More than 200 finalist nominees for National Magazine Awards have been announced

The finalist nominees for the 40th annual National Magazine Awards, including five finalists for the prestigious magazine of the year, have been announced. A release from the National Magazine Awards Foundation says more than 200 Canadian creators are up for awards in 25 categories.

"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 work to the National Magazine Awards, submitting the work of more than 2,000 writers, editors, photographers, illustrators, art directors and other creators.
 "The NMAF’s 112 volunteer judges have nominated a total of 202 submissions from 75 different Canadian magazines for awards in 25 written, visual, integrated and special categories."

[It had earlier been announced that Penny Caldwell, publisher and vice-president of Cottage Life Media, will be presented with the prestigious Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement.]

The five finalists for magazine of the year -- given to the magazine that most consistently engages, suprises and serves the needs of the readers -- are:

• Cottage Life, published by Blue Ant Media
• Explore, published by My Passion Media
• Nouveau Projet, published by Atelier 10
• Ricardo, published by Ricardo Media
• The Kit Compact, published by Star Media Group

The five finalists for best new magazine writer -- given to the individual whose early work in magazines shows the highest degree of craft and promise -- are:

• Kyle Edwards, “Yearning to Learn Ojibway” (Maclean’s) 
• Viviane Fairbank, “Hot Mess” (Ryerson Review of Journalism) 
• Amorina Kingdon “The Questionable Science of Vancouver’s Port Expansion” (Hakai Magazine) 
• Eternity Martis, “Know Your History, Know Your Greatness” (Hazlitt) 
• Sharon J. Riley, “Burning Bush” (Maisonneuve)

Top nominated magazines:

Magazine	Nominations
The Walrus	14
L’actualité	13
Report on Business	11
Air Canada enRoute	8
Nouveau Projet	8
Hazlitt	6
Maclean’s	6
Ricardo	6
Toronto Life	6
Maisonneuve	5
Cottage Life	4
The Malahat Review	4
The New Quarterly	4

Top nominated creators:

• Edmonton freelance writer Omar Mouallem leads all creators with 4 nominations for 4 different stories published in 4 magazines (Avenue, Hazlitt, Sharp, University Affairs). 
• Writer Richard Kelly Kemick is nominated 3 times—twice in fiction and once in one of kind, which he won last year—for stories in 3 magazines (Geist, Maisonneuve, The New Quarterly).
• Quebec writer Catherine Perreault-Lessard is also nominated 3 times for 3 stories published in Châtelaine, L’actualité and Ricardo. 
• Maclean’s writer Nancy McDonald is also nominated 3 times for 2 different stories.
• The Walrus writer/editor Katherine Laidlaw is nominated twice as a writer, and she is also the handling editor on 6 other Walrus stories nominated for National Magazine Awards. 
• Other writers nominated twice include Bruce Livesey (Report on Business), Jason McBride (Canadian Art, Toronto Life), Mark Pupo (Toronto Life), and Nael Shiab (L’actualité). 
• Illustrators Byron Eggenschwiler (Vancouver Magazine) and Gérard DuBois (L’actualité) are each nominated twice.
• Photographers Peter Ash Lee (Corduroy), Chris Nicholls (FASHION Magazine) and Virginia McDonald (Air Canada enRoute) are each nominated twice.

To view all nominees, download the PDF

Gold, silver and honourable mention awards will be announced at the Arcadian Court in Toronto on May 26.  Gold winners in writing and visual categories receive a cash prize of $1,000. Silver winners receive an awards certificate, the rest honourable mentions. Tickets are on sale here. 

Magawards posts answers to frequently asked questions

It was predictable that, having made significant strategic changes to their ways and means, the National Magazine Awards would be getting a lot of questions about things like fewer awards and categories, how they are judged, definitions of a magazine, magazine website, tablet and so on. In an effort to anticipate and answer such questions, they have produced a guide to how to enter and have posted a frequently asked questions page on their website. Specific questions that the FAQ does not answer may be directed to staff@magazine-awards.com

Not surprisingly and as but one example, constituents wonder why there are fewer awards this year than recently. Here is one Q & A from the FAQ:

1. This year’s National Magazine Awards program has 25 categories (plus 3 special awards), down from 40 in 2016. Why did you eliminate so many awards? 

Yes, this year’s NMAs are very different. Over the last few years, many people have told us that having so many categories diminishes the individual value of a National Magazine Award—and makes the NMA gala a very long show. The first NMAs (in 1977) had just 15 awards, and since then we’ve gradually expanded, mostly adding subject-specific awards. For our 40th anniversary we envisioned a new Strategic Direction for the NMAF with an emphasis on increasing the value and prestige of a National Magazine Award. A tighter awards program focusing on the unique forms (rather than subjects) of magazine creation is the result of a long and deliberative process. Plus, a program of 25 awards is more aligned with other prestigious awards programs like the Ellies and Oscars. 

We know it’ll take some getting used to, but we hope you’ll agree that the new NMAs (and expanded DPAs) are a better and brighter reflection of the Canadian magazine and digital publishing landscape.

Digital Publishing Awards broadens, adds categories for Yr 2 and includes $500 for gold

The National Magazine Awards Foundation has announced the new category lineup for its 2nd annual Digital Publishing Awards. There will be awards in 22 categories focussing on the work of Canadian digital creators, while reflecting new trends and attitudes toward digital publishing and content, said a release. In addition to changes and broadening of the category lineup, gold winners will now receive a $500 prize.

Entries will be accepted starting January 2. The deadline for submissions will be January 31. 

• The top overall prize—General Excellence in Digital Publishing—will be presented in two divisions, for large and small publications.

Other new categories:

• Best Social Storytelling
• Best Online Video in 3 divisions:
• Short (under 2 minutes)
• Feature (2-5 minutes)
• Mini-Doc (more than 5 minutes)
• Best News Coverage in 2 divisions:
• Provincial & Local
• National & International
• Best Personal Essay
• Best Arts & Entertainment Story
• Best Service Feature: Lifestyle
• Best Service Feature: Family, Health & Careers
• Best Fashion & Beauty
• Emerging Excellence Award
• Digital Publishing Leadership Award

The changes were made with the advice of an advisory committee including:

• Craig Silverman, Editor-in-Chief, BuzzFeed Canada
• Kenny Yum, Managing Editor, Huffington Post Canada
• Kathy Vey, Executive Producer, Digital, TVO.org
• Haley Cullingham, Senior Editor, Digital, Hazlitt and Penguin Random House Canada
• Laura de Carufel, Editor-in-Chief, The Kit

"After a successful inaugural year, the industry feedback clearly indicated there was a need to broaden the Digital Publishing Awards to be more inclusive of areas of excellence in the digital landscape," said NMAF president Nino Di Cara. "We surveyed our judges, sought feedback from our participants, and convened an Advisory Committee of industry experts to help shape the program for the future. Based on these learnings, the program has substantively evolved to recognize excellence in digital content and journalism, and in particular to call attention to the best practices and innovations in the craft. We believe the program this year reflects that enthusiasm."

Magazine Grands Prix announces diversity as central tenet of judging process in new awards

One of the just-announced principles guiding the Magazine Grands Prix, the new awards program being piloted by Magazines Canada for 2017, is celebrating diversity. This includes having indigenous judges on the majority (eventually all) juries and to announce the entire roster of judges during the submission period (that is, in advance of their judging.) These are among principles included in the just-released  Guiding Principles for Adjudicating and Celebrating Excellence in Canada’s Magazine Media,

Stanley Péan
[photo: Laurence Labat]

There will be two judging co-chairs: author, commentator and critic Stanley Péan and award-winning writer Soraya Peerbaye. [see below]

Magazines Canada announced the awards and fellowship program [for up to 3 individuals] in September. The MGP awards will feature 26 categories: 13 awards for individuals and creators, and 13 for magazines that honour creative and editorial vision and execution.

“Stanley Péan and I are honoured and immensely pleased to be co-chairing the adjudication process of the Magazine Grands Prix,” said Peerbaye [in a release.] “The team at Magazines Canada has developed a far-seeing vision for the awards; energetic and generous, they are broadening the circle of inclusion, and invigorating the conversation on both popular and critical culture in the magazine sector.”

Soraya Peerbaye

Among the principles announced are:

• To build and execute an awards program that showcases the sector’s full range and excellence: seamlessly bilingual in English and French, reflective of Canada’s diversity, and open to all;
• To represent a diversity of artistic and cultural practices, perspectives and expertise on all juries, valuing the magazine sector’s creators and the public equally. Juries will be composed to reflect the diversity of Canada with regard to Indigenous peoples, race, regions, official languages, and gender;
• To have Indigenous jurists on the majority of the panels. This is just the beginning. The goal is to have Indigenous jurists on every single panel;
• To compose juries with care for plurality: no jury in which there is only one non-white jurist, and many in which there is a variety of diverse representatives. All jurists must feel able to speak freely and judge the submissions on their merits, without any obligation to represent minority or identity-based views;
• To reveal our entire roster of jurists during the submissions period [in this case between December 12 and January 30]: underrepresented communities must see themselves reflected and welcomed in order to participate fully;
• To aspire to do better than simply meeting the principles outlined and, in instances where we fall short of these goals, to recognize it and take action to improve.

“We are building a robust, transparent awards program that we can be proud of: right from the ground up,” said Matthew Holmes, Magazines Canada’s president and CEO. “With Canada’s 150th being celebrated next year, we wanted to look forward and make a very intentional shift to include the full diversity of Canada’s creators and—just as important—our community of readers, right into our judging process.”

The announcement of the guidelines and management of the judging process apparently intends to contrast directly with the way the National Magazine Awards Foundation has run its awards for the past 40 years. For instance, NMA judges  have generally not been announced before judging is completed and there is no provision for a particular makeup of judging panels other than requiring people from the industry, people with expertise in the subject area and people without a conflict of interest. The NMAs announced in September some major changes to its board and process for the magawards and also for its Digital Publishing Awards including the recruitment of a roster of international judges. . 

Read more »

Canadian Magazine Awards unveiled by Magazines Canada

Magazines Canada today held a brief press conference to announce the inception of the Canadian Magazine Awards, starting April 27 in Toronto in conjunction with the annual industry conference MagNet. 

The new awards were the outcome of an announcement last November by a group of large publishers 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. Ultimately,they turned responsibility for the design and launch of the new awards program over to the industry association, Magazines Canada. 

(No mention was made in the launch announcement of the National Magazine Awards or the Foundation which has run them for 40 years and which says it will carry on with it annual awards in spring 2017. )

Magazines Canada board chair Douglas Knight of St. Joseph Media emphasized the recognition of storytelling and multimedia:

"Canadian magazines have a special place in the hearts of Canadians. Showcasing many of Canada's best writers, designers and photographers, magazines engage Canadians with Canadian stories across virtually every platform, from beautiful tactile print to rich websites to social media in all forms. The Magazine Grands Prix will celebrate creative and journalistic excellence, honouring the editors and art directors, writers, photographers and illustrators, designers, developers and producers to bring the unique craft of magazine storytelling to life with each issue and every posting."

In addition to awards across a range of categories, there will be a paid fellowship program that will embed emerging talent with Canadian magazines across the country. At least in the first year, said Matthew Holmes, the president and CEO of Magazines Canada, there will be up to three such fellowships awards (depending on funding). 

"The goal of this exciting new program is to depend the conversation on issues that drive our country forward; fellowship themes will change each year, ranging from social issues, to the economy, to lifestyle and beyond. With Canada's 150th being celebrated in 2017, the new fellowship is designed to help the next generation of Canadian voices contribute to the national conversation."

The 26 proposed award categories, for which entrants must apply between December 12, 2016 and January 30, 2017, will be split equally, 13 for individuals and creators and 13 for creative editorial vision and execution. Awards are open to entries from any platform and extend to videography, motion graphics and multi-platform treatment. 

The top 2 awards will be the Editor Grand Prix, effectively editor of the year, and Magazine Grand Prix, magazine of the year. 

Entry fees will be $100 per entry and $50 per entry for small magazines with a circulation of less than 5,000.
Read more »

Group of big mag publishers intend to abandon NMAs and start their own awards program starting in 2017

Several of the largest magazine publishers in Canada have written to the National Magazine Awards Foundation saying they intend to drop out of the annual awards in 2017 and start an awards program of their own. 

The letter to the board of the NMAs dated November 19 is co-signed by 

• 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

It says that there needs to be "far fewer and more meaningful awards" and that they should be "more closely aligned to celebrating excellence at the very highest level".

Joyce Byrne, the president of the National Magazine Awards Foundation told us

The NMAF received a letter in late November from five publishers communicating their decision to create a new awards program in 2017. The NMAF responded with a request for additional information as well as an opportunity to meet and discuss how the needs of the magazine industry could best be served by both parties.  This request was declined.  The NMAF remains focussed on celebrating excellence in the magazine industry and its call for the 2016 National Magazine Awards is now open.  It's the NMAF's intent in 2016 to continue to recognize and promote excellence in the content and creation of Canadian magazines, in a manner that is national, bilingual, and representative of the Canadian magazine industry.

The board of the National Magazine Awards Foundation met last Friday about the letter and confirmed that it intends to proceed with this year's awards program (the 39th) as planned. Entries are already being received; the deadline is January 15.  

This is not the first time that larger magazines have threatened to abandon or boycott the awards. The "Gang of Six" as they came to be known in the early '90s -- including editors of Homemaker's, TV Guide, Reader's Digest, Chatelaine and Maclean's -- complained that (among other things) there were too many awards and they didn't reflect what they published and therefore it wasn't possible for them to win (at least as often as they thought they should.) That ultimatum eventually fizzled out, although only after an exhaustive review of the procedures of the awards program and its judging; indeed one of the leaders of the Gang, Homemaker's editor in chief Sally Armstrong, eventually became the president of the Magawards. [Disclosure: I was president in 1991 during the contretemps.]

There has always been a conflict between those who feel the awards should reward excellence by contributors (writers, photographers, illustrators) and those who feel the awards should go to the magazines in which they are published (as in the U.S. magazine awards.)

National Magazine Awards relocates to Arcadian Court June 5

Same date, different place, on its own; it has been announced that the National Magazine Awards will be held at the Arcadian Court in Toronto on June 5. Long a fixture at the Carlu and as the capstone for Magazines Week (though separate from the four-day MagNet industry conference), the consumer magazine awards will still happen as usual at the end of the first week of June. However there will not necessarily be such a large gaggle of MagNet attendees to boost its numbers this time around, topping off the conference week. The multi-day MagNet conference has been suspended for this year while Magazines Canada prepares to host the international FIPP conference in October.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Canadian magazine industry to this exquisite new venue for the National Magazine Awards," said National Magazine Awards Foundation president Joyce Byrne in a release. "Our annual gala attracts more than 500 of Canada’s best magazine publishers, editors, artists, journalists, marketing and sales teams, and other members of our industry from across the country. We look forward to celebrating with you this year at the Arcadian Court.”

Originally opened in 1929 as the main dining room of the old Simpson's department store on Queen between Yonge and Bay Streets and now atop its successor, the flagship of the Hudson's Bay Company, the Arcadian Court is managed by Oliver & Bonacini Events & Catering, which will cater this year’s gala.

Tickets for the 38th annual National Magazine Awards go on sale on May 4, the date on which the NMAF will announce the nominees for awards in 43 categories recognizing the best in Canadian magazine publishing, writing, photography, illustration and design from 2014.