Q Magazine: December 2009
Q magazine is a weekly music magazine focused on British music and is aimed at young adults (18-30). They also have a radio station and a TV channel, much like NME and Kerrang!
The cover image features the band 'Arctic Monkeys' holding their Q award (another aspect of NME, Kerrang! and Q is that they all have annual award shows). The pose of the band is as if they're not really bothered about winning the award, which is most likely playing up to the stereotype of indie bands being indifferent to fame, Arctic Monkeys are particularly well-known for this attitude. The image has been taken in black and white which connotates classic and high quality photography, for which the magazine itself is known for. The fact that the image is black and white except for the golden award draws attention to the award, as the awards are the focus of this issue.
The masthead includes the iconic Q logo which consists of a white 'Q' on a red square and is instantly recognizable to the general public. Like in NME magazine the title is obscured by the band on the cover, proving that even when partially hidden the logo is still recognizable. There is also a banner at the top of the cover which tells you that this issue is "the Awards Issue," so that if it is stacked behind magazines and you cannot see the golden banner you will still know that this is a special issue.
The main cover line takes the form of a golden banner stretched across the page and gives you a list of this year's winners, however not what they have won, which is designed to entice the prospective reader into buying the magazine. Just above the banner it says in a stylized serif font, "And the winners are..." which further enforces that this issue is specifically dedicated to the Q Awards, as this is a very generic phrase used at almost every award show. There are three other cover lines, the first being in the top right corner of the cover and is "50 Best Albums of 2009," with a very small subheading reading "*Warning: Likely to provoke arguments," which is a joke at themselves and the readers (or more specifically the online community at the Q website) who often disagree with each other on their opinions on music. The other two cover lines are for the inside story on the Oasis break-up and an album review for Robbie Williams new album.
The main colour scheme is red, white, black and gold. Much like NME and Kerrang! with the exception of the gold. The overall effect is very striking and eye-catching to prospective readers.