The Sports Media Canada Achievement Awards were established in 1996. The Awards were created to identify and celebrate excellence in Canadian sports journalism in any of its forms, whether it be a body of work produced over a journalistic career, or individual examples of excellence as illustrated in series, programs, photographs, columns or stories.

Examples of excellence in Canadian sports journalism whether delivered locally, regionally, nationally or internationally in newspapers, magazines or periodicals, or by radio or television are eligible for recognition by the Sports Media Canada Achievement Awards.

In addition to the Achievement Awards which recognize distinguished careers in sports journalism, Awards are presented for Outstanding Sports writing, Outstanding Sports Broadcasting and Outstanding Sports Photography in the given year. A bursary and an ‘immersion week’ with major sports media operations in Canada’s media capital, Toronto, is awarded to an outstanding post-secondary student of sports journalism and Sports Media Canada also salutes the Sports Executive of the Year in concert with Magna International.

Nominations for the Awards are invited from any Canadian sports journalist and should be forwarded to Sports Media Canada either through the NOMINATIONS page on this website or by contacting an official of Sports Media Canada on the CONTACT US page.

Selection committees are established each year to name Award recipients. The Achievement Awards Committee selects two recipients to be recognized and honoured for a notable sports journalism career. These recipients may be active or retired practitioners of sports journalism in Canada. This committee also selects three former sports journalists to be named, posthumously, to the Sports Media Canada Honour Roll.

A separate committee is established to name the recipient of the Outstanding Sportswriting Award for the year. The Sports Media Canada Award for Outstanding Sportswriting is presented to a sports journalist in Canada whose fulltime occupation is writing about sport and whose work is published in a Canadian newspaper or magazine.

Another selection committee is established to name the recipient of the Outstanding Sports Broadcasting Award for the year. The Sports Media Canada Award for Outstanding Sports Broadcasting is presented to a sports journalist in Canada whose fulltime occupation is broadcasting sport and whose work can be seen or heard on a Canadian radio or TV station or radio or TV network in Canada.

Another separate committee is established to select the recipient of the Outstanding Sports Photography Award for the year. The Sports Media Canada Award for Outstanding Sports Photography is presented to a photographer in Canada whose fulltime occupation is still, film or TV photography and whose work is published or telecast in Canada.

A special committee selects the recipient of the NIKE Bursary each year and another committee deals with the nominations for Sports Executive of the Year and names a recipient.

The recipients of all Awards are invited to receive their Awards at a presentation ceremony held in October.