Popular Mechanics has done it again! Photojournalist Sean Woods was named Best Profile Writer of the Year – his second major accolade this year – while the magazine was highly commended in the International General Interest category atthis year’s Pica Awards, which recognise editorial and publishing excellence.

Sean received the award for an article entitled ‘Modern Mystic’, published in the November 2008 issue of the magazine, which profiles a Stellenbosch craftsman who rediscovers the forgotten art of sword-making.

PM’s winning journo is “over the moon” at receiving the award. “Every now and then you meet a fascinating individual who is passionate about what he does,” commented Sean on the winning article. “Marius Titus was one of those. It made for a wonderful interview and a story that was a pleasure to write.”

His comment echoes that of the judges: “Journalism, in its essence, is not about issues and abstracts, it is about people who make these come alive. In this category, we called on the craft and artistry of the writer who chooses a single subject, shifts the lens from wide-angle to extreme close-up, and presents us with a compelling portrait of a human being of note…. We looked for profile writing that combined context with detail, wit with insight, to give us the ‘Inner view’ that gets to grips with who’s really who.”

Sean’s award crowns a successful year that also saw him named overall winner of the Siemens Profile Awards for science and technology writers in February.