National Newspaper Awards to welcome entries in any language for all categories in 2024
Special Topic remains open only to journalists working in a language other than French or English
TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2024 — The National Newspaper Awards will welcome submissions in any language in all categories for the 2024 National Newspaper Awards.
The decision was approved by the Board of Governors at a meeting on Sept. 26.
Submissions in a language other than French or English were accepted for the first time last year in a Special Topic category, with Chinese-language publication Sing Tao winning the inaugural award.
The Special Topic for the 2024 contest will again be restricted to work in a language other than French or English, but those submissions may also be entered in other categories. This is similar to how submissions by small news organizations in the Local Reporting category may also be entered in other categories.
The changes are part of an ongoing commitment to make the competition more diverse and inclusive, better reflecting the range of publications and journalism across the country.
Other changes this year include:
- Submissions in the Photo Story category may now be credited to one or more photographers, provided the images form a cohesive narrative. Last year, photos could only be submitted on behalf of a single photographer.
- Freelance journalists who work a specific beat and sell their stories to multiple publications will now be able to enter the Beat Reporting category as a freelancer, entering stories from various publications.
- Judges may now consider photos submitted as part of all entries, along with audio, video and graphics. Previously, they were not able to consider photos as part of submissions in the following categories: International Reporting, Beat Reporting, Business, Sports, Arts and Entertainment, and Politics.
Existing rules around eligibility remain in place, after they were expanded last year. Canadian non-daily newspapers that typically publish at least five days a week online — but may not always meet that threshold — remain eligible for the competition.
For the third year in a row, the National Newspaper Awards will welcome submissions in one category from Canadian journalists or organizations who would otherwise be ineligible for the competition. The Special Recognition Citation is designed to recognize exceptional journalism that does not fit into any of the existing categories. All types of journalism will be considered for the citation, including text, video, audio, photos, graphics, newsletters and social media. All types of news organizations are eligible, including broadcasters or magazines who would otherwise be ineligible. The citation is meant to open the door to experimentation in journalism: transcending categories, newsrooms and the industry.
In keeping with longstanding practice, any changes approved by NNA Governors are in effect for the 2024 competition, which covers work published between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024.
The cost to enter this year’s competition, which opens on Dec. 1, remains at $30 per submission. Award winners will be named at an in-person gala on April 25 in Montreal. Tickets will be available for purchase.
The Board of Governors was also pleased to welcome a new board member and a new Director of Sponsorships at its September meeting.
Joining the board is Christine Loureiro, the Toronto Star’s senior editor, digital strategy. She leads the homepage, alerts, content strategy and social teams. Her team was nominated for a National Newspaper Awards for breaking news in 2018 and 2020, and won the Arts and Entertainment award in 2016. She has served as the Star’s arts editor and editor-in-chief of The Kit, and was selected for the Online News Association Women’s Leadership Accelerator in 2022.
Amanda Hansen has joined the organization as Director of Sponsorships and will be responsible for securing sponsors for the contest and gala. Based in Gatineau, Que., she currently works for the Quebec Community Newspaper Association, where she is the project coordinator of the Better Newspapers Competition and the Local Journalism Initiative.
Sponsorship opportunities remain available for the gala and for named awards. For information on either opportunity, contact Amanda at promotion@nna-ccj.ca or 819-583-9609.
This is the 76th year for the awards program, and the 36th under the current administrative structure. The awards were established by the Toronto Press Club in 1949 to encourage excellence and reward achievement in daily newspaper work in Canada. The competition is now open to newspapers, news agencies and online news sites approved for entry by the NNA Board of Governors.
For more information, contact:
Bev Wake
Executive Director
National Newspaper Awards
exec@nna-ccj.ca
604-220-7254
Andria Samis
Program Director
National Newspaper Awards
info@nna-ccj.ca
416-738-3654
Amanda Hansen
Director of Sponsorship
National Newspaper Awards
promotion@nna-ccj.ca
819-583-9609
