Major Canadian journalism awards

Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy
The Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy is an award designed to further the tradition of liberal journalism and commitment to social and economic justice fostered by Joseph E. Atkinson, former publisher of The Toronto Star. The Fellowship is open to experienced, full-time Canadian journalists in print or broadcast media who have achieved some distinction in reporting on policy issues.

Atlantic Journalism Awards
The Atlantic Journalism Awards (AJAs) was started in 1981 to honour journalistic excellence and achievement in print and electronic news in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland/Labrador.

Canadian Association of Journalists Awards
The Canadian Association of Journalists offers awards for outstanding investigative journalism in Canada. Eleven awards are offered in various categories, plus the Don McGillivray Award for the best overall investigative report. Applications and further information is available at the CAJ website.

Canadian Business Press Kenneth R. Wilson Awards
The awards recognize excellence in writing and graphic design in Canada’s specialized business, professional and farm publications. There are four categories — Writing, Visual, Integrated and Internet — with a total of 20 separate awards to be handed out.

Canadian Community Newspaper Awards
The Canadian Community Newspapers Association encourages excellence by sponsoring an annual national competition to celebrate the achievements of its member newspapers. In the Canadian Community Newspaper Awards, newspapers compete against other newspapers of similar circulation for General Excellence, Premier and Special Competitions awards.

Canadian Journalism Foundation Awards
The Canadian Journalism Foundation supports and rewards excellence in Canadian journalism through its annual awards program and by supporting recognition programs run by other organizations. Honours include the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Excellence in Journalism Award and the Greg Clark Award, among others.

Dalton Camp Award
The Dalton Camp Award is available to up to two Canadians each year. Each award consists of a prize of $5,000, as well as a bronze cast medal by Canadian sculptress Dora de Pédèry-Hunt. The Award will go to the winner or winners of an essay competition on the link between democratic values and the media in Canada.

Edward Goff Penny Memorial Prizes for Young Canadian Journalists
The Edward Goff Penny Memorial Prizes for Young Canadian Journalists were established in 1991 at the bequest of the estate of the late Arthur G. Penny, grandson of Edward Goff Penny. The first awards were presented in 1992. The winners are in keeping with the terms of the bequest — between the ages 20 and 25 and from each of two circulation categories: under 25,000 and over 25,000. Prize money is $1,500 for each category.

Magazines du Québec: Concours des Grands Prix
This annual contest highlights editorial and visual excellence in magazines in Québec. It is open to magazines, their staff and freelancers who reside in Québec. The rules are made available in January and the winners are recognized in the Spring issue of Journée Magazine.

Martin Wise Goodman Fellowship (Nieman Foundation for Journalism, Harvard)
Nieman Fellowships at Harvard University provide a mid-career opportunity for women and men in the media to study and broaden their intellectual horizons. One Nieman fellowship for a Canadian journalist to study at Harvard University will be awarded to a successful applicant as a result of funding by the Martin Wise Goodman Trust to the Nieman Foundation for Journalism.
NOTE: The Martin Wise Goodman Trust will sponsor one Canadian Nieman Fellowship for every other academic year. The next sponsored fellowship will be for the 2009-2010 academic year.

Massey College Journalism Fellowships
Three or more fellowships for Canadian journalists are awarded annually, tenable for one academic year, September to May, at the University of Toronto. Fellows are selected by a committee appointed by the President of the University and the Master of Massey College. They are chosen for professional competence and future potential as effective and responsible journalists. Applicants must have at least five years’ experience and be full-time news or editorial employees with Canadian newspapers, news services, radio, television, or magazines.

Michener Awards
The Michener Award, founded in 1970 by the late Roland Michener, then Governor General, goes to a news organization. The judges’ decisions are heavily influenced by the degree of public benefit generated by the print and broadcast entries submitted for consideration.

National Magazine Awards
The National Magazine Awards Foundation (NMAF) is a bilingual, not-for-profit institution whose mission is to recognize excellence in the content and creation of Canadian magazines through an annual program of awards. The awards gala takes place each June in Toronto. Each year the NMAF receives more than 2000 submission for 40 categories.

National Newspaper Awards
The National Newspaper Awards’ aim is to encourage excellence and reward achievement in newspaper work in this country. The awards are annual prizes open to members of the editorial staffs of daily newspapers and news wire agencies and to freelancers whose works appear in daily newspapers.

Ontario Newspaper Awards
Originated by the Kitchener-Waterloo Press Club, the awards consist of 38 categories and are vied for by 30 daily newspapers across Ontario.

RTNDA Awards
A prestigious national and regional awards program recognizing excellence in broadcast journalism. RTNDA awards are named after recognized leaders in the industry. The competition is open only to members of RTNDA Canada and submissions must be produced by a licensed broadcaster or news service.

Tyee Fellowships
Applications are invited for the Tyee Fellowships for investigative or solutions-oriented reporting. Fellowships are $5000 for a series of reports that help educate about important issues in British Columbia (and beyond). The Tyee Fellowships are dependent on funding, so check in with the Tyee to see about this year’s opportunities.

Western Magazine Awards
The Western Magazine Awards Foundation was established on March 1, 1983, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Its mandate is to honour editorial excellence in western Canadian magazine writing, photography, illustration and art direction through an evening awards ceremony and a day of industry-specific professional development seminars. Entries were processed online for the first time in 2008.