The Alliance of Area Business Publications has awarded the Los Angeles Business Journal its Gold award as the best large regional business publication in the country. The award, the Business Journal’s sixth Gold in eight years, came June 11 at the association’s annual conference, held in Des Moines, Iowa.

The judges cited both the Business Journal’s writing and design in their comments, saying, “A strong mix of photos, graphics and art begins on the covers and carries on throughout the book. There are entry points on each page, and those pages are filled with some of the best writing in the competition. The story and display hierarchy is easy to follow. It shows that the editors and staff work to understand their audience and to deliver highly relevant material.”

Crain’s Chicago was awarded the Silver and Crain’s Detroit Business the Bronze.

The San Fernando Valley Business Journal took home the Gold for best overall design. The judges cited the design team for what they called a “buttoned-down publication.”

“The fundamentals such as spacing, labeling and typography are consistent,” the judges wrote. “The front-page feature windows are enticing and interesting. … The high-quality paper and printing shows off every design decision nicely.”

The Valley paper was also awarded a Silver for best feature layout for its “7 Over 70” feature. The judges cited the minimalist design for the package, saying it “allows the photos and type to emerge from the pages, which are framed with white space. Every detail is successful, down to the arrows to show the story continues.”