Anthem brings home four awards at the 2025 PPA Independent Publisher Awards

Anthem Publishing won three awards and received Highly Commended at 2025’s PPA Independent Publisher Awards

Anthem Publishing has been recognised with three major wins – and a Highly Commended accolade — at the Professional Publishers Association (PPA) Independent Publisher Awards, announced at an afternoon celebration in London on 21 November.

The awards celebrate the creativity, innovation, and outstanding achievements of independent publishing companies with an annual turnover below £15 million.

Bath-based Anthem Publishing won three categories and was Highly Commended for Publisher of the Year.

The Women’s Running Podcast secured the Audio Content of the Year award for the fifth consecutive year, with judges praising its authentic hosting, tight production, and commercial maturity – noting that the team consistently adds meaningful value for its audience.

The Women’s Running brand also won the Diversity & Inclusion Award for its commitment to giving under-represented women a platform. Judges highlighted how the brand thoughtfully and authentically integrates this mission across both its editorial and commercial work.

John Earls was named Writer of the Year for his meticulous and engaging features, as well as his rare-access interviews for Classic Pop.

Anthem was further recognised with a Highly Commended award in the Publisher of the Year (Turnover £5–15m) category. This marks the first year the company has been eligible to enter, following its recent growth. Judges praised Anthem’s clear strategy, market-beating commercial performance, bold print-led innovation, and sharp audience insight.

Jon Bickley, CEO of Anthem Publishing, said:

“I am immensely proud of the team at Anthem Publishing for winning these awards. We have great people and great brands, and it is very satisfying to receive this recognition of our hard work, passion, and dedication from our peers. We pride ourselves on striving to be the best by being customer-centric, collaborative, supportive, and always having our audiences’ and clients’ best interests at heart. These awards mean so much to our team.”

John Earls collects the Writer of the Year award from comedian Lou Sanders. All photography © PPA.