If you don’t enter, you can’t win

It’s awards season and there are a ton of opportunities out there for journalists to enter and win awards. Deadlines are fast approaching so check out the J-Source Awards section for info, listings, links and announcements about Canadian, international, student and specialized awards.

Toronto-based magazine writer and editor Kim Pittaway put it plainly in a May 2009 J-Source column: “You can’t win if you don’t enter. And if you don’t think your work is worth the entry fee, why should anyone else?”

Why enter? Pittaway answered:

“There’s the money: the NMAs and many other awards come with top cash prizes that can be as much as you earned—or more—for writing the story in the first place. Awards also build profile, potentially putting your work in front of people who wouldn’t otherwise see it and putting your name on the radar of assigning editors. More than one editor I know scans nomination lists routinely to scout new writers. And hey, I’ve heard winning feels really good (I’ll confirm that if I ever make it out of the finalists and into the winner’s circle).”

If you notice a journalism award (only those that Canadians are eligible for) that’s missing from our list, please let us know at feedback@j-source.ca. Thanks!