The December 2010 issue of Limelight dedicated to the late Dame Joan Sutherland has been nominated in The Maggies: a national poll celebrating the best magazine covers of the past year.

The issue’s cover story, The Voice of the Century, commemorated the life and legacy of Australia’s down-to-earth diva, whose death in October at the age of 83 prompted outpourings of emotion and fond reminiscences from public figures, past collaborators, musicians and fans the world over.

“To choose this cover image we collected almost 300 images of Dame Joan Sutherland, in an attempt to find that single, unique photo that could do justice to Australia’s greatest ever opera singer,” explains Limelight editor Francis Merson.

“We spent weeks scouring archives, going to Joan’s old high school and visiting her dearest friends. In the end we came across this image – Joan in furs, an old press shot from the 1960s. This photo captured her real beauty – that of a true artist blessed with the world’s most extraordinary voice.”

Limelight is nominated in the Specialist category of The Maggies alongside four other contendors including Australian Guitar. The selection panel of industry experts included Ita Buttrose, the youngest-ever editor of the Australian Women’s Weekly and the first...