The Canadian Utne nominees

It's an honour just to be nominated, they say (and in this case, it's true). There are a number of Canadian titles among the finalists in the Utne magazine Independent Press Awards. These aren't applied for, but selected, from among the 1,300 odd titles that are scanned every year by the magazine's staff. As a result, an Utne nomination is highly prized. The winners in each category will be announced in the magazine's January/February 2006 issue. The complete list is available here. The Canadian nominees are:

• Best writing
  
• Maisonneuve
• Best spiritual coverage
  
• Ascent
• Shambala Sun
• Best personal life coverage
• Outpost
• Best local coverage
• Up Here
• Best environmental coverage
• Alternatives Journal
  

This is the fifth year running that Ascent has been nominated for spiritual coverage, winning the category in 2003. Quite an accomplishment.