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
SILVER MEDAL: “Why Design Matters” (Canadian Business)
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
SILVER MEDAL: “Swim or Sink” (New Trail)
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
SILVER MEDAL: “How to Travel like a Boss” (Report on Business)
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
SILVER MEDAL: “Love Your Body” (NOW Magazine)
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
BEST NEW MAGAZINE WRITER
GOLD MEDAL
“The Questionable Science of Vancouver’s Port Expansion”
Hakai Magazine
Amorina Kingdon, writer
Heather Pringle, handling editor
Honourable Mention: Eternity Martis, Kyle Edwards, Sharon J. Riley, Viviane Fairbank
WRITING AWARDS
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.
Check out all the gala photos on our Facebook page.
SPECIAL GUESTS
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.
Eternity Martis knows that the history of black people in Canada isn’t being taught in Ontario public schools. Even when it is mentioned, the focus is on important American figures— as black history tends to be excluded from Canadian History, and teachers naturally struggle to implement curricula they were seldom taught. So what happens when the descendants running these sites die or retire? Martis, through an enormous amount of research, is able to contextualize the importance of saving these historical sites and keeping their legacy alive.
Kyle Edwards is a 22-year old Anishinaabe from Lake Manitoba First Nation. Though he grew up on his grandparent’s reserve, Edwards never learned to speak Ojibwe, his family’s native language. In his first Maclean’s feature, he chronicles an excursion to Kenjgewin Teg Educational Institute where he attended an Ojibwe immersion class. Readers are fortunate to get an intimate glimpse into the writer’s struggle with his sense of identity. Now, along with bringing awareness to Indigenous issues in Canada through storytelling, Kyle is working to implement Aboriginal language curriculum into post-secondary institutions— all the while endeavouring to learn his language.
Terry Keogh and his family were forced to flee their dream home in Rock Creek B.C. as precarious flames flared in the near distance. This is where Riley began her investigation; seeking an explanation to the thousands of fires that rage through the country’s forests each year—a number that’s nearly double the ten-year average. The B.C. government claims that the vast majority of forest fires are put out within a 24-hour period, but as Riley reports, it might be that rigorousness that’s causing them in the first place. 
The Press Gallery journalists at Parliament Hill got an unexpected visitor when Viviane Fairbank began her coverage. After reading about a parliamentary journalist accepting a sum of money from a senator for “ridding [his] Wikipedia page of the work of rancorous internet trolls,” Fairbank turned her hunch into a long-form feature on the unruly culture of Ottawa’s Parliamentary Press Gallery. “It’s a culture of hardworking journalists,” she writes in “Hot Mess,” “but, for some, it’s also one of ethical atrophy and notorious infighting.”
