The Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement
The NMAF’s most prestigious individual prize since its inception in 1990 is The Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement. This year the NMAF is honoured to name Charles Oberdorf as the recipient for his exceptional contributions to the Canadian magazine community.
Charles Oberdorf has been part of the Canadian magazine community for more than 35 years. As a freelance writer he has contributed to scores of national consumer magazines, on subjects ranging from science and city planning to flower gardening and food. He produced monthly travel columns for Saturday Night and Canadian, the airline in-flight magazine, and together with his partner, Mechtild Hoppenrath, for the Financial Post Magazine, Homemaker’s and Ontario Medicine. For 23 years he was one of the anonymous team of four that produced Toronto Life’s monthly “Epicure” food column.
He has been a finalist for the National Magazine Awards five times and has won two Gold Awards along with several international writing awards. He has written or co-authored five books. As a staff editor he worked at Weekend Magazine, Toronto Life, IE:Money, Elm Street and for nine years at City & Country Home. |
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He served nine years on the Board of the National Magazine Awards Foundation, as President in 1993-94. He is a longstanding member of Magazines Canada’s membership committee and since 1994 has been one of that organization’s travelling consultants, working with editors from Yellowknife to Fredericton to Castlegar B.C.
Since 1994 he has taught magazine editing in the School of Continuing Education at Ryerson, and since 2002 he has been Coordinator of the school’s Magazine Publishing program, increasing the number of courses and making the program a professional development resource for people already working on magazines as well as a starting place for those who would like to be.
What they've said about Charles Oberdorf:
As an editor and a writer, he always hewed to the best traditions in magazine journalism, enriching the lives of Canadian readers and setting an example for Canadian journalists. – John Macfarlane, former winner of the Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement.
As a teacher, writer, volunteer, mentor, manager and friend, he touched more people in the Canadian [magazine] industry than seems possible for one guy. – D.B. Scott, president of Impresa Communications Limited and publisher of Canadian Magazines blog.
Charles has always been a fighter, for what I believe are all the right reasons – justice, equality, quality. – Jessica Ross, executive editor, Homemakers.
Everyone has two or three truly effective teachers: Charles is one of mine. – Martin Zibauer, senior editor, Cottage Life.
[Charles] has performed his duties as an educator with his usual good humour, considerable charm, kind mentorship and impressive vocabulary. – Margaret Webb, instructor of magazine publishing, Ryerson University.
I don’t know how to express this other than to say he simply “got it” when so many others didn’t. – Catherine Osbourne, senior editor, Azure.
When I think about Charles, the first thing that pops to mind is his distinctive, rolling laughter – the delight of a man connecting his fine mind with ideas and other people. – Penny Williams
[E]verywhere he has worked, he has been a civilizing, sophisticated influence in the office and on the page. – James Chatto, editor of Harry, contributing editor of Toronto Life.
I found [Toronto Life’s Epicure column] so clever, so wonderfully literary. I marveled that someone could do this. I soon learned it was a fellow named Oberdorf. – David Hayes, freelance writer.
I’ve seen him take a room of desultory people and have them all wanting to be editors by the time he sits down. – Gwen Dunant
Charles is a sophisticated writer; a thoughtful editor; a specialist in a magazine staple – the fine-living subjects of travel, design, food and wine; a man with a keen intellect and curiosity who has a knack for finding stories that engage; a magazine-lover. – Stephen Trumper
About the Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement
In 1990, The National Magazine Awards Foundation introduced the first annual Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement, an award that recognizes an individual's innovation and creativity through contributions to the magazine industry.
The award is open to circulation experts, editors, marketing, sales and promotion professionals, publishers, designers, production managers - in short, to everyone in the industry. It cannot be given posthumously.
Nominations for this award are welcome from everyone in the industry. The nomination consists of a letter from the nominator indicating the candidate’s name, title and career achievements, with supporting letters from at least two (2) other individuals.
The Judging Committee of the National Magazine Awards Foundation will consider the nominations, along with nominations from members of the Committee itself. The Board of the National Magazine Awards Foundation will select the winner. No entry fee is required.
Previous Winners of the Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement
2006 Neville Gilfoy
2005 John Macfarlane
2004 Paul Jones
2003 Sally Armstrong
2002 Al Zikovitz
2001 Ken Rodmell
2000 Peter C. Newman
1999 Lynn Cunningham
1998 Robert Fulford
1997 James Ireland
1996 Catherine Keachie
1995 Jean Paré
1994 Don Obe
1993 Barbara Moon
1992 Lloyd Hodgkinson
1991 Michael de Pencier
1990 Prue Hemelrijk
