— Info about Last checked February 23, 2023 by Aliya Nurani, Langara College Library & Information Technology practicum student
This list of awards is based upon whether a BC resident who works or freelances for a magazine or related industry, or a BC-based magazine or related company, would be eligible to apply.
This list is updated every year or so by Langara College library technician practicum students.
- Advertising and Design Club of Canada: ADCC awards are presented at the Directions Awards show in Toronto. The annual show, the ADCC Awards, is considered the top creative awards show in Canada. The printed annual, which is displayed at the show, contains the best work of each year. Winners receive a cash prize and will be featured in the printed annual and in the ADCC Archives. ADCC Awards
The ADCC also awards students in the Student Competition with the best work in four categories: advertising, graphic design, editorial and book design, and interactive media. Visit Site
- Canadian Association of Journalists Awards: CAJ offers multiple awards categories for journalistic writing, broadcasting and photojournalism. Awards are given out at their annual conference.
Most categories offer a $500 cash prize for the winner. Entry fees are $30 for members, $110 for non-members, $25 for students, $60 for a team of CAJ members, and $200 for a team of non-CAJ members. Student CAJ members can enter for free. Visit Site
- Canadian Marketing Association Awards and Student Awards: These awards recognize the top marketers in Canada from all sectors. The CMA Awards are divided into 6 disciplines and 9 categories with gold, silver and bronze winners.
Award entries typically open in May. Application fees vary depending on the submission date. Visit Site
- Canadian Online Publishing Awards: The COPAs are hosted by Masthead and are open to any Canadian company that produces online publications.
The competition features 20 categories and 5 divisions in addition to awards for the Best of Canada Categories: Publication of the Year, Best Content of the Year, Best Website of the Year, Independent Publisher of the Year, Ethnic Media Publisher of the Year and Best Student/School project.
All winners are invited to celebrate their achievement and receive a COPA Award logo which can be used for the company’s marketing. The application fee is $115 per single entry and per one category. Visit Site
- The Dave Greber Freelance Writers Awards: Awards are presented to a Canadian freelance writer who has a contract for publication of a non-fiction magazine article or book. Projects concerning issues associated with social justice, either in Canada or globally, are highly encouraged.
The awards are divided into two categories, $5,000 for the book award and $2,000 for the magazine award. More information about the award criteria can be found at the Call for Submissions. Visit Site
- Digital Publishing Awards: The Digital Publishing Awards are organized by the National Media Awards Foundation, who are also responsible for the National Magazine Awards and National Magazine Awards: B2B.
The applicants who are eligible for the competition are Canadian publishers in digitally published brands. This includes consumer and B2B digital magazines, digital newspapers and other digital journalism. There are 23 award categories in total, some for individual creators and some for teams.
Applications are accepted from the beginning of December until the end of January. The fee for entering a competition is $125 or $110 for early applicants. The Gold winners in individual categories will receive a $500 cash prize but not all categories have cash prizes. Visit Site
- Greg Younging Undergraduate Award in Publishing Studies (SFU Publishing / ABPBC): At least one award, valued at a minimum of $1,000, will be granted annually in any term to an undergraduate student at SFU who meets the following criteria:
- Is enrolled full-time during the term of eligibility
- Has declared a minor in Print and Digital Publishing
- Is in good academic standing
- Is Indigenous, and
- Has been actively involved in community service.
Information on basic award eligibility and applying here.
- John Fleming Award for Decorative Writing: The Canadian Society of Decorative Arts presents this award to recognize an exceptional example of original magazine writing on decorative arts in Canada.
Decorative arts are defined as creative works, often of a practical or useful nature, produced by an artist, craftsman, or amateur, which have intrinsic aesthetic and/or historical value, including: architectural ornament; ceramics; glass; furniture and furnishings; graphics; metalwork and jewellery; textiles; theatre arts; and, interior, industrial, and landscape design.
This $1,000 juried award will be presented annually to the winner at the Canadian Society of Decorative Arts/Cercle canadien des arts décoratifs (CSDA/CCAD) Symposium and the article will be published in Ornamentum magazine and website.
More information here: https://csda-ccad.org/Awards/
- Magazine of the Year Achievement Awards: The Alberta Magazine Publishers Association (AMPA) is announced the addition of three new provincial Achievement Awards categories in 2020, on of which is for the BC Magazine of the Year. Open to print and digital magazines, the Magazine of the Year categories celebrate the culmination of what makes a great magazine: innovative content, superior editors, driven design, and the ability to consistently and proactively serve the needs of readers. Awards are held annually. Visit Site
- National Magazine Awards: These awards recognize the best in the Canadian magazine industry with 29 categories falling under Writing and Visual, Editorial, Grand Prix: Best Magazine, and Special. Awards include cash prizes of $1,000 for gold medal winners. The early bird application deadline is mid-January and the final application deadline is at the end of January, with varying application fees per award type. Visit Site
- National Magazine Awards: B2B: A Canadian awards competition for business-to-business magazines. The awards are open to Canadian magazines and to Canadian citizens, including landed immigrants, whose works were published in a B2B magazine.
Applications are accepted from the end of December until mid January. Finalists are announce in the spring. The fee for entering a competition is $135 or $125 for early applicants.
The awards are divided into two categories: individual creators and magazines. Individual creator winners will receive a $500 cash prize, but there is no prize for magazines. Visit Site
- Outdoor Writers of Canada Communication Awards: This is an annual competition for outdoor writers of Canada. Award winners are selected from excellent contributors within the OWC membership.
The OWC Awards have two main categories: National Communication Awards (NCA), and Special Awards. Within the NCA, there are 11 subcategories including awards for magazine features and photography. There is a total of $5,000 in prize money available for NCA winners. The submission fee is $15 per category and the entries are typically accepted throughout March. Visit Site
- The RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers recognizes an outstanding work of fiction or poetry to an unpublished writer under the age of 35. First place is awarded a $10,000 prize and two finalists are awarded $2,500 per each. Visit Site
- RBC/PEN Canada New Voices Award: The Award is to celebrate new Canadian writers whose works have never been published before. The candidates are welcome to submit short stories, creative non-fiction, journalism and poetry. The eligible candidates must be above 17 but under the age of 30. Magazine professionals, journalists and writers whose work has been published in pamphlets or magazines may enter. The winner will receive a cash prize of $3,000 and mentorship from a Canadian author. There is no entry fee. Visit Site
- Royal City Literary Arts Society (RCLAS): RCLAS is an organization that connects all writers, including novelists, technical writers, article writers, editors, publishers, etc. The organization offers award winners for the WRITE ON! Contests are divided into three categories: poetry, fiction and non-fiction. Visit Site
- Writers’ Trust Awards: Among the awards offered by the Writers’ Trust of Canada are two prestigious awards for emerging writers in Canada. The Journey Prize of The Writers’ Trust of Canada/McClelland & Stewart is awarded annually to a new and developing writer of distinction for a short story published in a Canadian literary publication. Prizes are awarded of $10,000 to the winner, $1,000 to finalists, and $2,000 to magazines. See their Facebook page for updates.
- The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC): TWUC offers four awards. The Danuta Gleed Award is given to the best first collection of published short fiction and awards. The winner receives $10,000 and two finalists receive $500 each. The Short Prose for Developing Writers Award is worth $2,500 and is given to unpublished Canadian writers. The Freedom to Read Award recognizes work in support of freedom of expression. The Graeme Gibson Award recognizes varied and remarkable contributions to improve the circumstances of writers in Canada. Visit Site
