2022 marks the 9th Canada Best in Business Awards contest. This contest covers work published, broadcast and posted in the 2022 calendar year. The contest opens Wednesday, February 8 and closes on Wednesday, March 8, at 5 p.m. ET.
View last year’s Canada Best in Business Honorees.
The entry period has passed.
Membership
Before you enter the contest, verify your membership on the SABEW website. Click on Member Only in the upper right corner of this page to log in to the member database.
If you have questions about the contest or membership, please email Tess McLaughlin, tmclaughlin@sabew.org.
Entry Fees (in USD)
$45 for all categories
$30 for freelancer and small media (with teams of under four staff members). Use the promo code Freelancer on the payment page.
Payment: Unless prior arrangements are made with SABEW, payment must be made by VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express through the secure Canada BIB contest system. Payment must be received for an entry to be judged. Please note: When submitting multiple entries, the contest system does allow you to leave payment until all entries have been submitted.
Deadline: The Canada Best in Business contest deadline is Wednesday, March 8, at 5 p.m. EST.
Eligibility: Best in Business Canada is open to all Canadian members of SABEW in good standing as of the date of entry. For entries with more than one byline, one person must be a SABEW member in good standing. At least half of the journalists who contributed to each submission must be Canadian.
Good standing means SABEW received your membership dues, and your membership is current as of the date you submit your entries. Send membership questions to Tess McLaughlin, tmclaughlin@sabew.org.
Renew your individual membership. Renew your institutional or academic membership.
Guidelines and Category Descriptions
There are 15 contest categories in 2022, including the Outstanding Achievement Award nominations and Jeff Sanford Best Young Journalist Award.
A cover letter —maximum 500 words—may be submitted with entries.
Submit entries as URLs or as PDFs. If content is behind a paywall, please provide a login and password for judges’ use.
Unless otherwise noted, entries may include up to three elements—including, but not limited to, stories, videos and graphics. If you submit more than three, only three will be read.
All categories are open to digital or print work.
Audio or Visual Storytelling
Audio or visual coverage that is compelling and deeply engaging, demonstrating excellence in storytelling. Submissions can include up to three pieces (say, one great video or three podcasts in a series).
Beat Reporting
Exceptional reporting on a beat of your choosing, such as energy, technology, small business or media. (We will not consider a specific company a “beat.”) This category is open to individual reporters only, though submitted stories can include multiple bylines. Entry requires three stories. We also suggest you submit a cover letter of up to 500 words explaining why you deserve recognition in this category—for instance, consistent scoops, unparalleled access, etc.
Breaking News Coverage
This award is for quick, creative coverage and analysis of a breaking news event. All content must have been published within the first five days of the news breaking. Work can be from one reporter or a team of reporters from within the organization, and must include a cover letter (maximum 500 words) explaining how the coverage added value and differentiated itself from other publications. Infographics, photos and other media may be included.
Commentary
Reported coverage that reflects the point of view of a writer, writers and/or news organization. Includes blogs as well as unsigned editorials and individual columns. Entrants should choose their best four examples and submit them as permalink URLs or PDFs. For unsigned editorials, names of editorial board members must be included in the list of contributors.
Editorial Newsletter
Best editorial email newsletter for either consumer or trade. Judges will consider the quality of the content, along with its value to readers. Entrants must submit a brief statement (maximum 500 words) introducing the publication, articulating the newsletter strategy and commenting on the impact of the newsletter. Entrants must also submit three newsletter URLs or PDFs.
Feature (long-form)
A single story that: a) does not require a time element to be relevant; b) that demonstrates creative approaches to writing and/or presentation; c) is longer than 2,500 words.
Feature (short-form)
A single story that: a) does not require a time element to be relevant; b) that demonstrates creative approaches to writing and/or presentation; c) is shorter than 2,500 words.
Investigative
In-depth, watchdog reporting that: a) presents important information that was unknown to the general public and was unavailable from other sources before publication; b) demonstrates an obvious need for change in law/policy/behaviour. We suggest you submit a cover letter (maximum 500 words) explaining the reporting that went into your submission, its impact and so on.
Jeff Sanford Best Young Journalist Award
Awarded to a journalist with fewer than five years in the industry who has demonstrated consistent excellence in reporting and writing about the world of business. To nominate someone (or yourself) for this category, please submit up to two letters of recommendation (maximum 500 words each), plus up to five articles exemplifying their (your) work.
Outstanding Achievement Award
This award singles out an individual who has had a significant impact on the field of business journalism, either as a reporter or as an editor, and who has nurtured others in the profession. To nominate someone for this category, please submit a letter (maximum 500 words) explaining why they deserve recognition from their peers.
Package
A collection of articles, infographics and other media focused on a particular topic or theme that work together to tell a memorable story. Works may be published all at once or as part of a cohesive series over a set time period, and may be from one reporter or from various reporters contributing to the package. Organizations may contribute up to six elements.
Personal Finance and Investing
Personal finance or investing reporting and/or commentary on any platform. Works may be from one reporter or from various reporters contributing to a single cohesive package or series (not simply a collection of articles that demonstrate the publication’s expertise in this area). Entrants may submit up to five examples as PDFs or permalink URLs.
Profile
A business-themed profile of a person or company that informs and engages the reader.
Scoop
This award will be given to a news organization that was the first to bring to light new, significant information in the Canadian business realm. Entry is limited to a single story and must be accompanied by a cover letter (maximum 500 words) that explains the scoop, its scope and impact—for instance, whether it moved markets or forced regulators to act. Judges will also consider overall storytelling.
Trade Article
Celebrates outstanding business-to-business journalism. Entrants must submit a brief statement (maximum 500 words) introducing the publication, its audience and the impact or importance of the article being entered.
Note: Judges and the conference committee reserve the right to move an entry into a different category if they deem it mis-categorized.