NFDA’s flagship publication, The Director, recently won two awards in the Awards for Publication Excellence (APEX) Competition. This is the fourth consecutive year that The Director has been recognized.

The APEX Awards are based on excellence in graphic design and editorial content and on a publication’s ability to achieve overall communications excellence. APEX Grand Awards honor outstanding works in each main category, and APEX Awards of Excellence recognize exceptional entries in each subcategory.

Of approximately 1,000 entries, The Director received a Grand Award in the Design & Illustration category for its February 2026 cover. Wrote APEX: “The February 2026 cover of The Director won an APEX Grand Award by leaning into a classic newsroom vibe that’s impossible to miss. It uses an iconic ‘STOP THE PRESS!’ headline and a gritty torn paper collage to grab your attention immediately, framing the conversation around how obituary traditions are evolving rather than fading away. The balance of the high-contrast black and white gives the cover a professional and authoritative edge, while the sharp pops of red act like a visual magnet to pull in the reader’s eye. It’s a clever piece of design that manages to respect the industry’s history while looking straight toward its digital future.”

The Director also received an Award of Excellence in the Writing/Type of Media – Interviews and Personal Profiles category for “Nicodemus Looks Back on 50 Years in Funeral Service,” written by Edward J. Defort and published in the February 2026 issue.

“I just want to say congratulations to the publications team for continuing to demonstrate excellence in what we do. Year after year, our peers are taking notice,” said Edward J. Defort, publisher and editorial director. “I am very proud to be part of this team.” The team includes Defort; Annamarie Higley, managing editor; and Brooke Krishok, art director.

The APEX competition began in 1988 and is sponsored by the editors of Writer’s Web Watch, an e-newsletter for communicators who write, edit and manage business publications. Writer’s Web Watch is published by Communications Concepts Inc., which has provided problem-solving information to professional communicators since 1984.