TORONTO, June 12, 2025 – The Board of Governors of the National Newspaper Awards (NNAs) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mariana Soares as the organization’s next program director, effective July 1, 2025.
Soares will replace Andria Samis, who is stepping down at the end of the organization’s current fiscal year. Soares joins Anne Marie Owens, who was earlier named the NNAs’ new executive director, also effective July 1.
Soares is a certified project management professional who has overseen contest processes, non-profit management and stakeholder engagement. She has worked for the Bravo Foundation in Sao Paulo, the London Waldorf School in London, Ont. and, most recently, at Yes Montreal.
She speaks English, Portuguese, Spanish and French.
“We are excited to have Mariana bring her experience and energy to the National Newspaper Awards,” Owens said.
“She has organized events and competitions, juggling myriad moving parts and managing budgets. As the daughter of a journalist, she grew up with a deep understanding of the importance of trusted journalism.”
This is the 77th year of the awards program, which was established in 1949 to encourage excellence and reward achievement in daily newspaper work in Canada. The competition is now open to daily newspapers, news agencies and online news sites approved for entry by the Board of Governors.
