Can the Canadian magazine industry resolve the developing struggle over awards?

Magazines are a seasonal business, in sales, in circulation and...in awards. In Canada, there has been for 40 years National Magazine Awards and for even longer the Kenneth R. Wilson Awards for trade publishing. These have been augmented by various other ventures such as the editors' choice awards of the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors, the Canadian Online Publishing Awards, the Canadian Cover Awards and, more recently, the Digital Publishing Awards. It's a crowded ecosystem recognizing various aspects of the business, particularly as it has evolved beyond print-and-paper and increasingly into the digital realm. 

1. The National Magazine Awards managed by the National Magazine Awards Foundation;
2. The Digital Publishing Awards, launched by the National Magazine Awards Foundation in spring of this year;
3. The Canadian Online Publishing Awards (COPAs), produced by Masthead Magazine;
4. The Editors' Choice Awards, presented annually by the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors (CSME);
5. The Canadian Cover Awards,  presented jointly by Magazines Canada and CMC.

However this year there is likely to be a disturbance in the force, to use a Star Wars figure of speech. Last November, several big magazine publishers announced that they were going to abandon the NMAs in favour of an awards program of their own, one that they felt better reflected publishing excellence as they perceived it.  The signatories were  

• Steve Maich, senior vice-president of publishing at Rogers Communications
• Lucie Dumas, vice-president, managing director, magazines group, TVA Publications Inc.
• Doug Knight, president of St. Joseph Media
• Shelley Ambrose, publisher of The Walrus and executive director of The Walrus Foundation
• Robert Goyette, vice-president and editor-in-chief of Reader's Digest

These bigger publishers said there needed to be "far fewer and more meaningful awards" and that they should be "more closely aligned to celebrating excellence at the very highest level".  Soon thereafter they approached Magazines Canada's board proposing that the association design and manage the awards program the big publishers envisioned. The Mags Canada board agreed and instructed its staff to make it so. It seems likely that these new awards will happen in conjunction with the MagNet conference in April. 

In the face of this,  the board of the National Magazine Awards Foundation has decided to carry on with the NMAs and the DPAs.  Even with the departure of the big publishers, the NMAs believes it will still represent 75% of the magazine industry in Canada. 

There are actually several awards programs in play at the moment. The NMA's digital publishing awards are similar to, but different from, the longer-standing Canadian Online Publishing Awards, produced by Masthead magazine. The Canadian Business Media Awards for trade publishers (KRWs) are in limbo since the announced merger of CBM and Magazines Canada. (The services of the NMA team that previously managed the KRWs/CBM concluded last month.) CSME is thought to be exploring the future of its Editors' Choice Awards. 
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Marketing magazine named magazine of the year in the Canadian Business Media awards

Marketing magazine was presented with the prestigious magazine of the year award at the 62nd annual Canadian Business Media Awards in Toronto on Tuesday night. Honorable mentions went to finalists BCBusiness and The Medical Post.

The highest number of gold medals went to University Affairs magazine, which won for best issue of the year, best cover, best photography and best art direction of an opening spread or complete feature. 

CPA magazine won three gold medals for best how-to or series, best profile of a company and best infrastructure/resource article plus three silver medals.

Precedent magazine had the distinction of winning in a new category for best media brand and winning both gold and silver for best art direction of an entire issue.

The Harvey Southam Award for career achievement was presented to Michel Dongois, senior journalist at Profession Santé. He was recognized for his outstanding professionalism, integrity and humanism.

[Full list of winners]