The SGMW New Year Honours go to the manufacturers and PR teams and individuals whose outstanding efforts have gone the extra mile to make motoring memorable and help SGMW members over the past 12 months.

SGMW members were keen to make sure manufacturers, teams and individuals received the acclaim they deserved with some keenly-fought contests and a record number of people voting.

SGMW chairman Ian Robertson said: “The SGMW New Year Honours continue to go from strength to strength. This year we had a record number of votes from our members which highlights how much we all appreciate the efforts of the manufacturers and PR teams.

“There were some clear winners while other categories were unbelievably close, going right to the wire as the votes came in.

“Electric cars, or one in particular, made a big impression with our members but it was also good see to see a lot of support for a legendary petrol-powered hot-hatchback.”

The MG4 EV, pictured above, was a double winner, taking the coveted SGMW Car of the Year crown by a clear margin. But it also scooped the Dark Horse of the Year trophy with members seeing this more affordable electric hatchback as a potential game-changer and the next MG to entice drivers to EVs.

Genesis won a hat-trick of trophies with press officer Sam Buckingham taking the Best PR Newcomer title by just one vote in a close contest after a very busy start to his career.

And Genesis also won the Best in PR Innovation award for the international launch of the all-electric GV60 SUV. Invited guests experienced the Genesis We Come To You promise with a GV60 delivered straight to their hotel balcony in Frankfurt, Germany.

The brand’s third award went to Genesis Motor UK head of PR and communications Simon Branney who won our O.B.E. (Operating Beyond Expectation) award for the second year running and the third time in his career which highlights how much his combination of going the extra mile for so many people and making motoring PR fun is appreciated.

With EVs an increasingly big part of the motoring scene, it was good to see so many people looking forward to driving the 2023 Honda Civic Type R which topped the One to Watch 2023 category. It will be interesting to see the impact of the latest version of this petrol-powered hot-hatch as the Civic celebrates its half-century.

Meanwhile, Kia UK continued to dominate the Best PR Office category and won the top award again this year, building on several years of success for this slick team.

The final SGMW award, the Southern Star, is an in-house accolade for a member who has made a big difference.

This year it was a poignant contest with the winner being a member we sadly lost. Sue Baker touched the lives of so many SGMW members, and the whole motoring world, over the years with her friendship, guidance, encouragement and humour. She really was a shining star.

The full results for the SGMW New Year Honours 2023, with opinions from voting members, are:

BEST PR NEWCOMER – awarded to someone who made a special impact in liaising with the media during the past year and is either new to the industry PR scene or has taken on a new role/position.

Winner – Sam Buckingham (Press officer, Genesis Motor UK)

“‘Thrown in at the deep end’ could be a phrase invented for Sam Buckingham. In his first PR posting, he has risen to the challenge of representing the Genesis brand brilliantly as it establishes itself in the UK. Sam has integrated seamlessly into one of the most charismatic PR teams in the industry with a level of enthusiasm and professionalism that is truly appreciated by SGMW members.”

Runner-up – Tamara Better (Product communications section manager, Nissan GB)

THE SGMW OBE (OPERATING BEYOND EXPECTATION) – for acting above and beyond the call of PR duty during the past year. It can be for consistent high performance, a memorable one-off effort, or a thoughtful gesture towards one of our members caught in a bind.

Winner – Simon Branney (Head of PR and communications, Genesis Motor UK)

“Simon Branney, Genesis. Made sure Pro Driver had a GV80 for our CoTY event ahead of the press launch. And it won!”

Runner-up – Jess Grimditch (Press officer, Suzuki GB)

BEST PR OFFICE – awarded to the operation consistently delivering the best all-round or forward-thinking service to SGMW throughout the year.

Winner – Kia UK

“Kia again! Consistently supportive in providing a professional service to showcase an excellent product range to our members.”

Runner-up – Suzuki GB

BEST IN PR INNOVATION – awarded for an unusual or particularly excellent launch, driving route, or any imaginative addition to an event of the PR year in general.

Winner – Genesis GV60 international launch

“Genesis for the ‘Car Hotel’ at the GV60 launch. Park and recharge on your balcony!”

DARK HORSE OF THE YEAR – a car that surprised SGMW members, either by its arrival or just how good it was.

Winner – MG4 EV

“MG4 simply exceeded expectations on all fronts.”

ONE TO WATCH – the car that SGMW members most look forward to driving in the coming year.

Winner – Honda Civic Type R

“As the Honda Civic celebrates half a century, and in an era of electric vehicles, it is great to see that a high-performance hot hatchback can still excite the motoring world. A fitting tribute and a brave move.”

SGMW CAR OF THE YEAR

Winner – MG4 EV

“A very pleasantly surprising car. An unbelievable price, with a driving experience, equipment list and all-electric driving range to shade major rivals.”

SGMW Southern Star – for the group member who has done most for the organisation or its profile or done something praiseworthy or beyond the call of duty.

Winner – the late Sue Baker

“As for SGMW Southern Star, I’m not sure if posthumous votes are allowed, but I really think it should go to the lovely and much-missed Sue Baker.”

Congratulations to our winners and we wish you all a healthy and happy new year.

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Twelve teams competed for glory – from BMW, Honda, Newspress, Nissan, Porsche, SGMW, Stellantis, Toyota, Lexus, Gazoo, Volvo and Women On the Move Against Cancer (WOMAC) – earlier this month at TeamSport in Crawley, near Gatwick Airport.

This year’s Karting GP nominated charity was WOMAC which was established in 1979. The original plan had been to tie in the event with WOMAC’s 40^th anniversary but the Covid pandemic forced the cancellation of the Karting GP in the past two years.

But it was worth the wait and, better late than never, it raised £2,550 for WOMAC.

WOMAC is made up of around 70 women volunteers working in the automotive and associated industries. It organises events and activities to raise money for cancer charities.

Over the years, WOMAC has given more than £1,000,000 to cancer-related projects, searching for more effective treatments or improving the quality of life for cancer-sufferers, their families and carers.

Despite receiving three black flags before the lap counter had gone into double digits, it was soon evident which team was the one to beat.

Graham Bothamley, head of the Toyota press garage, looked suitably impressed with his team’s work but any mentions of ‘brought-in’ karting racers were denied.

The black flags would increase for the Gazoo team during the 150-minute endurance race.

From the start to the chequered flag, the 12 teams worked hard, building up sweats and appetites that were thankfully catered for with a non-stop run of pizza throughout the race.

Despite continuing to collect black flags, the overall winner, with 147 laps completed, was Gazoo Racing. It added to the SGMW karting title it won at the previous event back in 2019.

Toyota took second place with Porsche third.

Prizes for the three fastest laps went to:

• Ryan Luscombe (Gazoo Racing) – 47.785 seconds.
• Andy Jenner (Toyota) – 48.160 seconds.
• Sean Ward (SGMW member driving for Team WOMAC) – 48.182 seconds.

Massimo Pini, a co-founder and organiser of the SGMW annual Karting GP, said “It was great to be back on track with one of our biggest fund-raisers of the year and fulfill our promise to WOMAC which was originally to have coincided with its 40th anniversary – but the pandemic put paid to that.

“The Southern Group of Motoring Writers is a big supporter of the charity and we are proud to have WOMAC patrons Sue Baker, Sarah Bradley and Claire Evans among our membership.”

The event finished with SGMW treasurer Chris Manning presenting a giant cheque for £2,550 to WOMAC chair Georgia Fox, charity co-ordinator Moyosola Fujamade and media co-ordinator Heather Webb.

WOMAC aims to raise a total of £15,000 for its two charities for 2022 – Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and Maggie’s. Both provide care and support for those going through a cancer diagnosis. Funds raised will go towards expert advice, counselling services, patient grants and research projects.

Everyone agreed it was good to have the SGMW Karting GP back on the calendar and are looking forward to getting back on track again next year.

Find out more about WOMAC’s sterling work by visiting www.womac.co.uk

Thank you to Richard Parsons (www.richard-parsons.com) and Sims Images for all the pictures.

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