BURNBOOKS PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR-LUCIE AWARDS

I never enter contests. Sometimes someone else just throws me in the mix. This one is sweet because I was being juried along with three photographers I look up to, William Eggleston and Richard Misrach and JR. I would have been pleased not to have received this team effort award had any of those three been chosen. Aperture and Steidl in particular are publishers I admire deeply. None of us at BurnBooks thought we could have possibly been chosen over the aforementioned…Yet we will take our moment in the sun, because we had no agenda on the book but to make the best damn book we could from shooting to final art object. And this is what we are being honored for. This opens new doors of course, but none of us at Burn want to be more than a small boutique..Our proudest moment will be of course when (based on a true story) is passed out for free as a super hi quality newspaper version in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Only a small gesture of pay back pay forward to the Cariocas who made Rio feel like home.

This award is not for me. This is for Bryan and Eva and Candy and Diego and Michelle and Tonico and Haik and Panos and Kim and Anton and Susan and Chris and Roberta and Renata and Kamila and Viviane and Marjorie and Alejandra and Andrea and Mike and Michael and Claudia and Beto and Mira and Magnum and Mr. Skater and Fernanda and Vi and Sue and Erin and Marcela aaaaand Mom!!

This little boost allows BurnBooks even more opportunity to publish the books of unknown photographers and icons alike. A bunch of stuff is in the works. To be announced. Yet I can tell you for sure we will publish the very best quality books for both the famous and the not so…..We cannot be all things to all people. Everything we do is just but a token. My place on the planet is in Hemingway’s Clean Well Lighted Place. Good not big.

Were it not for this audience none of this would be happening. We give to each other. Pretty damned clear even if you are the worst pessimist in the room. The chemistry of this audience is not the norm I don’t think. We ain’t perfect but collectively we actually ARE something special. Some of this online chat WILL be part of a book someday. Now if only we could find a publisher…hmmm

My congratulations to all in my audience. YOU are the award winners here. Not a doubt in my mind.

A big warm hug to all of our esteemed colleagues and honored nominees in our same book category:

APERTURE for “Petrochemical America” (photographs by Richard Misrach)
STEIDL for “Chromes” (photographs by William Eggleston)
HARRY N ABRAMS INC for “Women are Heroes” (photographs by JR)
21st EDITIONS for “The Prophecies of William Blake” (prints by Mitch Dobrowner)

photos above by Anthony Smallwood, Panos Skoulidas, and Michelle Madden Smith

-dah-

51 thoughts on “BurnBooks – Publisher of the Year LUCIE AWARDS 2012”

  3. mw

    I already said but I’ll say it again:

    Yea, me too. Congratulations. A great accomplishment. Well-earned recognition.

  8. Frostfrog

    I’ve posted this elsewhere a couples of times, but now there is an official spot, so, again:

    Congratulations, David and team, for producing the most creative, innovative, damn good photo book of the year, judged not not by us your acolytes but by some of the toughest critics in the business.

    And what a great statement to launch your Road Trip on!

    Safe travels, have fun, and create!

  18. mtomalty

    Sincere congratulations team.
    I must be one of,well, one who just couldn’t my head around the mix and match
    concept but you guys showed me :)
    Really glad for you guys,though, as the heart and soul that went into the piece is very evident.

    Now I’m gonna pull the book off the shelf and take another run at it!

  22. pAtrIcIO m.

    Congratulations for the winning!! The Lucie Award, the rio book, the NatGeo publication, the newspaper in the favelas, WOW, leave something for the future… wonder what you’ll do for the Brazilian world cup in 2014…

    I think, David, that you’ll deserved the Brazilian citizenship from now on!

    Felicitaciones
    Patricinho

  25. wendy

    CONGRATULATIONS David
    and
    ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    whoo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    the top photo from michelle is WONDERFUL!!!!
    It says it all!!!
    *
    rollin’ BIG…..
    feelin’ the vibe up the coast..
    :)
    x0x00x0x

  26. Arash Fewzee

    congratulation david and the whole team.

    the rio book was one awesome experiment for all of us.

    cheers

  27. Sam Harris

    Just caught this fantastic news!!!

    Congratulations!!!

    It’s been so inspiring for me to see this work develop through the Rio site and Burn. It was the ultimate bonus to have the launch here in Australia and be able to attend and meet much of the crew that were involved. I especially enjoyed the evening that Eva carefully showed me all the various mock ups she’d worked on… I feel privileged to have this sort of insight. As we all know this sort of work was always done behind closed doors before David opened it up and shook the whole thing up. This award is the ultimate cherry on top!

    This has to be the best way ever to start a road trip!

    So THANKS David and ALL the burn family. Well done. Absolutely deserved.

  34. Akaky

    Congratulations congratulations congratulations! Will someone please think of something new? I know I said it too, but I was tenth on the list. We’re what, 33 people in and no one can think of anything more original than congratulations? You people are not trying hard enough, dammit.

  38. Carlo

    Perhaps:

    !snoitalutargnoC

    But that is easier to write than to say it.

    One can say Bravo but that is or used to be a tv channel…or kudos! but that is not as nice

  42. Zun Lee

    We’re living in some exciting times re. photography – traditional processes and channels are collapsing or even disappearing, and new ways to get seen and heard emerging. With so much in flux, many are wondering how thrive in this new environment. Some are worried. Some see this period of time with a true sense of opportunity and optimism.

    This award therefore means an awful lot to an awful lot of people. You proved that “engaging the audience” is not just some social media platitude. Allowing us to be part of the process from beginning to end, creating a product that we can all make our own, and finally, giving back to the community… not only is this truly special to be a part of. But more importantly, it goes to show that passion, creativity, dedication and sheer hard work still are still the way to go in the new world order, and that it’s up to us to make it happen. How can one not be inspired to now “go figure it out as we go along”? The award is more than recognition for a job well done, it may be the beginning of something much greater than that. Big THANK YOU to David and the entire Burn family for demystifying and letting us see the whole process.

    BurnBooks – the biblioclastic notion of its name is really apropos now…

  47. panos skoulidas

    and another clip from INSIDE the Hollywood ballroom , DAH and Burn team, BURNBOOKS accepting Lucie Awards

    (working in more “behind the scenes” as we speak)
    have a nice weekend y’all

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