The nominees for the 41st National Magazine Awards have been announced, and we are excited to welcome Canada’s best writers, artists, editors, art directors, and more to the gala on June 1st. [Tickets]
Among the most coveted and special of the National Magazine Awards is Best New Magazine Writer. Each year our judges are tasked with choosing from an astounding array of passionate and intelligent creators carving their way into a rewarding career. The winner receives a cash prize of $1,000.
We are proud to recognize excellence by emerging Canadian magazine writers. Here are the nominees for Best New Magazine Writer:
HADIYA RODERIQUE
Dating While Black The Walrus
Hadiya Roderique’s examination of online dating details problems in our supposedly “post-racial” world. Looking to receive more messages on dating sites, Roderique gets extreme. With a hunch that the colour of her skin is the reason for so few messages, she has a white friend act as her body-double. Later, still curious, she photoshops her own skin lighter. Both cede more results. By using her own experience to ask big questions of the online dating industry, Roderique is able to point fingers where some may not want them to be pointed.
“Few writers have had a faster start out of the gate. With her broad life experiences—just ask her how she spends her weekends—Hadiya has much to contribute to Canada’s journalistic community.” – Samia Madwar, Managing Editor, The Walrus
Hadiya Roderiqueis a lawyer, writer, speaker and the co-host of Commons, a political podcast. She is also a Ph.D candidate in the department of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources Management at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. Her research examines gender and racial diversity in the workplace.
JESSICA ROSE
Lost and Found Toronto Life
Jessica Rose tells an unpredictable tale of reunion in her piece “Lost and Found.” From the first thought of searching for her biological parents to the resulting relationships (and lack thereof), she takes the reader through painstaking waiting periods and surprising turns alike. The resulting piece is a master personal narrative that is detailed, relatable, and honest.
“We knew it was a story we needed to publish. When she filed her piece, we were delighted to discover that Jessica’s talents as a writer matched her aptitude for design. Her piece is lucid, lively and gutwrenchingly honest, packed with compelling characters and vivid scenes and candid self-reflection.” – Emily Landau, Senior Editor, Toronto Life
Jessica Rose is an editorial art director, visual storyteller, and artist. Formerly the art director of Tatler and Toronto Life, her graphic artwork has been featured in Elle Collections, Frieze, and The Sunday Times Magazine, where she is a regular contributor from cover artwork to illustrating a weekly visual column. She is currently the art director of Wallpaper* and the author and graphic artist of a design book about everyday objects for Lawrence King.
JUSTIN DALLAIRE
Fall from Grace United Church Observer
When Justin Dallaire read Don Hume’s letter to the United Church Observer detailing a drug addiction that began in his 60’s, he thought he would be writing a story of redemption. It turned out to be not so simple. When Dallaire visits Hume in B.C. a new story unravels. It is revealed the former minister still uses drugs on occasion, and Hume’s story seems to change by the day. What results is a complicated story of addiction, truth and salvation.
“In the hands of a less skilled writer, the story would have fallen apart of attempted to put Hume on trial. But Dallaire embraces the grey areas of Hume’s narrative. He used his subject’s confounding character and his own struggle to really know Hume as literary devices in his storytelling.” – Jocelyn Bell, Editor and Publisher, United Church Observer
Justin Dallaire is a graduate of Ryerson University, where he studied journalism. He is currently a reporter at Strategy Online. You can read his work in the United Church Observer, the National Post, TVO and the Ryerson Review of Journalism.
CHRISTOPHER ELLIOT
Way, Way off the Rails in Mauritania Outpost
Christopher Elliot takes the reader along on a risky, dusty adventure in this recount of his travels in the Sahara. The story tells of his successful attempt at riding atop the iron-ore train of Zoureat. With expert detail, he is able to paint the world as he saw it and invite readers to see it, too. From Phil Collins and tea to the struggle to communicate in other languages and dialects, Elliot demonstrates how colonialism has made it to the desert but manages to keep and create its own traditions.
“Chris pitched this story to Outpost fully completed and submitted—it landed on our desk in a very professional order (concise, well written, limited editing). The photographs to accompany the story were also produced by him.” – Deborah Sanborn, Editor-in-Chief, Outpost
Christopher Elliott is an Australian-Canadian writer and anthropologist. He served in the Australian Army and studied Arabic, French and anthropology to the master’s level before moving to the fjords of British Columbia. He has written on conflict and war crimes for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Small Wars Journal and the Sydney Morning Herald. His magazine feature writing on travel and the outdoors has appeared in Alpinist, Mountain Life and Outpost.
Since 1993, in conjunction with the International Year of the World’s Indigenous People, the Qatuwas, or “people gathering together,” has taken place annually. Now called the Tribal Canoe Journey, the trans-national voyage on the Salish Sea to “reclaim tradition and territory” has also been a way for the writer to relate to his father. Julian Brave NoiseCat uses personal and political anecdotes to tell this story of history and connection.
“I want to be an honest man and a good writer.” That’s the last line of Julian Brave NoiseCat’s website. There are few goals more laudable that the former, few more challenging than the latter. When it comes to his writing, however, Julian is well on his way.” – Aaron Kylie, Editor-in-Chief, Canadian Geographic
Julian Brave NoiseCat works as a policy analyst at350.org. You can read his work in The Guardian as well as the CBC,Vice, Jacobin, Fusion, HuffPost, Indian Country Today,The Marshall Project,Salon, High Country News, andCanadian Geographic.
The winner of the National Magazine Award for Best New Magazine Writer will be announced on June 1st at the 41st NMA Gala in Toronto. The award includes a cash prize of $1,000.
The National Magazine Awards Foundation (NMAF) has presented the winners of the 40th anniversary National Magazine Awards at a gala this evening in Toronto at the Arcadian Court. Nearly 300 of Canada’s top magazine writers, artists, editors, art directors, publishers, and other guests representing 75 nominated magazines gathered to recognize and celebrate excellence in the content and creation of Canadian magazines in 2016. Gold and Silver medals were presented in 25 categories recognizing Canada’s best in magazine writing, art, and design.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a welcome message to the audience via video, congratulating the nominees and winners and praising the important work of Canada’s magazine creators.
The Foundation presented Gold and Silver Medal awards in 25 categories at a ceremony co-hosted by Kim Pittaway, Michael de Pencier, and D.B. Scott—three of Canada’s most respected journalists and publishers, and all former winners of the Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement. Indigenous writer and Gold Medalist in the Essays category, Alicia Elliott, delivered the keynote address, urging all Canadian magazine creators and publishers to recognize their role in educating and informing the public about the complex social and cultural issues of our time, including empowering Indigenous voices and perspectives in the media. Penny Caldwell, publisher and vice-president of Cottage Life Media, was presented with the 2017 Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement, the highest individual honour in the Canadian magazine industry, which recognizes an individual’s innovation and creativity through contributions to the magazine industry.
For a complete list of winners, see below or download the PDF list.
MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR
Canada’s 2017 Magazine of the Year is Cottage Life. The award for magazine of the year goes to the publication that most consistently engages, surprises, and serves the needs of its readers. The award is judged according to four criteria—overall quality, impact, innovation, and brand awareness—and success relative to the magazine’s editorial mandate.
Honourable Mention for Magazine of the Year went to Explore,Nouveau Projet, Ricardo, and The Kit Compact.
With a clear and creative editorial strategy that is loyal to their brand, audience, and business, Cottage Life continues to diversify its mandate, grow its readership, and excel at publishing. The magazine’s tone is perfectly playful, its stories educate and delight, and its story packaging is alluring. Cottage Life has demonstrated creativity and excellence in evolving its brand through events, shows, and multimedia—reinventing itself again and again. And throughout its evolution, the magazine itself remains fresh and fascinating.
—The National Magazine Awards Jury
INTEGRATED AWARDS
Best Magazine Cover GOLD MEDAL: “General Dynamics” (Report on Business) Domenic Macri, art director Gary Salewicz, editor Brennan Higginbotham, contributor
This is a beautiful execution of a well-thought-out idea, from its concept right down to the smallest detail. Report on Business’s “General Dynamics” cover is a masterful example of having graphics work harmoniously with type to create the impression of a must-read story within. It’s engaging and unexpected—the forbidden, blacked-out words suck you in immediately. A truly remarkable and successful magazine cover.
—The National Magazine Awards Jury
Best Editorial Package GOLD MEDAL: « Nordicité » (Caribou) Tania Jiménez, directrice artistique Audrey Lavoie, Véronique Leduc, Geneviève Vezina-Montplaisir, rédactrices en chef
This Editorial Package from Caribou is a delicious invitation to the table set around the concept of Nordicité, where a meal of uniquely Québécois flavour is served. On the menu are cozy stories and tasteful photography of matsutake mushrooms, maple syrup, boreal spices, and wild berries. The package has the benefit of relying almost wholly on the support of readers and presents them with a carefully thought out series of articles that complement the topic and each other—all editorially handpicked and beautifully plated for our enjoyment.
—The National Magazine Awards Jury
Best Service Editorial Package GOLD MEDAL: “Breast of Luck” (Today’s Parent) Ariel Brewster, editor Stephanie Han Kim, art director
Contributors: Vivian Rosas, Katie Dupuis, Karen Robock, Louise Gleeson, Kara Aaserud, Sasha Emmons, Kate Lunau
“Breast of Luck” from Today’s Parent epitomizes service journalism. The team approached the issue from various perspectives, offering up multiple entry points. It feels exceptionally relevant—these are the real questions people ask about breastfeeding. It’s beautifully designed, very well written, funny, informative—the practical information is hands-on and useful. Whether you read it closely or simply skim, it has something for every reader.
—The National Magazine Awards Jury
Best Words & Pictures GOLD MEDAL: “Rosemont Petite-Syrie” (Nouveau Projet) Judith Oliver, rédactrice en chef adjointe Jean-François Proulx, directeur artistique Félix Beaudry-Vigneux, auteur Maxime Roy de Roy, illustrateur
Beautifully drawn, informative, and concisely written, “Rosemont Petite-Syrie” is a powerful and graphic way to show the response of two families to the Syrian refugee crisis. The piece seamlessly weaves text and illustrations that speak to one another and the reader without seeming redundant. It’s an exemplar of the comic-book genre—and bilingual, to boot.
—The National Magazine Awards Jury
Forty years ago the NMAF set about building a coalition of institutions to form the foundation of what would become the National Magazine Awards. The goal was to create a truly national program that would recognize individual excellence in the many aspects of the magazine industry. Forty years later that legacy has endured. Tonight we have recognized the outstanding work of Canada’s magazine creators. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners—you have truly inspired the future of great journalism in this country. —Nino Di Cara, President, NMAF
Long-Form Feature Writing GOLD MEDAL “Growing Up Trans” The Walrus Mary Rogan, writer Carmine Starnino, handling editor SILVER MEDAL “Canadian Mining’s Dark Heart” The Walrus Richard Poplak, writer Carmine Starnino, handling editor
Feature Writing GOLD MEDAL « Les exilés de l’enfer » L’actualité Anne-Marie Luca, auteure Ginette Haché, rédactrice-réviseure SILVER MEDAL “Big Lonely Doug” The Walrus Harley Rustad, writer Carmine Starnino, handling editor
Columns GOLD MEDAL « Économie » L’actualité Pierre Fortin, auteur Josée Désaulniers, Karine Picard, Lucie Daigle, rédactrices-réviseures SILVER MEDAL “Just Sayin’” Atlantic Business Magazine Stephen Kimber, writer Dawn Chafe, handling editor
Essays GOLD MEDAL “A Mind Spread Out on the Ground” The Malahat Review Alicia Elliott, writer John Barton, handling editor SILVER MEDAL “A Poet Self-Destructs” The Walrus Don Gillmor, writer Katherine Laidlaw, handling editor
Investigative Reporting GOLD MEDAL “The Last Days of Target” Canadian Business Joe Castaldo, writer James Cowan, handling editor SILVER MEDAL “Justice Is Not Blind” Maclean’s Nancy Macdonald, writer Colin Campbell, handling editor
One of a Kind GOLD MEDAL “The Verdict” The Walrus Katherine Laidlaw, writer Emily M. Keeler, handling editor SILVER MEDAL “The David Foster Wallace Disease” Hazlitt Sasha Chapin, writer Haley Cullingham, handling editor
Personal Journalism GOLD MEDAL “The Burn” Prairie Fire Benjamin Hertwig, writer Andris Taskans, handling editor SILVER MEDAL “By The Time You Read This I’ll Be Dead” Toronto Life John Hofsess, writer Emily Landau, handling editor Gary Ross, contributor
Profiles GOLD MEDAL “This is How I’m Going to Die” Maclean’s Nancy Macdonald, writer Colin Campbell, handling editor SILVER MEDAL “The Artist of the Deal” Report on Business Max Fawcett, writer Ted Mumford, handling editor
Art Direction of an Entire Issue GOLD MEDAL “Issue 22: Secrets” SAD Mag Pamela Rounis, art director Sara Harowitz, editor Katie Stewart, Michelle Reid Cyca, contributors SILVER MEDAL “87: Le Vivant / The Living” esse Arts + Opinions Studio FEED, direction artistique Sylvette Babin, rédactrice en chef
Art Direction of a Single Article GOLD MEDAL « Le politique est personnel » Nouveau Projet Ping Pong Ping, direction artistique Miriam Fahmy, rédactrice en chef SILVER MEDAL “Give Peas a Chance” Today’s Parent Mandy Milks, art director Lauren Ferranti-Ballem, editor Anthony Swaneveld, illustrator Roberto Caruso, photographer
Illustration GOLD MEDAL « Une vie sexuelle pour les prêtres ? Pourquoi pas ? » L’actualité Gérard Dubois, illustrateur Jocelyne Fournel, directrice artistique SILVER MEDAL “Move or Improve?” MoneySense Steven P. Hughes, illustrator John Montgomery, art director
Photojournalism & Photo Essay GOLD MEDAL “South of Buck Creek” Geist Terence Byrnes, photographer Syd Danger, art director AnnMarie MacKinnon, Michal Kozlowski, editors SILVER MEDAL “Canada’s Oldest Profession” The Walrus Tyler Anderson, photographer Brian Morgan, art director Jonathan Kay, editor Conrad Black, text
Portrait Photography GOLD MEDAL “Marina Abramovic” Corduroy Magazine Peter Ash Lee, photographer & art director Tim Chan, editor SILVER MEDAL “Love Your Body” NOW Magazine Tanja-Tiziana, photographer Troy Beyer, art director Susan G. Cole, editor Taylor Savage, hair & makeup
Lifestyle Photography GOLD MEDAL “Different Strokes” Globe Style Advisor Riley Stewart, photographer Benjamin MacDonald, art director Andrew Sardone, editor Odessa Paloma Parker, fashion editor, stylist Vanessa Jarman, makeup / hair stylist Wendy Rorong, manicurist James Reiger, model, NEXT Models Canada SILVER MEDAL “Tan Lines” Globe Style Advisor Renata Kaveh, photographer Benjamin MacDonald, art director Andrew Sardone, editor Odessa Paloma Parker, fashion editor, stylist Robert Weir, grooming Connor, model, Elmer Olsen Model Management
INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS
Writer Nancy Macdonald won two awards: A Gold Medal in Profiles for “This is How I’m Going to Die” (Maclean’s), about the Leviathan II disaster, and a Silver Medal in Investigative Reporting for “Justice Is Not Blind” (Maclean’s), about the bias against Indigenous Canadians in the judicial system. Mary Rogan won the first NMA Gold Medal for Long-Form Feature Writing, for her story “Growing Up Trans” (The Walrus). It’s Rogan’s third National Magazine Award and first since 1999.
Art director Domenic Macri of Report on Business won the Gold Medal for Best Magazine Cover (“General Dynamics”), his and the magazine’s fifth gold medal in this category since 2006. Pierre Fortin (L’actualité) won the Gold Medal in Columns, for his Québec « Économie » coverage. This is Fortin’s fourth gold medal in Columns since 2003.
Indigenous poet Selina Boan won the Gold Medal in Poetry for a suite of poems in The New Quarterly, including “Meet Cree: A Practical Guide to the Cree Language.” This is her first National Magazine Award. Richard Kelly Kemick won the Gold Medal in Fiction for “The Unitarian Church’s Annual Young Writer’s Short Story Competition” (The New Quarterly), his second NMA after winning gold last year in One of a Kind. Kemick also received an Honourable Mention in Fiction and in One of a Kind this year.
Indigenous writer Alicia Elliott won the Gold Medal in Essays for “A Mind Spread Out on the Ground” (The Malahat Review). Don Gillmor won his twelfth National Magazine Award since 1997, a Silver Medal in Essays for “A Poet Self-Destructs” (The Walrus). Joe Castaldo won the Gold Medal in Investigative Reporting for “The Last Days of Target” (Canadian Business). He won the Silver Medal in the same category in 2015.
In Personal Journalism, Edmonton writer and visual artist Benjamin Hertwig won the Gold Medal for “The Burn” (Prairie Fire). The story of the late John Hofsess, “By The Time You Read This I’ll Be Dead” (Toronto Life), about assisted dying and preparing to take his own life, won the Silver Medal.
Photographer and art director Peter Ash Lee won the Gold Medal in Portrait Photography (“Marina Abramovic” Corduroy), his fourth National Magazine Award. Gérard DuBois won the Gold Medal in Illustration, for « Une vie sexuelle pour les prêtres ? Pourquoi pas ? ». It is DuBois’ fourth National Magazine Award and first since 2013. Andrew Braithwaite won the Gold Medal in Service Journalism for “Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2016” (Air Canada enRoute), marking the second consecutive year he and the magazine have won gold for their annual feature on Canada’s newest culinary hotspots. Ray Ford won his eighth National Magazine Award since 2000 with a Silver Medal in Short Feature Writing for “The Cutting Edge” (ON Nature).
MAGAZINE HIGHLIGHTS
L’actualité led all magazines with 3 Gold Medals, winning the top prize in Feature Writing, Columns, and Illustration. The Walrus led all magazines with 6 awards (2 Gold Medals and 4 Silver Medals). This is the tenth time in the magazine’s history that The Walrus has won the most total awards at the NMAs. Report on Business won 3 awards, including a Gold Medal for Best Magazine Cover (“General Dynamics”) and Silver Medals in Best Service Editorial Package and in Profiles. The New Quarterly won the Gold Medal in Fiction and in Poetry, marking the second time that the Waterloo, Ontario literary magazine has swept both awards (also doing so in 2003 at the 25th anniversary National Magazine Award). NOW Magazine’s “Love Your Body” issue was a double winner, taking the Silver Medal in Portrait Photography and the Silver Medal in Best Words & Pictures. Globe Style Advisor swept the Gold and Silver Medals in the category Lifestyle Photography. Nouveau Projet won 2 Gold Medals, in Art Direction of a Single Magazine Article (« Le politique est personnel ») and in Words & Pictures (“Rosemont Petite-Syrie”). Nouveau Projet won Magazine of the Year in 2015 and was a finalist this year.
The online magazine Hazlitt won 2 Silver Medals, in Fiction and in One of a Kind. Today’s Parent won 2 medals: Gold in Best Service Editorial Package (“Breast of Luck”) and Silver in Art Direction of a Single Magazine Article (“Give Peas a Chance”).
7 magazines won a National Magazine Award for the first time: Atlantic Business Magazine; Caribou; esse Arts + Opinions; Hakai Magazine; Jeu, Revue de théâtre; Listed; and SAD Mag. Magazines winning 1 Gold Medal: Air Canada enRoute; Caribou; Corduroy; Cottage Life; Geist; Hakai Magazine; Jeu, Revue de théâtre; The Malahat Review; Prairie Fire; Precedent Magazines winning 1 Silver Medal: Atlantic Business Magazine; Châtelaine; esse Arts + Opinions; Listed; MoneySense; New Trail; ON Nature; PRISM International; Toronto Life.
The 40th anniversary National Magazine Awards gala, 26 May 2017, Arcadian Court, Toronto (Photo by Steven Goetz for the NMAF)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a welcome message to the audience via video, congratulating the nominees and winners and praising the important work of Canada’s magazine creators.
Toronto Mayor John Tory also addressed the gathering via video to offer his congratulations to the nominees and winners and offer his support for Canadian magazine creators. Alicia Elliott delivered the keynote address. Alicia is a Tuscarora writer from Six Nations, currently living in Brantford, Ontario. Her writing has most recently been published by CBC Arts, Room, Grain, The New Quarterly and The Malahat Review. Later in the evening she won the Gold Medal in Essays for “A Mind Spread Out on the Ground” (The Malahat Review).
For the 40th anniversary National Magazine Awards, the NAMF welcomed a number of its former winners of the Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement, led by Kim Pittaway, Michael de Pencier, and D.B. Scott, who co-hosted the event.
Also attending and presenting awards as former winners of the Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement: James Ireland, Sally Armstrong, Ken Rodmell, Lynn Cunningham, Stephen Trumper, Al Zikovitz, and Paul Jones.
Other special guest presenters included award-winning illustrator Min Gyo Chung, award-winning writers Hon Lu and Desmond Cole, award-winning art director Gilbert Li, and former NMAF president Arjun Basu.
ABOUT THE 40th ANNIVERSARY NATIONAL MAGAZINE AWARDS
Nearly 300 members of the Canadian magazine industry—publishers, editors, art directors, writers, photographers, illustrators, circulators and more—joined esteemed sponsors and other guests at the Arcadian Court for the 40th anniversary National Magazine Awards gala.
This year, 197 Canadian magazines from coast to coast to coast—English and French, print and digital—entered the best of their editorial and design to the National Magazine Awards, submitting the work of more than 2000 writers, editors, photographers, illustrators, art directors and other creators. The NMAF’s 112 volunteer judges nominated a total of 202 submissions from 75 different Canadian magazines for awards in 25 written, visual, integrated and special categories.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The NMAF gratefully acknowledges the support of the Government of Canada, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Ontario Media Development Corporation.
The NMAF gratefully acknowledges the support of its sponsors and table patrons:
Access Copyright,
Alberta Magazine Publishers Association,
Bookmark,
Canadian Media Guild,
Content Writers Group,
CDS Global,
CNW, a Cision Company,
ExpertWomen.ca,
Goetz Storytelling,
Impresa Communications,
Oliver & Bonacini,
Ricardo Media,
Rolland Enterprises,
Ryerson University School of Journalism,
Studio Wyse,
TC Transcontinental Printing,
University of King’s College School of Journalism,
Very Good Studios, and
Vividata.
The NMAF gratefully acknowledges its 112 Judges who volunteered their time and their expertise to serve on the juries for the 40th anniversary National Magazine Awards.
ABOUT THE NMAF
A charitable foundation, the NMAF’s mandate is to recognize and promote excellence in content creation of Canadian print and digital publications through an annual program of awards and national publicity efforts.
The Foundation produces two distinct and bilingual award programs: the National Magazine Awards and the Digital Publishing Awards. Throughout the year, the Foundation undertakes various group marketing initiatives and professional development events. Download the entire list [PDF] of nominees and winners.
The National Magazine Award for Fiction has a storied history (oh goodness, please pardon that pun). Alice Munro won the inaugural NMA fiction gold medal in 1978 (and again in 1983, and again in 1999). Yann Martel won in 1993; Elizabeth Hay in 1995; Lynn Crosbie in 2002; Shyam Selvadurai (2007).
In 2010, Steven Heighton joined Munro as a three-time gold-medal winner (also winning in 1992 and 2008). Jay Teitel won the silver medal back in 1978, then won the gold medal 26 years later. William Gibson, Thomas King, Patrick deWitt, and Zsuzsi Gartner have also been winners.
This year’s National Magazine Awards jury considered a wide range of submissions from Canada’s top literary magazines for this year’s fiction prize, an award presented by Ontario Arts Council, which has supported the National Magazine Awards and Canadian literary artists for decades.
On April 20 we announced the nominees for the 40th anniversary National Magazine Awards, and we are excited to welcome Canada’s best writers, editors, artists, art directors and more to the gala on May 26. [Tickets]
Here’s a close-up look at the finalists in Fiction…
The winner of the National Magazine Award for Fictionwill be announced on May 26 at the 40th anniversary NMA Gala in Toronto. Tickets are on sale now.
Check out all the nominees for the 40th anniversary National Magazine Awards.
Follow us on Twitter @MagAwards for all the nominations news and an awesome live feed on the night of the gala. #NMA40.
The NMAF is excited to announce the nominees for the 40th anniversary National Magazine Awards, including five finalists for the prestigious Magazine of the Year Award.
This year, 197 Canadian magazines from coast to coast to coast—English and French, print and digital—entered the best of their editorial and design work to the National Magazine Awards, submitting the work of more than 2000 writers, editors, photographers, illustrators, art directors and other creators.
The NMAF’s 112 volunteerjudges have nominated a total of 202 submissions from 75 different Canadian magazines for awards in 25 written, visual, integrated and special categories.
“We’re thrilled to announce the nominees for the 40th anniversary National Magazine Awards. More than 200 Canadian creators—writers, photographers, illustrators, designers, poets, and more—are up for awards in 25 categories. My thanks to our judges who have done a rigorous job over the past few months evaluating the best work in the country. It’s been a significant year for Canadian storytelling, as the impressive caliber of the nominees attests. We’re looking forward to celebrating the best of Canada’s creative talent together at the Gala on May 26.”
—Nino Di Cara, President, NMAF
Gold, Silver and Honourable Mention awards will be announced at the Arcadian Court in Toronto on May 26, at the 40th anniversary National Magazine Awards gala. Gold Awards in Writing and Visual categories include a cash prize of $1000. Tickets are on sale now. A limited number of tickets for nominated freelancers will be available at the discount rate of $35, thanks to the support of our Table Patrons.
TOP NOMINATED CREATORS
Edmonton freelance writer Omar Mouallem leads all creators with 4 nominations for 4 different stories published in 4 magazines (Avenue, Hazlitt, Sharp, University Affairs).
Writer Richard Kelly Kemick is nominated 3 times—twice in Fiction and once in One of Kind, which he won last year—for stories in 3 magazines (Geist, Maisonneuve, The New Quarterly).
Quebec writer Catherine Perreault-Lessard is also nominated 3 times for 3 stories published in Châtelaine, L’actualité and Ricardo.
Maclean’s writer Nancy Macdonald is also nominated 3 times for 2 different stories.
The Walrus writer/editor Katherine Laidlaw is nominated twice as a writer, and she is also the handling editor on 6 other Walrus stories nominated for National Magazine Awards.
Other writers nominated twice include Bruce Livesey (Report on Business), Jason McBride (Canadian Art, Toronto Life), Mark Pupo (Toronto Life), and Naël Shiab (L’actualité).
Illustrators Byron Eggenschwiler (Vancouver Magazine) and Gérard DuBois (L’actualité) are each nominated twice.
Photographers Peter Ash Lee (Corduroy), Chris Nicholls (FASHION Magazine) and Virginia Macdonald (Air Canada enRoute) are each nominated twice.
The five finalists for Magazine of the Year—given to the magazine that most consistently engages, surprises, and serves the needs of its readers—are:
Cottage Life, published by Blue Ant Media
Explore, published by My Passion Media
Nouveau Projet, published by Atelier 10
Ricardo, published by Ricardo Media
The Kit Compact, published by Star Media Group
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BEST NEW MAGAZINE WRITER
The five finalists for Best New Magazine Writer—given to the individual whose early work in magazines shows the highest degree of craft and promise—are:
The 40th anniversary National Magazine Awards honour the best in Canadian magazine journalism from 2016. Some of the most frequent topics that our judges saw among this year’s entries include:
Among this year’s nominees, some of the top stories include:
“Justice Is Not Blind” (Maclean’s)—a nine-month investigation by Nancy Macdonald and the Maclean’s team looking at the ways in which Canada’s justice system is biased against Indigenous people. Nominated in Longform Feature Writing and Investigative Reporting. .
“Company Province, Provincial Company” (Report on Business)—journalist Bruce Livesey’s investigative profile of the Irving family and the politics of New Brunswick’s energy sector. Nominated in Longform Feature Writing and Investigative Reporting. .
“The Fighter” (United Church Observer)—a stirring portrait of Willie Blackwater, a B.C. Indigenous man who survived a residential school and then led the fight for justice, written by journalist Richard Wright. Nominated in Longform Feature Writing and Profiles. .
“Love Your Body” (NOW Magazine)—a series of bold photographs by Tanja-Tiziana accompanying a set of profiles on the issue of body shaming. Nominated in Portrait Photography and Best Words & Pictures. .
“Whatever Happened to Michael Bryant?” (Precedent)—writer Daniel Fish investigates the life and times of the former Ontario Attorney General, whose involvement in the killing of a cyclist led to PTSD, years out of the spotlight, and finally a path to redemption. Nominated in Professional Article and Profiles. .
“Canada’s Best New Restaurants” (Air Canada enRoute)—the annual guide to Canadian culinary innovation by Andrew Braithwaite and the enRoute team is nominated in Service Journalism and Best Editorial Package. .
“Shocking Tax Tips You’re Missing Out On!” (MoneySense)—the annual tax guide by Bryan Borzykowski and the MoneySense team is nominated in Service Journalism and Best Service Editorial Package.
TOP NOMINATED MAGAZINES
FIRST-TIME NOMINEES
Magazines nominated for their first National Magazine Award include:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The NMAF gratefully acknowledges the support of the Government of Canada, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Ontario Media Development Corporation. We are also thankful for the support of Access Copyright, Alberta Magazine Publishers Association, Bookmark, Canadian Media Guild, Canadian Writers Group, CNW, ExpertWomen.ca, Goetz Storytelling, Impresa Communications, Rolland Enterprises, Studio Wyse, TC Transcontinental Printing, and Very Good Studios.
For sponsorship enquiries please contact NMAF Managing Director Barbara Gould at staff@magazine-awards.com.
GALA TICKETS
The NMAF will welcome Canada’s top writers, artists, editors, art directors, publishers and other creators to the 40th anniversary National Magazine Awards gala. Gold, Silver and Honourable Mention awards will be announced at the Arcadian Court in Toronto on May 26. Tickets are on sale at magazine-awards.com. A limited number of tickets for nominated freelancers will be available at the discount rate of $35, thanks to the support of our Table Patrons, including Access Copyright, Bookmark, Alberta Magazine Publishers Association, Canadian Media Guild, Canadian Writers Group, CDS Global, and ExploreWomen.ca.
Gold winners in Writing and Visual Awards categories receive a cash prize of $1000. Silver winners receive an awards certificate. All other finalists receive Honourable Mention.
CREDIT CHANGES
The deadline to make any changes to nominations credit is Friday April 28. Email staff@magazine-awards.com to make any credit changes to your nomination.
Download the complete list of nominations (PDF) to check your nominations credit.
ABOUT THE NMAF
A charitable foundation, the NMAF’s mandate is to recognize and promote excellence in content creation of Canadian print and digital publications through an annual program of awards and national publicity efforts.
The Foundation produces two distinct and bilingual award programs: the National Magazine Awards and the Digital Publishing Awards. Throughout the year, the Foundation undertakes various group marketing initiatives and professional development events.
Off the Page is a regular interview series featuring National Magazine Award winners. Recently we caught up with Richard Kelly Kemick, who was nominated for 2 National Magazine Awards in 2016–winning the Gold Medal in One of a Kind for his story “Playing God” (The Walrus), a reflection on his singular obsession with building Christmas villages. The story also won him a nomination for Canada’s Best New Magazine Writer.
NMAF: “Playing God,” your story thatwon Gold in the One of a Kind category at last year’s NMAs, was developed at the Banff Centre for Literary Journalism. Can you describe your experience there, and how this somewhat unconventional idea was developed into an award-winning magazine story.
Richard: During my month at the Banff Centre––as every tagline on their website attests––I worked alongside some of the best editors and writers in the business (Ian Brown, Victor Dwyer, Charlotte Gill, to say nothing of the exceptional participants I was writing alongside). What I wasn’t expecting, however, was how affirming it would be for me as a writer.
As I’m sure we all do, I wrestle a lot with insecurity and mediocrity. Banff’s LJ program placed me an environment where I had a month to only write, read, and sit in Michael Lista’s room to watch The Bachelor (he forced us to watch, like, every episode with him). It was an environment which told me––day after day for a month––that as long as I’m writing, I am a writer.
Anytime I get an opportunity to work with an editor, it’s an absolute privilege. The “Playing God” piece was edited, edited, kicked around, and edited again. And while I came to develop a profound hate for the Track Changes bubbles on a word document, my editor, Victor, took the piece from the ramblings of a limp-wristed despot into something with form, narrative, and an actual arc.
NMAF: More recently, your debut collection of poetry, Caribou Run was included in this year’s CBC must-read poetry list. How is recognition — from the NMAF and other organizations — significant to you and your work?
Richard: The CBC list was bizarre. I had no warning; I received an email from my publisher with the link and a note saying “this better translate into book sales” (just kidding, they’re incredibly supportive). It was a very rewarding surprise, just like the NMA.
These types of recognition are indeed significant. So much of what we do as writers is sit at a desk and clack away in an isolation the rest of the world would refer to as cruel and unusual punishment. (If you’re lucky, you’ll have a dog to aid you through this.) Any recognition that someone has actually read your work and––god forbid––actually enjoyed it is inexpressibly quenching.
On the other hand, however, I don’t want to think that recognition objectively signifies quality. There were poetry collections which were far stronger than mine but not included on the CBC list. Same goes for the NMA. A writer once told me that saying you “deserved” to win an award is like saying you “deserved” to win the lottery because you played the numbers well. (That writer was Michael Lista and it was on a commercial break of The Bachelor.)
Rewards are fantastic; anybody who says otherwise is either lying or Buddha. But it’s boom/bust. I was on the boom for a bit. Now is the bust. And I’m finding it hard not to become petty, jealous, and focused on recognition instead of the writing. But I’m trying to work against that, work through it. Because I think there is a name for writers, and the writing they produce, who are like that: fucked.
NMAF: Robert Moore, English professor at the University of New Brunswick, recently wrote apiecefor The Walrus questioning the future of poetry as an art form. In Adam Kirsch’sreviewof The Hatred of Poetry by Ben Lerner, he claims poetry is “the site and source of disappointed hope.” He adds acclaimed poet Marianne Moore’s famous line “I, too, dislike it,” in reference to the craft. You’ve just published your first collection. What inspires you to write poetry?
Richard: As a poet, the perpetual death of poetry is my favourite topic. Yes, poetry now panhandles in the literary ghetto––neighbouring junk mail and the academic essay. Yes, poems gather more dust than acclaim. Yes, when I write “Poet” on credit card applications I all but assure rejection.
I think, however, that this apocalyptic setting is what enables Canadian poetry to be so exciting right now. We have an environment which produces writing, not writers. The pinnacle of this is when writers have brilliant collections (Michael Prior’s Model Disciple, anyone?) without floating off into the ether of poisonous pomp. Because the stakes are hedged, there is a democratizing force in contemporary Canadian poetry, a force which I’m not sure exists in any other commercial genre, a force in which free-verse upstarts and seasoned sonneteers are working within the same circles. Yes, there are politics within the CanPoetry community––just like anywhere. But at least we have the decency to wage our wars in divisive Facebook threads, rather than at the Giller’s or, for example, in a wildly offensive open letter.
I started writing poetry (and still do) because I wanted to be a better writer. Poetry––for my money––is the genre that best develops your craft. The attention to language is merciless, and if you can make fourteen lines of ten syllables each tell a story, think of what you can do with some elbow room!
Richard Kelly Kemick accepts the award for One of a Kind at the 2016 National Magazine Awards gala.
NMAF: Much of your work centres around animals. How does your love for animals influence your writing, and what inspired the theme of caribou migration in your latest collection?
Richard: I write about animals because I’m unable to convey actual human emotion. Animals provide a healthy alternative. Like, if you’ve got a character that is unlovable but you want to make him lovable but you don’t know how–give him a dog. Then name that dog Maisy. Then let Maisy fool a woman, preferably a public school teacher because of the job security, into a long-term relationship. Then feel safe and loved and statistically unlikely to now die alone as you work on your poems all day, drinking coffee from small cups as your wife toils in a grade one classroom, with Maisy curled at your feet.
The caribou idea was just that I thought the migration was pretty rad and already had poetic elements within it. Four years later (which is about a third of a male caribou’s life), a book! Aim for the stars, kids.
NMAF: Your writing ranges from fiction to nonfiction, poetry to prose — do you have a favourite form? And, if you can tell us, what can we expect to see from you next?
Richard: I don’t have a favourite form. I consider forms like my children: they all disappoint me for different reasons.
I’ve currently got a collection of non-fiction essays (one of which is the piece that won the NMA) under consideration. I’ve also got a collection of short stories that was turned down for publication, but I’ve since been working on it and hope to submit again soon.
I’m trying to view rejection as an opportunity for me to make the work better. In five, twenty, or a hundred years (I plan to live forever), I know I won’t mind having been delayed in publishing a collection of short stories, but I will mind if those stories are shitty. I’m not saying that every rejection a publisher makes is sound; but in this individual case, the rejection has given me the clarity to realize that I can make the stories stronger and (after I’d cried myself dry and drank myself wet) I’m trying to do that.
Richard Kelly Kemick is a National Magazine Award-winning writer whose work has been published in The Walrus, The Fiddlehead, Maisonneuve and Tin House. His debut collection of poetry, Caribou Run,(2016, Goose Lane Editions) follows the Porcupine caribou herd through their annual migration, the largest overland migration in the world. Caribou Run was included as a one of CBC’s fifteen must-read poetry collections. Follow him on Twitter @RichardKemick.
Special thanks to Krista Robinson for her reporting on this interview with Richard.
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Forty years ago the NMAF set about building a coalition of institutions to form the foundation of what would become the National Magazine Awards. The goal was to create a truly national program that would recognize individual excellence in the many aspects of the magazine industry. Forty years later that legacy has endured. Tonight we have recognized the outstanding work of Canada’s magazine creators. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners—you have truly inspired the future of great journalism in this country.
BEST NEW MAGAZINE WRITER
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A charitable foundation, the NMAF’s mandate is to recognize and promote excellence in content creation of Canadian print and digital publications through an annual program of awards and national publicity efforts.
“We’re thrilled to announce the nominees for the 40
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