We already knew she’s the industry’s best and now she’s got yet another award to prove it.

The Eastern Times’ very experienced and skilled art director Clare McGillivray has been awarded the Best Graphic Designer prize at the 2025 New Zealand Community Newspapers Association (CNA) awards.

The annual awards included a conference and networking event for CNA members staged at Rydges Latimer Square Hotel in Christchurch on May 9.

Of McGillivray’s diverse entry, the competition judges said: “Clare’s submission showed off her range of design work.

“A mix of engaging adverts with an intelligent use of colour, to entire pages like the Cocktail Tour and Space Invaders page. Excellent work of a very high standard.”

This latest award adds to numerous accolades McGillivray has won in previous CNA competitions over the years.

Although it was unsuccessful in the awards’ Best Community Newspaper category, the Eastern Times was singled out for special mention by the judge.

“In a hotly contested category, it was tough to narrow the field to just two winners.

“In a year where media cutbacks and closures were all too common, a particular shout-out to the Eastern Times which made a return to print under a new owner, Bo Burns – there’s nothing like bucking a trend.”

The CNA conference and awards brings together the businesses that are independent publishers and news providers from across the country.

The Times has been a member of the association for most of its 53 years.

The winner of the CNA Best Community Newspaper award was the Ashburton Guardian, owned and edited by veteran journalist Daryl Holden, while the runner-up was Mountain Scene, owned by Allied Press and based in Queenstown.

Holden also won three individual senior journalism awards last Friday, while another highly respected veteran journalist, Rob Drent, the owner of The Devonport Flagstaff and The Rangitoto Observer, also collected three prizes.