, support it and give students the opportunity to see their work exist beyond university.
And so, the Emerging Creative Talent Magazine Awards were born.
The awards celebrate the next generation of creatives through collaboration, inspiration and real industry opportunities, while supporting something we care deeply about at Unique Magazines: the future of print.
Choosing Our First Winners
We read every magazine the students had created, considering everything from design and photography to editorial content, themes and ideas.
But one question kept coming back:
Could we see this being published and stocked in our store?
After plenty of discussion, two publications stood out.
Runner-Up: Lois Dawson – Common Ground
Our runner-up was Lois Dawson with Common Ground.
The publication celebrates working-class life through family, friendship and local culture, exploring how identity is shaped by place and lived experience. Centred on Teesside, where Lois grew up, it tells honest stories rooted in community.
We felt Common Ground reflected many of the values we champion at Unique Magazines. It was authentic, personal and accessible.
As runner-up, Lois will have five copies of Common Ground professionally printed and stocked in our store. Seeing a university project become a magazine that customers can discover and buy is exactly the kind of opportunity we wanted these awards to create.
Winner: Abbie Reardon – Hot Mess
Our winner was Abbie Reardon with Hot Mess.
Already shortlisted for the Terry Mansfield Fashion Publication Award 2026 at Graduate Fashion Week, it immediately stood out for its exceptional quality.
Abbie produced all of the photography herself alongside 104 beautifully designed pages exploring life in your twenties. From the moment we picked it up, Hot Mess felt completely at home in The Mag Room, sitting comfortably alongside the independent magazines we already stock.
From the editorial and interviews to the photography, design and even the advertisements throughout, it felt like a fully realised independent publication. Professionally printing it and bringing it into our store felt like the perfect next step.
We were delighted to present Abbie with our first Emerging Creative Talent Magazine Award while announcing that Common Ground would also be professionally printed and stocked.
We later attended the students’ final exhibition, viewed their finished work, watched the graduate fashion show and had the privilege of saying a few words as official partners. It was a wonderful way to celebrate everything they had achieved.
Taking Student Work Beyond a Grade
By printing and stocking these publications, we hope to help bridge the gap between university and the creative industry.
These magazines will no longer exist only as final major projects. They will become real publications that customers can browse, discover and purchase, giving emerging creatives the chance to see their work in a professional retail environment.
For Abbie and Lois, it provides valuable industry experience and something tangible to be proud of after years of hard work. For us, it is an opportunity to play a small part in supporting the future of print.
If we want magazines and physical media to continue to thrive, we need to support the people creating them, giving new voices and fresh ideas the opportunity to be seen beyond the classroom.
Following the success of our first Emerging Creative Talent Magazine Awards, we are now expanding the programme across universities throughout the North East, giving even more students the chance to have their creativity recognised and their work showcased in a real retail environment.
This is only the beginning, and we cannot wait to discover the next generation of emerging creatives and the publications they will bring to life.
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