National Magazine Awards and Magazine Grands Prix to merge
The National Magazine Awards and Magazine Grands Prix awards programs are merging into one awards program in 2018.
On Nov. 1, 2017, the National Media Awards Foundation and Magazines Canada announced that they are bringing the two programs together. The 41st National Magazine Awards will have 29 categories, including Grands Prix: Best Magazine awards in six categories that will recognize excellence in magazine publishing.
“We are delighted to enter into this new chapter with Magazines Canada to amplify our shared purpose of championing the breadth of excellence and creativity in magazines through one awards program,” said Nino Di Cara, president of the NMAF, in a statement posted on the Magazines Canada website.
Magazines Canada launched its own award program, the Magazine Grands Prix, in 2016. The award ceremony took place during the organization’s annual MagNet conference in 2017.
In December 2015, the Canadian Magazines blog reported that several of the largest publishers told the National Magazine Awards Foundation — at the time, the only national Canadian magazine award program — that they intended to drop out of the NMAs, citing concerns over the number of awards, arguing that there should be fewer awards, focused on celebrating excellence at the highest levels. Among those reported to have signed the letter were Douglas Knight, then the chair of the Magazines Canada board and president of St. Joseph’s Media (he has since retired), and Lucie Dumas, who is also on the board of Magazines Canada.
The merger will not impact the Digital Publishing Awards, which were announced by NMAF in 2015.
The call for entries for the new NMA program opens on Dec. 4, 2017.
H.G. Watson was J-Source's managing editor from 2015 to 2018. She is a journalist based in Toronto. You can learn more about her at hgwatson.com.