Review eligibility and conditions for the 2027 competition. For key dates, entry costs and payment options, see Deadlines & Fees.
Who can enter
The Digital Publishing Awards competition is open to Canadian legacy publishers and digital-only publications, and to Canadian citizens or permanent residents (landed immigrants) who held that status at the time their work appeared in them during the current awards period: January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026.
Eligible publications
An eligible digital publication is editorial in nature. It must:
- Have and submit a clear, independent editorial mandate;
- Be the product of an editorial process;
- And be published regularly.
An eligible digital publication—including those that support established brands in magazine, newspaper, broadcast, B2B and other journalism, as well as those that serve their audiences exclusively as digital brands—is one with a permanent editorial staff in Canada and published in either English or French, or a combination of both.
Publications operated by one person are expressly eligible, including independent newsletters and publications hosted on Substack, Ghost, YouTube, TikTok or other publishing platforms, provided they meet all other competition requirements. They must have a clear, independent editorial mandate, publish regularly, produce original editorial work through an accountable editorial process, hold the necessary rights, and meet the applicable Canadian publication and creator eligibility requirements. The sole publisher may also be the editor and creator; a separate employee or multi-person editorial team is not required. The requirement for permanent editorial staff in Canada may be met by that person performing the editorial role from Canada. Neither paid subscriptions nor a minimum audience size are required. Platform choice alone neither establishes nor prevents eligibility. Existing restrictions on repurposed, promotional and other ineligible content continue to apply.
Eligible work and adaptations
Work conceived and produced for digital and other formats together is eligible, provided the submitted version works as a complete piece for its intended digital audience. Later adaptations must add original reporting, writing, storytelling or substantive interactive elements. Simply reposting, transcribing, reformatting or making minor edits to existing work is not sufficient.
Each version must independently meet the competition rules and the criteria of the category entered. The same underlying reporting may support entries in multiple categories.
Individual entries comprised, wholly or in part, of advertorial, native content/advertising, and/or promotional content may be considered ineligible for an award.
Creator citizenship and residency
Creators must have been Canadian citizens or permanent residents when the work was published. Non-Canadians may be credited as contributors, but not as creators.
Sponsored content
Disclose any commercial sponsorship on the entry form. Sponsored editorial work is eligible if the sponsor had no involvement in or influence over its creation. Entrants must confirm editorial independence; the jury decides eligibility.
Journalism grants and fellowships that preserve editorial independence are not considered sponsorship.
Image permissions
When submitting images for the Digital Publishing Awards, please ensure that no stock photography is included unless you have specifically arranged for the National Media Awards Foundation’s copyright use on the Digital Publishing Awards website. Any copyright infringement charges resulting from the use of unauthorized images will be the responsibility of the submitting publication.
AI assistance
The NMAF mandates transparency regarding the use of artificial intelligence in submitted work. As such, entrants must disclose AI assistance* in their content on the submission form.
*”AI assistance” refers to editorial material enhanced or created using artificial intelligence technologies. This encompasses the use of AI in activities such as writing, visual generation, editing, design, and more. Entries containing AI-supported content are eligible for awards, provided that they adhere to the NMAF’s standards for originality and the specific role of AI is transparently declared upon submission. The ultimate decision on the consideration of AI-supported content for awards rests with the NMAF jury.
Entries and judging
- Except where stated, there is no limit on the number of entries submitted per category.
- Finalists will be proportionate to the number of entries submitted in a category up to a maximum of ten finalists.
- Entries that are incomplete, do not conform to the rules, or do not fit category definitions may be disqualified without notice. Entry fees for disqualified or withdrawn submissions will not be refunded.
- A minimum of three submissions must be received in a category for a panel of judges to be convened. The Digital Publishing Awards also reserves the right to cancel any category in which the jury decides no entry is of sufficient quality to merit an award.
- The decision of the judges will be final.
Use of recognized work
The Digital Publishing Awards reserves the right to use the entries of finalists and winners in the awards presentation program, event material, exhibit, digital book, website, online archive, social media and other promotional efforts, but not for sale or profit.