While it gets harder and harder to make a living as a journalist, as jobs disappear and more people vie for paid freelance gigs, awards and contests that offer a professional and financial boost are more important than ever. Keeping track of all the deadlines and finding new opportunities takes time, though. So thanks are owed to the people at the National Magazine Award Foundation, who have put together a very handy list of awards, fellowships, grants, and contests, arranged by category (awards for young professionals, non-fiction writing contests, etc.), including deadlines. Anyone in this country who has done a random online search for journalism awards and fellowships will appreciate this: they are all open to Canadian writers. Thanks are also due to freelancer Lisa Bendall, who suggested the idea on the Toronto Freelance Editors and Writers email list.
If you have feedback on the list or want NMAF to add an item, you can contact them by email.