Categories

These 19 awards, including cash prizes and certificates, are presented to the writers or visual creators. Art directors, editors and publishers may receive recognition, a certificate and winner’s seal. There will be a maximum of 10 finalists for each award. Silver awards include a certificate and winner’s seal. Gold awards include a certificate, winner’s seal, and a $1000 cash prize.

$110/submission (+HST) Early Bird Rate
$125/submission (+HST) Regular Rate

To ensure our awards are more accessible to everyone in the industry, we encourage independent writers, illustrators, photographers, and art directors to take advantage of our Freelancer Support Fund, which offers a discount on the submission fee for up to two entries.

1. Long-Form Feature Writing: 6000+
   This category honours outstanding feature writing of a magazine story of minimum 6001 words in length, in any field or subject. [How to Submit]
   
2. Long-Form Feature Writing
   This category honours outstanding feature writing of a magazine story between 3500–6000 words in length, in any field or subject. [How to Submit]
   
3. Feature Writing
   This category honours outstanding feature writing of a magazine story between 2000–3500 words in length, in any field or subject. [How to Submit]
   
4. Short Feature Writing
   This category honours outstanding feature writing of a magazine story of maximum 2000 words in length, in any field or subject. [How to Submit]
   
5. Column
   This category honours outstanding writing by a regular columnist. Entries consist of any three (3) columns by a single author in a single publication. [How to Submit]
   
6. Essays
   This category honours outstanding magazine writing in which the writer’s perspective is paramount and offers an argument or an intellectual point of view. The regular columns of columnists are not eligible in Essays. [How to Submit]
   
7. Investigative Reporting
   This category honours outstanding magazine writing based on original fact-finding, enterprising news-gathering, and/or news reporting in any field or subject. Entries should include a background statement (maximum 500 words) providing context for the investigation and any details of the investigative process that may be relevant to the jury’s consideration. [How to Submit]
   
8. Fiction
   This category honours a work of short fiction first published by the magazine. [How to Submit]
   
9. Personal Journalism
   This category honours outstanding magazine writing that focuses on the personal experiences of the writer. [How to Submit]
   
10. Poetry
    This category honours a work of poetry first published by the magazine. Entries may consist of a single poem or a series of up to three poems by the same author from a single issue. [How to Submit]
    
11. Profiles
    This category honours outstanding magazine writing that focuses on one person or a group of people. [How to Submit]
    
12. Service Journalism
    This category honours outstanding magazine writing that is driven by practical or actionable information or instructional content in any field or subject. [How to Submit]
    
13. Best Emerging Writer
    This category honours a writer whose early work in magazines shows the highest degree of craft and promise. This category is open to students and writers with a maximum three years experience in professional journalism, and who have never been nominated for a National Magazine Award, Digital Publishing Award, or National Magazine Award: B2B. Entries must consist of a single feature article (with a 2000-word-count minimum). Entrants may also include up to two (2) additional feature articles (for these additional articles, there are no word count requirements and submission is optional). A letter from the candidate attesting to their eligibility, and providing context for the work, is also required. [How to Submit]
    
14. Illustration
    This category honours outstanding illustration, single or series accompanying a single article, including cover, photo and spot illustration. [How to Submit]
    
15. Portrait Photography
    This category honours outstanding photography, single photograph or series, for a single article on one or more people. [How to Submit]
    
16. Lifestyle Photography
    This category honours outstanding photography, single photograph or series, of a lifestyle or still-life subject including food, products, fashion, beauty, décor, homes and landscapes. [How to Submit]
    
17. Photo Essay & Photojournalism
    This category honours outstanding photography, single photograph or series, shot on location which records events or situations not controlled by the photographer. [How to Submit]
    
18. One-of-a-Kind Storytelling
    This category honours outstanding magazine storytelling whose content or style does not clearly fit the definition of any other category. Entries may consist of (but are not limited to) text, photographs and visual art, graphic narratives and comics, infographics, digital media, or any combination of elements serving a single story. The intent of this award is to recognize achievement in magazine storytelling that is not easily classified. [How to Submit]
    
19. Art Direction of a Single Article
    This category honours an individual responsible for outstanding art direction of a single magazine article, reflecting the creative use of design and visual elements to enhance reader experience. [How to Submit]

The six Editorial Awards recognize excellence by a team of magazine editors, art directors, creators and other contributors. There will be a maximum of 10 finalists for each award. Gold and Silver awards include a certificate for each contributor and the winner’s seal.

$125/submission (+HST) Early Bird Rate
$150/submission (+HST) Regular Rate

20. Best Editorial Package
    This category honours an outstanding collection of articles and content on a related theme, published in a single issue of a print or online magazine, which reflects collaboration by writers, editors, art directors, and/or visual creators. Elements may include—but are not limited to—annotations, illustrations, photography, sidebars, infographics and captions. Entries may consist of a series of related feature articles and content packaged together, or an entire special or thematic issue. [How to Submit]
    
21. Art Direction Grand Prix
    This category honours an individual responsible for the best art direction of an entire issue of a magazine. [How to Submit]
    
22. Editor Grand Prix
    This category honours an individual who is making an outstanding impact on a magazine as an editor. This category is open to editors-in-chief as well as senior-level editing staff who have demonstrated a high degree of excellence in their field. [How to Submit]
    
23. Cover Grand Prix
    This category honours outstanding creation of a magazine cover, reflecting collaboration by editors, circulators and art directors to enhance reader experience. [How to Submit]
    
24. Issue Grand Prix
    This category honours an outstanding single issue, which will be judged in terms of overall quality and originality of the content as well as its relevance to the intended readers. [How to Submit]
    
25. Publisher Grand Prix
    This category honours the publisher whose brand best delivers on their editorial mandate through numerous platforms, which may include, in addition to a print or digital magazine: websites, special issues or other publications, mobile apps, social media platforms, television shows, podcasts, events, merchandising or any other initiatives or forms of audience engagement. [How to Submit]

The four Best Magazine Awards honour the magazines that most consistently engage, surprise and serve the needs of their readers. These awards recognize outstanding achievement in magazine publishing over the past year. The jury shall evaluate each magazine according to four general criteria—quality, currency, design, and reader experience. Each submitter will be asked, on the entry form, to provide a brief statement on each of the criteria for the jury’s consideration. There will be 3 finalists for each award and one overall winner. A publication may enter two of the Best Magazine categories. Entries from digital-only publications are eligible.

$125 (+HST) Early Bird Rate
$150 (+HST) Regular Rate

26. Best Magazine: News, Business, General Interest
    This category honours the most outstanding Canadian magazine whose editorial mandate focuses on general interest content, including but not limited to news, current events, society, sports, politics, business, science. [How to Submit]
    
27. Best Magazine: Service & Lifestyle 
    This category honours the most outstanding Canadian magazine whose editorial mandate focuses on lifestyle, fashion and beauty content, and/or has a clear service orientation, focusing on informational or instructional content in any field or subject. This category includes publications focussing on entertainment, fashion, beauty or style, food and beverage, outdoor activities, travel and tourism, home design, health and wellness, personal finance, parenting, recreation, and hobbies. [How to Submit]
    
28. Best Magazine: Art, Literary, & Culture
    This category honours the most outstanding Canadian magazine whose editorial mandate focuses on the literary, culture or visual arts, including but not limited to fiction, poetry, drama, literary criticism, photography, or visual arts. [How to Submit]
    
29. Best Magazine: Special Interest
    Honours the most outstanding Canadian magazine serving a highly niche audience. A niche audience may include but not limited to children and young adult, industry professionals, students, regional or specific communities of readers. Single Special Interest issues are not eligible. [How to Submit]

Magazine Grand Prix
This category honours the magazine that delivers the best consistency, packaging and reader experience; that demonstrates overall excellence in bringing teams together to create a spectacular product; and is aspirational and inspiring, helping to take magazine publishing to the next level.

Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement
This category honours an individual’s innovation and creativity through contributions to the Canadian magazine industry. This award may recognize creators, editors, publishers, art directors, circulation experts, marketing, sales and promotion professionals, production managers—in short, anyone in the industry. It cannot be given posthumously. [How to Submit]

This category honours the outstanding work of an individual or editorial team in creating original and engaging content via a regular email series that best serves its intended audience. Editorial elements may include but are not limited to text, audio, photographs, illustrations, infographics, and visual elements. Newsletters must be designed specifically for the email platform. They should feature original content and not simply a reproduction of the publication’s website.

This award recognizes email content which is editorial in nature. The newsletter can make use of reporting done for the publication’s other properties. Emails created for marketing or promotional purposes, or for the sole or main purpose of providing readers with links to the publication’s website content, should not be submitted for this category.

The quality of the content as well as the value to readers will be judged.

Submission Requirements: Submit a brief statement (max 500 words) that:

A) introduces the publication to the jury;
B) articulates the publication’s strategy for newsletters;
C) provides context for the development and deployment of the emails; and
D) comments on the impact of the newsletter.

Submit a URL to the main point of entry, and URLs to the three newsletters to be evaluated.

Judging Criteria: Judges should consider the following criteria in evaluating Best Editorial Newsletter:

• Overall quality of the content and the design elements, relevance of the theme;
• Successful integration of written visual, graphic-design, and other elements;
• Functionality, user experience, and overall impact: How successfully does the publication’s newsletter series engage the intended audience?

This category rewards: Content Creator(s); Publisher(s); Editor(s); Digital Developer(s); Digital Designer(s); Other Contributor(s).

There is no cash prize with this award.

This category honours the podcast series that best serves its intended audience. Submission topics may include, but are not limited to: daily news, news commentary, politics and government, business, sports, and science and technology. The originality of the theme and the quality of production will be judged, as well as creative use of the podcasting or audio medium. Submissions must consist of three (3) episodes.

Submission Requirements: Submit a URL to the main point of entry for the podcast series; and submit URLs to three (3) specific episodes to be judged. Judges will be advised to evaluate the overall quality of the audio content and production (including reporting, mixing and editing) as well as its impact on the intended audience.

Judging Criteria: Judges should consider the following criteria in evaluating Best Podcast:

• Overall quality of the audio production, including mixing and editing;
• Overall quality of the audio content, including reporting;
• Overall impact of the podcast: How successfully does the subject matter engage its intended audience?

Note: The length of the podcast should not be a primary consideration in evaluating the overall excellence of the podcast series.

There is no cash prize with this award.

This category honours the podcast series that best serves its intended audience. Submission topics may include, but are not limited to: entertainment, books, design, fashion, food, performing arts, visual arts, film, TV, music, history, relationships, and health and fitness. The originality of the theme and the quality of production will be judged, as well as creative use of the podcasting or audio medium. Submissions must consist of three (3) episodes.

Submission Requirements: Submit a URL to the main point of entry for the podcast series; and submit URLs to three (3) specific episodes to be judged. Judges will be advised to evaluate the overall quality of the audio content and production (including reporting, mixing and editing) as well as its impact on the intended audience.

Judging Criteria: Judges should consider the following criteria in evaluating Best Podcast:

• Overall quality of the audio production, including mixing and editing;
• Overall quality of the audio content, including reporting;
• Overall impact of the podcast: How successfully does the subject matter engage its intended audience?

Note: The length of the podcast should not be a primary consideration in evaluating the overall excellence of the podcast series.

There is no cash prize with this award.

This category honours creative excellence in the production of a video by a digital publisher that is between four (4) and six (6) minutes in length. The video must have been produced for a digital platform. There is no cash prize with this award. *Videos that up to 6:30 minutes in length may be entered in this category OR in the Mini-doc category. However, the same video cannot be entered in both categories. Submitters must determine which category is best suited for the video submitted.

Submission Requirements: Submit a URL to the video to be judged. Judges will be advised that the overall quality and impact of the video relative to its intended audience, and not its length or subject matter, should be considered.

Judging Criteria: Judges should consider the following criteria in evaluating Best Online Video: Feature:

• Overall quality of video production, including videography and video editing;
• Overall quality of the video content, reporting;
• Overall impact of the video: How successfully does the subject matter engage its intended audience?

Note: The length of the video should not be a primary consideration in evaluating the overall excellence of the video.

There is no cash prize with this award.

This category honours creative excellence in the production of a video by a digital publisher that is longer than six (6) minutes in length. The video must have been produced for a digital platform.

Submission Requirements: 
Submit a URL to the video to be judged. Judges will be advised that the overall quality and impact of the video relative to its intended audience, and not its length or subject matter, should be considered.

Judging Criteria: 
Judges should consider the following criteria in evaluating Best Online Video: Mini-Doc:

• Overall quality of video production, including videography and video editing;
• Overall quality of the video content, reporting;
• Overall impact of the video: How successfully does the subject matter engage its intended audience?

Note: The length of the video should not be a primary consideration in evaluating the overall excellence of the video.

There is no cash prize with this award.

This category honours the best overall story dealing with issues or subjects of arts, culture or entertainment, including essays, reviews, reporting and/or literary journalism.

Submission Requirements: Submit a URL to the feature article to be judged. Judges will be advised to evaluate the quality and presentation of content, as well as user experience and overall impact.

Judging Criteria: Judges should consider the following criteria in evaluating Best Arts & Culture Storytelling:

• Overall quality of the storytelling, including style and creativity;
• Overall quality of the story’s content; and
• User experience and overall impact: Was the article written with the digital medium in mind? Does the article hold the interest of the intended reader?

This award includes a cash prize of $500.

This category honours the best overall story dealing with issues or subjects of science or technology, including investigative reporting, analysis and/or profiles.

Submission Requirements: Submit a URL to the article to be judged. Judges will be advised to evaluate the quality and presentation of content, as well as user experience and overall impact.

Judging Criteria: Judges should consider the following criteria in evaluating Best Science and Technology Storytelling:

• Overall quality of writing and reporting, including style and creativity;
• Overall quality of the feature’s content;
• User experience and overall impact: Was the article written with the digital medium in mind? Does the article hold the interest of the intended reader?

This award includes a cash prize of $500.