The OCNA is proud to recognize the outstanding work produced each week by our member newspapers and showcase it to readers and advertisers. Thank you to everyone who submitted entries for the 2018 BNC Awards and congratulations to the winners in each category.
Visit www.ocna.org/bncbooklet2018 to see the BNC Results book.
General Excellence Awards
GE01 - Class 1: Circ. 1,999 & under
1st place: The Independent Serving Petrolia and Central Lambton
2nd place: The Herald Serving Thamesville, Dresden and Bothwell
3rd place: Deep River North Renfrew Times
GE02 - Class 2: Circ. 2,000 - 3,499
1st place: Haliburton County Echo
GE03 - Class 3: Circ. 3,500 - 6,499
3rd place: Niagara This Week, Town Crier
GE04 - Class 4: Circ. 6,500 - 12,499
Sponsored by: Metro Creative Graphics
1st place: Haliburton, The Highlander
2nd place: Niagara This Week, The Leader
3rd place: Niagara This Week, Fort Erie Post
GE05 - Class 5: Circ. 12,500 - 22,499
2nd place: Northumberland News
GE06 - Class 6: Circ. 22,500 - 44,999
Sponsored by: Northern News Services
1st place: Sudbury Northern Life
2nd place: Fergus Wellington Advertiser
GE07 - Class 7: Circ. 45,000 & over
1st place: Niagara This Week, St. Catharines
GE08 - Class 8: College & University
1st place: Algonquin College - Algonquin Times
2nd place: Niagara College - Niagara News
3rd place: Humber College - Et Cetera
College/University Awards
CU01 - Student Feature Writing
Sponsored by: Ontario General Contractors Association
3rd place: Loyalist College - Jessica Clement
Honourable Mention: Fanshawe College - Lauren Dietrich
CU02 - Student News Writing
Sponsored by: Ontario Journalism Educators Association
1st place: Loyalist College - Frank Moses
2nd place: Humber College - Amy Chen
3rd place: Humber College - Andrew Jeffrey
CU03 - Student Photography
1st place: Loyalist College - Andrej Ivanov
2nd place: Algonquin College - Karine Beaulieu
3rd place: Niagara College - Beth Audet
CU04 - Best College/University Newspaper Website
1st place: Algonquin College - algonquintimes.ca
2nd place: Durham College - chronicle.durhamcollege.ca
3rd place: Niagara College - niagara-news.com
Honourable Mention: Humber College - humberetc.ca
Premier Awards
PC01 - Arts & Entertainment
Sponsored by: Star Metroland Media, Southwestern Ontario Division
2nd place: Barrhaven Independent
3rd place: Grimsby Lincoln News
Honourable Mention: Deep River North Renfrew Times
PC02 - Best Business and Finance Story
2nd place: Elmira-Woolwich Observer
3rd place: Beach-East York Neighbourhood Voice
Honourable Mention: Peterborough This Week
PC03 - Best Editorial, circ. over 10,000
1st place: Sudbury Northern Life
3rd place: The Canadian Jewish News
Honourable Mention: Fergus Wellington Advertiser
PC04 - Best Editorial, circ. under 9,999
2nd place: The Independent Serving Petrolia and Central Lambton
Honourable Mention: Barrhaven Independent
PC05 - Education Writing
Sponsored by: Ontario Journalism Educators Association
3rd place: The Canadian Jewish News
Honourable Mention: New Liskeard Temiskaming Speaker
PC06 - Environment Ontario
2nd place: Smiths Falls Record News
3rd place: Hamilton/Burlington Bay Observer
Honourable Mention: Kawartha Lakes This Week
PC07 - Feature Writing, circ. over 10,000
Sponsored by: O’Donnell, Robertson & Partners
1st place: The Canadian Jewish News
PC08 - Feature Writing, circ. under 9,999
Sponsored by: O’Donnell, Robertson & Partners
1st place: Haliburton County Echo
3rd place: East Gwillimbury Express
Honourable Mention: Aylmer Express
PC09 - Health & Wellness
1st place: Milton Canadian Champion
2nd place: Beach-East York Neighbourhood Voice
Honourable Mention: Niagara This Week, Niagara Falls
PC10 - Heritage
Sponsored by: Fort Frances Times
1st place: The Canadian Jewish News
2nd place: Smiths Falls Record News
3rd place: Niagara This Week, St. Catharines
Honourable Mention: Hamilton/Burlington Bay Observer
Honourable Mention: Haliburton County Echo
Honourable Mention: Eganville Leader
PC11 - Best Investigative News Story
2nd place: The Independent Serving Petrolia and Central Lambton
PC12 - Best News Story, circ. over 10,000
Sponsored by: Hydro One Networks
1st place: The Canadian Jewish News
Honourable Mention: Richmond Hill/Thornhill Liberal
PC13 - Best News Story, circ. under 9,999
Sponsored by: Hydro One Networks
1st place: Manitoulin Expositor
2nd place: Deep River North Renfrew Times
3rd place: The Independent Serving Petrolia and Central Lambton
PC14 - Best Rural Story, circ. over 10,000
Sponsored by: Hydro One Networks
1st place: Smiths Falls Record News
2nd place: Waterdown Flamborough Review
Honourable Mention: Stoney Creek News
Honourable Mention: Guelph Mercury Tribune
PC15 - Best Rural Story, circ. under 9,999
Sponsored by: Hydro One Networks
1st place: Blyth/Brussels Citizen
2nd place: Huntsville Forester
3rd place: Kincardine Independent
Honourable Mention: Uxbridge Times-Journal
PC16 - Best Feature/News Series, circ. over 10,000
Sponsored by: Hydro One Networks
2nd place: Carleton Place/Almonte Canadian Gazette
Honourable Mention: Ajax Pickering News Advertiser
Honourable Mention: Barrie Advance
Honourable Mention: Stoney Creek News
PC17 - Best Feature/News Series, circ. under 9,999
Sponsored by: Hydro One Networks
2nd place: Haliburton, The Highlander
3rd place: Manitoulin Expositor
PC18 - Sport & Recreation Story
1st place: Barrhaven Independent
Honourable Mention: Nunavut News/North
PC19 - Best Headline Writing
3rd place: Guelph Mercury Tribune
PC20 - Humour Columnist of the Year
1st place: Deep River North Renfrew Times - Vance Gutzman
2nd place: Manotick Messenger - Jeff Morris
3rd place: Uxbridge Cosmos - Lisha Van Nieuwenhove
PC21 - Columnist of the Year
1st place: Vankleek Hill Review - Jacquie Severs
2nd place: Niagara This Week, Fort Erie Post - James Culic
3rd place: Manotick Messenger - Jeff Morris
PC22 - Reporter of the Year - Stephen Shaw Award
Sponsored by: Ontario Power Generation
1st place: Newmarket Era/Aurora Banner - Lisa Queen
2nd place: Richmond Hill/Thornhill Liberal - Kim Zarzour
3rd place: Peterborough This Week - Todd Vandonk
Honourable Mention: Markham Economist & Sun - Jeremy Grimaldi
PC23 - Best Feature Photo, circ. over 10,000
3rd place: Niagara This Week, Fort Erie Post
Honourable Mention: Stouffville Sun-Tribune
PC24 - Best Feature Photo, circ. under 9,999
1st place: Vankleek Hill Review
2nd place: New Liskeard Temiskaming Speaker
3rd place: Kincardine Independent
PC25 - Best Photo Layout
1st place: Fergus Wellington Advertiser
2nd place: Ajax Pickering News Advertiser
3rd place: Midland/Penetanguishene Mirror
Honourable Mention: Voice of Pelham
Honourable Mention: Alexandria Glengarry News
PC26 - Best Sports Photo
2nd place: Northumberland News
3rd place: The Independent Serving Petrolia and Central Lambton
Honourable Mention: Fort Frances Times
PC27 - Best Spot News Photo
Sponsored by: Star Metroland Media, Southwestern Ontario Division
1st place: The Independent Serving Petrolia and Central Lambton
3rd place: Haldimand County, The Sachem
PC28 - Best News Photo
PC29 - Most Creative Grip and Grin Photo
PC30 - Photographer of the Year
1st place: Oshawa This Week - Ryan Pfeiffer
2nd place: Ajax Pickering News Advertiser - Sabrina Byrnes
3rd place: The Independent Serving Petrolia and Central Lambton - Heather Wright
Honourable Mention: Orleans Star - Fred Sherwin
PC31 - Cartoonist of the Year
1st place: Ancaster News - Mike Vukovich
2nd place: Orleans Star - Sarah Chaplin
3rd place: Cornwall Seaway News - James Lapierre
PC32 - Community Service
1st place: Uxbridge Cosmos - 13 Ways to Kill Your Community
2nd place: Waterdown Flamborough Review - 100th Anniversary
3rd place: Aylmer Express - Three Port Tour
PC33 - Best Vertical Product
1st place: Hamilton Mountain News - Community Guide
2nd place: Huntsville Forester - Muskoka Life
3rd place: Fergus Wellington Advertiser - Visit Elora and Fergus - Grand and Gorgeous
PC34 - Best Front Page, circ. over 10,000
Sponsored by: Laurentian Publishing
1st place: Sudbury Northern Life
2nd place: The Canadian Jewish News
3rd place: Niagara This Week, St. Catharines
Honourable Mention: Niagara This Week, Fort Erie Post
Honourable Mention: Caledon Enterprise
PC35 - Best Front Page, circ. under 9,999
Sponsored by: Laurentian Publishing
PC36 - Best Sports Section
2nd place: Waterdown Flamborough Review
3rd place: Haliburton County Echo
Honourable Mention: Nunavut News/North
PC37 - Special Section, circ. over 10,000
1st place: Fergus Wellington Advertiser - Celebrating 50 Years
2nd place: The Canadian Jewish News - Celebrations
3rd place: Alliston Herald - Potato Festival
PC38 - Special Section, circ. under 9,999
1st place: Nunavut News/North - Opportunities North
2nd place: Eganville Leader - 7th Annual Irish Edition
3rd place: Winchester Press - 130 Years of Stories
PC39 - Best Creative Ad
PC40 - In House Promotion
1st place: Fergus Wellington Advertiser
3rd place: The Independent Serving Petrolia and Central Lambton
Honourable Mention: Scarborough Mirror
PC41 - Local Retail Layout
Sponsored by: Metro Creative Graphics
1st place: Fergus Wellington Advertiser
2nd place: Kincardine Independent
3rd place: Haliburton County Echo
Honourable Mention: Manitoulin Expositor
Honourable Mention: Newmarket Era/Aurora Banner
PC42 - Original Ad Idea
1st place: Haliburton, The Highlander
2nd place: Guelph Mercury Tribune
Honourable Mention: Fergus Wellington Advertiser
PC43 - Best Use of Colour
1st place: Cornwall Seaway News
2nd place: Manitoulin Expositor
3rd place: Waterdown Flamborough Review
Honourable Mention: East Gwillimbury Express
PC44 - Best Community Website/WebPortal, circ. over 10,000
1st place: Sudbury Northern Life - sudbury.com
2nd place: Fergus Wellington Advertiser - wellingtonadvertiser.com
3rd place: Elmira-Woolwich Observer - ObserverXtra.com
Honourable Mention: The Canadian Jewish News - cjnews.com
PC45 - Best Community Website/WebPortal, circ. under 9,999
1st place: Manitoulin Expositor - manitoulin.ca
2nd place: North Grenville Times - ngtimes.ca
3rd place: Parry Sound North Star - parrysound.com
PC46 - ONLINE Special Initiative
1st place: Sudbury Northern Life
2nd place: The Herald Serving Thamesville, Dresden and Bothwell
3rd place: Waterdown Flamborough Review
PC47 - ONLINE Breaking News Coverage
1st place: Sudbury Northern Life
3rd place: Newmarket Era/Aurora Banner
Honourable Mention: North York Mirror
PC48 - Multimedia Online/Best Online Experience for a Story
1st place: Peterborough This Week
3rd place: Hamilton Mountain News
Congratulations to all!