Category Definitions & Specific Rules
For general rules, please see Eligibility
& Rules. The fee for individual entries in each category is $85 each (+HST),
unless otherwise stated.
Written Categories*
NEW! All categories are
open to Print Magazines, Digital Magazines and Magazine Website submissions:
Arts & Entertainment: Any article on the arts or entertainment.
Best Short Feature: Any non-fiction article of
2,000 words or less. Opinion columns are not eligible. Entries will be judged exclusively on the strength and
quality of the writing. Any article entered in Best Short Feature category may not be entered in any other
written category
Business: Any article on business.
Columns: Any set of three (3) columns by the
same writer in the same publication.
Essays: Any article in which a writer's
perspective is paramount, offering an argument or a reflection. The regular columns of columnists are not
eligible.
Fiction: Any work of fiction first
published by the magazine. Entries in Fiction are not eligible for entry in any other written
category.
Health & Medicine: Any article on health
or medicine.
How-to: Any article that is instructional in
nature. Articles submitted in any of the Service categories may not be entered in the How-to
category.
Humour: Any humorous piece.
Investigative Reporting: Any article based on
original fact-finding and enterprising newsgathering.
One-of-a-kind: Any non-fiction article that
does not fit the definition of any other written category. The intent is to open the competition to written
work that is not easily classified. Entries in this category cannot be entered in any other written
category.
Personal Journalism: Any article that focuses
on the personal experiences of the writer.
Poetry: Any work of poetry first published by
the magazine (a series of up to three poems by the same author from a single issue is permitted).
Politics & Public Interest: Articles that
focus on politics or public issues with the potential to influence national or local public policy. Articles
entered in this category may NOT also be entered in the Society category.
Profiles: Any article that focuses on one
person or a group. Articles entered in the Profiles category may not be entered in any other written
category.
Science, Technology & the Environment: Any
article on science, technology or environmental issues. Articles entered in this category may NOT also be
entered in the category Society.
Service-Health & Family: Any
informational article covering health, medicine, psychology, relationships and education. Articles submitted
in this category may NOT also be entered in category Health & Medicine or in the category How-to, nor in
any of the other service categories.
Service-Lifestyle: Any informational
article that deals with interests including, but not limited to, travel, recreation, music, environment,
décor, maintenance, hobbies, food and fashion. Food articles may include recipes but may not consist entirely
of recipes. Articles submitted in this category may NOT also be entered in category How-to, nor in any of the
other service categories.
Service-Personal Finance & Business:
Any informational article covering personal finance, business and careers. Articles submitted in this
category may NOT also be entered in category Business or in the category How-to, nor in any of the other
service categories.
Society: Articles directly concerned with
social issues. Articles submitted in categories Politics & Public Interest or Science, Technology
& the Environment may not be entered in this category.
Sports & Recreation: Any article on
sports or recreation.
Travel: Any article that relies on a
sense of place for its impact.
Open to Print Magazines only:
Editorial Package: Any collection of articles on a related theme in a single issue that
reflects collaboration by editors and writers. Restricted to a maximum of three (3) editorial package entries
per magazine. ($150 entry fee for each)
ATTENTION! *Please note that for all submissions you must submit either
one original tear sheet (for Print Magazine submissions) or one print out of the article (for Digital
Magazine & Magazine Website submissions), six sets of stapled photocopies and a PDF of the article. For
other rules, please see Rules &
Eligibility.
Integrated Categories
Open to Digital Magazines and Magazine Website submissions only:
Best Multi-media
Feature**: An original digital feature that best serves its intended audience through use of the
digital medium including audio/visual elements as well as blogs and social media including forums,
user-generated content, message boards etc.
Open to Print Magazine and Digital Magazine submissions only:
Best Single Issue: This prize is awarded to the magazine that has published the best single
issue of the year in terms of the overall quality and originality of the content and its relevance to the
intended readers. Editors must include four (4) copies of a cover letter (max 300 words) to summarize the
issue's goals. ($150 entry fee for each)
Magazine Covers: Any single magazine
cover.
Single Service Article Package: A single service article that displays superior packaging
of visual and written components and that reflects collaboration by the editorial team (which could include
editor(s), writer(s), photographer(s), illustrator(s), stylist(s) and others). Packaging elements could
include (but are not limited to) annotations, illustrations, photography, sidebars and captions. This
category is intended for single articles that are driven more by instructional content than by storytelling.
Any article entered in Single Service Article Package may NOT also be entered in Words & Pictures. This
category does NOT include related articles packaged together.
Words & Pictures: Any article that
relies for its impact on the successful integration of text and visuals as inseparable elements. Entries in
Words & Pictures may NOT also be entered in Single Service Article Package.
ATTENTION!
*Please note that for Integrated Categories a PDF must be uploaded for each entry. Print
Magazines must submit four (4) original sets of tear sheets (or 4 issues for Best Single Issue) in addition
to the PDFs for each entry (Print Magazines may submit a PDF of just the cover for Best Single Issue).
Digital Magazines must submit a URL that links ONLY to the material that is to be judged.
All URLS must be available from the date of entry through the end of April 2012. A Digital Magazine
submitting a tablet edition to Best Single Issue must include a URL to their iTunes page and free access to
the issue that is to be judged. Please see FAQs for further details. For
other rules, please see Rules &
Eligibility.
NEW! **Must submit a URL. All URLs
must be available from mid-February to mid-March, 2012.
Visual Categories
NEW! Open to Print Magazine and Digital Magazine submissions only:
Art Direction for a Single Magazine
Article
Art Direction for an Entire Issue
Open to Magazine Website submissions only:
Best Digital Design**: A digital publication with the most successful and original overall
combination of visual and graphic design elements with functionality, including ease of navigation,
readability of content, successful integration of audio/visual elements and a clear distinction between paid
content/advertising and editorial content.
NEW! Open to Print Magazine, Digital Magazine and Magazine Website submissions:
NEW! Creative Photography (formerly Conceptual Photography):Any idea-or concept-driven photograph or
series of photographs. Submissions in this category may not be entered in any other photography category or
in Words & Pictures.
NEW! Fashion: Any fashion layout
using photography or illustration
NEW! Beauty: Any beauty layout using photography or
illustration.
Homes & Gardens: Any photographic
layout for a single article that celebrates interiors or exteriors. This includes architecture, décor
and gardens.
Illustration: Any spread, cover or photo
illustration that is a half page or larger (or digital equivalent); colour or black and white; single or
series.
Photojournalism & Photo Essay: Any
photograph or series of photographs from a single issue, shot on location, which records events or situations
not controlled by the photographer. This category includes photo essays, travel and landscape photographs
that accompany a single article, though any accompanying text is not judged.
Portrait Photography: Any photograph or
series of photographs for a single article on one or more people.
Spot Illustration: Any illustration less
than half a page (or digital equivalent); colour or black and white, single or series.
Still-life Photography: Any photograph or
series of photographs of an object or objects, for a single article. This category includes food and
product.
ATTENTION!
*Visual submissions require a PDF of each complete entry. However, Print Magazine
submissions for Art Direction for an Entire Issue require four (4) entire original issues of the entry and a
PDF of just the cover. Digital Magazine submissions for Art Direction of an Entire Issue require a URL that
links directly to ONLY the material that is to be judged and a PDF of the
opening spread or issue cover. A Digital Magazine
submitting a tablet edition to Art Direction for an Entire Issue must include a URL to their iTunes page and
free access to the issue that is to be judged. Please see FAQs for further details. All entries must
be live and available from the date of entry through to the end of April, 2012. For
other rules, please see Rules &
Eligibility.
NEW! **Magazine Websites must submit a URL.
All entries must be live and available from mid-February to mid-March, 2012.
Magazine of the Year (Digital)*
A Digital Magazine or Magazine
Website that successfully fulfills its editorial mission by representing the highest journalistic
standards and effectively serving its intended audience by maximizing the possibilities afforded by the
digital medium. These include excellence of content, interactivity, rich media, design, navigation, and
social media. Editorial material must be clearly delineated from sponsored content, advertising and product
sales as prescribed by ASME's Best
Practices for Digital Media. An editorial mandate is required with this entry. The entry fee is
$150.
NEW! *Magazine Websites must submit a URL. All
entries must be live and available from mid-February to mid-March, 2012. A Digital Magazine submitting a
tablet edition must include a URL to their iTunes page and free access to the issue that is to be judged.
Please see FAQs for further
details.
Magazine of the Year (Print)
This award will go to the magazine that most consistently
engages, surprises and serves the needs of its readers. Entrants must send in five (5) sets of any three (3)
issues from the year 2011. The entry fee is $150. Editors must include five copies of a
cover letter of no more than one (1) page with an application. The letter will a) outline briefly the mandate
of the magazine and b) summarize briefly the magazine's achievements during the year. These might include
examples of compelling packaging, mix, writing and reporting, among other things. Read more about this category.
The Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement
This award recognizes an individual's innovation and creativity
through contributions to the Canadian magazine industry. There is no fee for submissions in
this category. Applications consist of a letter indicating the candidates name, title and career
achievements, with supporting letters from at least two (2) other individuals. The deadline for submissions
in this category ONLY is March 2, 2012. Read more about this
category.
NEW! Best New Magazine Writer
This award will go to a writer whose early work in magazines
(Print Magazine, Digital Magazine or Magazine
Website) shows the highest degree of craft and promise. The award is open to students and magazine
writers with a maximum of two years’ experience in professional journalism. The intent is to restrict this
award to emerging writing talent in Canadian magazines. Eligible work must be non-fiction and a minimum of
1,000 words in length and the candidate must not have a published article longer than 1,000 words in any
magazine prior to 2010. Articles published in university/college magazines are eligible.
The entry fee is $25. Only one entry per
person. All entries must comply with the NMAF's Rules &
Eligibility.
Each submission must be accompanied by a one-page letter of reference from the handling editor of the piece.
We require four (4) original copies of the submission and four (4) copies of the reference letter. This award
includes a cash prize of $500.
NEW! Best New Visual Creator
This award will go to an illustrator, photographer or digital
image creator whose early work in magazines (Print Magazine, Digital Magazine or Magazine
Website) shows the highest degree of craft and promise. The award is open to students and magazine
photographers and illustrators with a maximum of two years’ experience in professional journalism. The intent
is to restrict this award to emerging creative talent in Canadian magazines. Eligible work must be a minimum
of one full page in size or digital equivalent and the candidate must not have a published photograph or
illustration of larger than one full page in size or digital equivalent in any magazine prior to 2010.
Illustrations/photographs published in university/college magazines are eligible.
The entry fee is $25. Only one entry per person. All entries must comply with the NMAF's Rules & Eligibility.
Each submission must be accompanied by a one-page letter of reference from the handling art director of the
piece. We require four (4) original copies of the submission and four (4) copies of the reference letter.
This award includes a cash prize of $500.
The submission deadline is Friday January 13, 2012 at 5pm Eastern Time and
submissions must be RECEIVED IN THEIR ENTIRETY to be eligible. Submissions postmarked by
January 13, 2012 but received on Monday, January 16 will be subject the late fee of $25 per
entry. Applications received after 5pm on Monday, January 16 will NOT be accepted.
