Off the Page is a regular interview series featuring National Magazine Award winners. In this interview, we chat with Montreal-based writer and photographer Terence Byrnes. Last year at the NMAs, Terence was awarded the gold medal in the category of Photography: Photojournalism & Photo Essay for “South of Buck Creek.” Byrnes succinctly captures the premise of the photo essay by way of a subheading: “A Canadian memoir of black and white in America’s unhappiest city.”Read on for Terence’s thoughts on maintaining sympathetic neutrality towards the residents of Springfield, Ohio; smart phones and the democratization of photography; and his advice for emerging photographers.
First, congratulations on winning gold at the NMAs for “South of Buck Creek,” published in Geist. Your photo essay describes Buck Creek as a “cabinet of wonders.” In your career as a photographer, have you found other subjects, or places, that could be described as such?
I shot for a while in Buffalo when that city was among the rustiest of rust-belt towns. The industrial desolation, abandonment, and sense of fallen empire were awe-inspiring. In a residential area, I saw a man, wearing only dirty white briefs, roasting a wiener in a hubcap where he had built a fire with twigs. This was at the end of a street of McMansions protected with black iron grillwork over every door and window. Is that a wonder? I don’t know.
The essay portion of your piece notes that you took approximately 10,000 photos of Buck Creek, over a span of 45 years. How do you organize all of your photos?
Ten thousand was a guess. It’s more than that. Many are negatives, with some chromes. I worked from proof sheets to produce scans on a Nikon scanner. I moved to digital capture in 2003. Lightroom keeps track of it for me.
Do you have an absolute favourite from those 10,000 photos?
One day, I was photographing an oddly shaped building—it may even have been a skinny parallelogram—that housed a bar. “Bob City” was painted on one end of it. Railroad tracks, a sidewalk, and several streets converged and diverged behind the building, and dandelions had popped up in a patch of grass in front of it. I spent about 45 minutes finding the right position and height to put these elements into proper relation with each other. When I processed the film (this was probably 30 years ago) air bubbles had stuck to the best frame in the series, rendering it unusable. Wanting to salvage that frame eventually led me to early digital scanning of negatives and moved me out of the darkroom to the screen, where I patched the bubbles. I can’t say if this image was an “absolute favourite,” but it’s got a lot of history stored in it.
Within the first few pages of the photo essay, we jump from the sixties with “Terria (1966)” to the early 2000s with “South of Buck Creek” (2001), then to the 90s, with “Joy (1999).” What were your intentions behind the non-chronological organization of this photo essay?
“Intuitions” is probably a better word that “intentions.” When you establish an order for a photographic series, some arrangements just look better. I suppose I want the eye to re-orient itself to the formal elements of each image so the photograph is actually seen. Also, ordering by year suggests development of some sort, or it implies a narrative. As it was, the images themselves were my first priority.
Very early on in the photo essay, you state that your role in Buck Creek shifted from spectator to participant. Certainly, that theme—of your enmeshment in the Buck Creek community—runs throughout: there’s the “crazy moment” when you “fantasized about adopting” one of the boys from the Vision for Youth residence; you carried the “Friends (1977)” photo around for years, hoping to eventually deliver it to one of the photo’s subjects, “scary guy.” What challenges came along with crossing that line from spectator to participant?
Great question. I had to maintain sympathetic neutrality toward everyone and to learn—more than once— that folks who looked down-and-out could be as smart, respectful, and as deserving of respect, as anyone else. Honesty and openness were crucially important. A subject might say, “Take my picture, but don’t ever use it,” and my agreement would have to be as good as gold.People were blown away when I would come back a year later with free photographs. That’s how the street cred developed. Of course, there were rough spots and challenges that were both emotional and physical. I saw families living in misery and stripped of dignity thanks to bad luck, fear of gang activity, and profound physical and emotional disability (with no health care or institutional support). You want to help, but you can’t.
“Marriage (1998)” features a woman in her bikini, with her two twin daughters. The narrative portion states, “In the later years of this project, women wouldn’t so easily agree to have their pictures taken. They were afraid, as one told me, that their faces would appear atop a nude body on the Internet.” It seems that while the Internet has encouraged people to document their lives—via Facebook, YouTube, Instagram—it’s also made it more difficult for photographers to act as the documentarian. Are there other ways in which the growth of social media and the shift to digital have impacted your career as a photographer?
Camera phones have, in a sense, radically democratized photography and, for many people, have done away with the cachet of the physical print. Academic criticism and identity politics have also had a less than salutary effect on the documentary form. Some months ago, I glanced outside my window here in the Point-Saint-Charles district of Montreal and saw an 11-year-old boy got up in a home-made superhero costume, holding a garbage can lid as a shield. I knew it was pure Arbus, but couldn’t resist. When I asked the boy if I could take a photograph, a teenage girl ran up and began shouting at me. Her assumption—thanks to her familiarity with internet images—was that I was about to do something that was immoral as well as illegal.
Your first camera was an Agfa Ambi Silette loaded with Tri-X film. These days, what’s your camera of choice?
Actually, before the Agfa, there was a Kodak “Pony,” which I had forgotten. You’ve caught me at a crossroads now, though. Should I move up from my Nikon D810 to the new D850 or switch to the mirrorless Sony A7R III? Probably the new Nikon.
In 2008, you published Closer to Home: The Author and the Author Portrait, which you had worked on for 10 years. That means that there was some crossover between the literary portraits and Buck Creek. What similarities were there between these two seemingly very different projects?
Both were closer to the subjects’ homes than to the studio. I tend to shoot on-site and to make it up as I go along. This can produce really banal results, but also great surprises in lighting, posture, expression, and mood.
What was the impact—personally and/or professionally—of winning a National Magazine Award?
I think it makes me an easier sell to editors who don’t know me. And if I pitch an idea, I’m more likely to be listened to.
What advice would you offer to a young photographer?
The advice I give myself is often so disastrous that I should keep my own counsel. That said, I think of current work that catches my eye. I love the work of Tamas Deszo, Sebastián Liste, and Ruth Kaplan. Or Michel Huneault’s photographs of Lac Mégantic after the train disaster. There are some wonderful documentarians out there who do far more than record event. I would have been interested in photographing the refugees/migrants who streamed across the border in Quebec’s Eastern Townships in the belief they would find a home in Canada. Good projects don’t have to be topical, but they do have to be fresh.
Previous to Byrnes’ NMA gold award, he received two NMA honourable mentions. The first was in 2009, for “The Imagined Portrait” published in Queen’s Quarterly. The second was in 2012 for “The Missing Piece,” published in The Walrus. For more information on Byrnes’ photography and writing projects, please visit his website.
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
Short Feature Writing GOLD MEDAL « Santa Martha Acatitla : le théâtre de la réconciliation » Jeu, Revue de théâtre Françoise Major, auteure Christian Saint-Pierre, rédacteur-réviseur SILVER MEDAL “The Cutting Edge” ON Nature Ray Ford, writer Joanna Pachner, 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
Fiction GOLD MEDAL “The Unitarian Church’s Annual Young Writer’s Short Story Competition” The New Quarterly Richard Kelly Kemick, writer Pamela Mulloy, handling editor SILVER MEDAL “Eight Saints and a Demon” Hazlitt Naben Ruthnum, writer Kiara Kent, 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
Poetry GOLD MEDAL “(Good) ‘Girls Don’t Hitchhike’; Half/Brother; Meet Cree: A Practical Guide to the Cree Language” The New Quarterly Selina Boan, poet Barb Carter, handling editor SILVER MEDAL “La Traviata” PRISM International Kim Fu, poet Dominique Bernier-Cormier, handling editor
Professional Article GOLD MEDAL “Whatever happened to Michael Bryant?” Precedent Daniel Fish, writer Melissa Kluger, handling editor SILVER MEDAL “Beware the Weakest Link” Listed Jim Middlemiss, writer Brian Banks, handling editor
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
Service Journalism GOLD MEDAL “Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2016” Air Canada enRoute Andrew Braithwaite, writer Sarah Musgrave, handling editor SILVER MEDAL « Santé des femmes : le travail nous met en danger » Châtelaine Marie-Hélène Proulx, auteure Johanne Lauzon, rédactrice-réviseure
VISUAL AWARDS
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.
Photojournalism has a storied history in Canadian magazines, and at the National Magazine Awards.
In 1981, Nigel Dickson won the first of his six NMA gold medals for a photo essay of the drought in the Canadian Prairies—one of the worst on record—published in Maclean’s.
Twenty years ago this month, a young Edward Burtynsky won the gold medal in Photojournalism for his famous “Tailings” series—highlighting the environmentally degrading waste produced by heavy industry—published in Canadian Art.
In 2016, Marta Iwanek won the gold medal in photojournalism (and Best New Magazine Photographer) for her work at “The Maidan” in the heart of Ukraine’s revolution.
This year’s National Magazine Awards jury considered another stirring crop of candidates for Photojournalism & Photo Essay, an award generously sponsored by CNW Group: Achieve your communications goals.
On April 20 we announced the nominees for the 40th anniversary National Magazine Awards, and we are excited to welcome Canada’s best photographers, art directors, stylists, writers, editors, and more to the gala on May 26. [Tickets]
Here’s a close-up look at the three finalists for Photojournalism & Photo Essay.
Once Upon a Time in China Air Canada enRoute Virginia Macdonald, photographer Stefanie Sosiak, art director Nicolas Ramirez, deputy art director Lori Morgan, photo editor Sarah Musgrave, editor Susan Nerberg, contributor Amy Rosen, writer
South of Buck Creek Geist Terence Byrnes, photographer Syd Danger, art director AnnMarie MacKinnon, Michal Kozlowski, editors
The winner of the National Magazine Award for Photojournalism & Photo Essay will 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.
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.
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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.
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The NMAF gratefully acknowledges the support of the Government of Canada, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Ontario Media Development Corporation.
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.
