For the fifth year in a row, NFDA’s flagship publication, The Director magazine, has received several awards from Trade Association and Business Press International (TABPI) recognizing excellence in business journalism in 2024. 

The magazine received a remarkable four Tabbie awards for:

• Best Single Issue Top 25 – April 2024, which focused on Future Leaders.
• Feature Article Top 25 – "Talking End-of-Life Care" by Edward J. Defort, February 2024
• Best Editorial Column (Bronze) – "Even Einstein Got Lost" by Edward J. Defort, March 2024
• Best Front Cover (Bronze) – January 2024

The 2025 Tabbie Awards, featured nominations from across the globe, with submissions coming from such countries as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. The editorial and design competition is open to English-language b2b publications worldwide, as well as online-only brands.

“I’m very proud that The Director has received this consistent recognition,” said Edward J. Defort, NFDA Publications editorial director. “And receiving recognition in four categories really recognizes the contributions that everyone on the team makes month after month – Brooke Krishok, our art director; Dawn Behr, our former managing editor, who retired in March; Annamarie Higley, managing editor. I’ve always said we proudly serve the mission of NFDA, and this recognition tells me we are doing it effectively.” 

The Tabbie award is the latest recognition for The Director. Earlier this year, the publication won two awards in the annual Awards for Publication Excellence competition (APEX). The Director was recognized in the Entire Issue (32+ page) category for the April 2024 issue, and the Interviews and Personal Profiles category for a feature titled “From Star Trek to Funeral Service,” published in the October 2024 issue.