On May 1st, 2025, the National Media Awards Foundation (NMAF), dedicated to acknowledging, fostering, and championing excellence in Canadian print and digital content creation, announced the nominees of the 48th annual National Magazine Awards. With careful consideration from the volunteer judges, 11 magazines from British Columbia received 14 nominations.
Congratulations to the two winners from British Columbia! The Narwhal received Silver in the Photo Essay & Photojournalism category for “The fight for life downstream of Alberta’s tailings ponds — full of arsenic, mercury and lead“, and Geist Magazine received Silver in the One-of-a-Kind Storytelling category for “Long Lost Lido“. Winners were announced at an awards gala in Toronto on June 13.
Here are the B.C. nominees and winners:
Long-form Feature Writing
HONOURABLE MENTION
The First First Responders
Hakai Magazine
Writer: Adrienne Mason
Contributors: Bennett Whitnell, photographer; Shanna Baker, editor
Feature Writing
HONOURABLE MENTION
The Owls Who Came From Away
Hakai Magazine
Writer: Jude Isabella
Short Feature Writing
HONOURABLE MENTION
Hawai‘i Revisited
Range
Writer: Sydney Loney
Contributor: Ricky-Thomas Serikawa, photographer
HONOURABLE MENTION
Of Sea Slugs and Serenity
YAM
Writer: Melissa Gignac
Contributor: Joanne Sasvari, editor
Fiction
HONOURABLE MENTION
The Pale
EVENT Magazine
Writer: Annick MacAskill
Personal Journalism
HONOURABLE MENTION
The Grief of Mourning Sentences
subTerrain Magazine
Writer: Peter Babiak
HONOURABLE MENTION
Lanterns
The Malahat Review
Writer: Marcel Goh
HONOURABLE MENTION
The Pathfinder
The Malahat Review
Writer: Aldyn Chwelos
Photo Essay & Photojournalism
SILVER
The fight for life downstream of Alberta’s tailings ponds — full of arsenic, mercury and lead
The Narwhal
Photographer: Amber Bracken
Contributors: Shawn Parkinson, creative director; Sharon J. Riley, editor
One-of-a-Kind Storytelling
SILVER
Long Lost Lido
Geist
Creator: Onjana Yawnghwe
Contributor: Dayna Mahannah, editor-in-chief
Art Direction Grand Prix
HONOURABLE MENTION
Volume 8
Range
Art Director: Stefanie Sosiak
Contributors: Dominique Lamberton, editorial director; Lori Morgan, photography director; Andrew Elkin, contributing editor; Robert Liwanag, senior editor
Best Magazine: Service & Lifestyle
HONOURABLE MENTION
Vancouver Magazine
“Without a doubt, Vancouver magazine expertly connects with its readers. With honesty, simplicity, and devotion, it demonstrates a clear and wholehearted commitment to its audience. Bravo!”—NMA Jury
Best Magazine: Special Interest
HONOURABLE MENTION
DARBY Magazine
“DARBY delivers a bold visual experience with captivating photography and striking design. The community-oriented stories at the intersection of football, identity, and culture are engaging, heartfelt, and relevant. It offers insight into the world of Canadian soccer, from a grassroots fan perspective right up to the professional level. The stories are genuine, and the art direction reflects the passion of everyone involved—a great idea executed with panache.” —NMA Jury
HONOURABLE MENTION
Paddling Magazine
“Paddling is a simple, beautiful consumer magazine that understands its audience and what they want, and delivers on every level. It offers service journalism with expertise, and stunning photography supported by disciplined design and execution. Paddling gives both paddlers and non-paddlers alike an exciting and immersive reading experience. It succeeds in being entertaining and informative, all while emphasizing the beauty of being close to water.”—NMA Jury
Read the full list of nominees on the National Magazine Awards website.
