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The Importance of Being Jason*

By Galynn Nordstrom, Senior Editor, Specialty Fabrics Review

15th Annual Minnesota Publishing Excellence Awards Gala

This year’s MMPA Excellence Awards Gala returns to the sumptuous Nicollet Island Pavilion, on Thursday, Nov. 3rd, to honor the best of Minnesota publishing—surrounded by the Mississippi River, savory food, luscious wines, deliciously tempting Silent Auction prizes and the irrepressible conviviality of old friends and new acquaintances as we await news of the winners.

This year’s Excellence Awards contest received another increase in the number of entries, helping to keep the competition strong. Winners of the Hedley Donovan Award and the Greg Carey Leadership Award (more information on these soon) will be revealed, as well as the winner of a new award recognizing MMPA volunteers. The festivities peak with the announcement of the 2011 MMPA Magazine of the Year.

This year, there is a notable change: our esteemed Master of Ceremonies, a position ably filled for three years by WCCO-TV’s Jason DeRusha, will be Fox 9’s Jason Matheson, who anchors the Morning News weekdays from 4:30-5:00 a.m. and the Morning Buzz from 9-10 a.m. You can also hear him weekdays on mytalk 107.1 from 12-3 p.m.

(*The MMPA Excellence Awards committee has so far declined to comment on the emerging theory that all subsequent Gala MCs must be named ‘Jason.’ So far, it’s only a working hypothesis.)

Since his arrival at Fox 9 in 2000, Jason Matheson has seen nearly every movie (he currently serves as a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association), and has interviewed celebrities from Nicole Kidman to Julie Andrews. On November 3rd, he’ll take time from his busy schedule to announce Minnesota’s real celebrities: the winners of the 2011 MMPA Excellence Awards.

See you on Nov. 3rd… and don’t forget the rhinestones!

It’s never too early to reserve your place at the gala–make your reservation now.