2021 TMAC Awards FINALISTS Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Monday May 30, 2022

The 2021 Travel Media Association of Canada FINALISTS for the 2021 TMAC Awards were announced on Monday May 30th. 68 FINALISTS from among TMAC Members, from across Canada, were revealed within 16 categories. Winners will be announced on June 25, in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, during the TMAC Conference at the Awards Gala Dinner.

Curated by the TMAC Awards Committee, the call for submissions ran January 10 – February 25 for our ‘judged’ awards, resulting in an incredible collection of 342 submissions from our media members across 11 categories, including the introduction of the new category, Emerging and Broadcast Media Award. Submissions for the Member-Voted Awards, including 2 new awards, were received between March 31 – April 27 with members voting May 2 – 16.

The ‘judged’ award results below reflect the independent evaluation undertaken by our panel of six judges. Reviewing submissions identified by title only, we are grateful for the thorough and professional approach employed by our judges. We are equally grateful to TMAC members who participated in the Member-Voted Awards.

As you review the finalists below, please join us in acknowledging and expressing our collective appreciation to our Award Sponsors. Their support enables us to successfully curate our annual awards program, and clearly demonstrates their commitment to recognizing excellence in Travel Media.

Winners will be presented with monetary prizes along with public recognition, and bragging rites of course, not only for the TMAC member themselves, but the destination, or experience, featured within the nominated and winning articles, blogs and emerging media.

Without further adieu, listed alphabetically by member last name, we present to you, our 2021 TMAC Awards Finalists!

Sincerely,
TMAC Awards Committee
Tracy Ford, Chair (Industry)
Diane Selkirk (Media)
Rhonda Krause (Media)
Erica Hargreave (Media)
Sabrina Pirillo (Media)

WRITTEN AWARDS

Best Cultural and Historical Story
Sponsor: Tourism Louisiana

Debbie Olsen – Finding Real Treasure in the Yukon
Debbie Olsen – Discover a Side of Indigenous Canada at Métis Crossing, Newly Expanding in 2022
Diane Selkirk – Bison In Canada Discover Ancient Petroglyphs
Heather Greenwood Davis – In Tulsa, ‘incredible America story’ of black resilience finally recognized
Toby Saltzman – Saxony: A Cultural Gem in East Germany Where the Cars of the Holocaust Are Never Forgotten

Best Food and Drink Story
Sponsor: TMAC

Carolyn Heller – Feeding Fairy Creek
Mark Stevens – Where to Find the World’s Best Jerk
Jacqueline Swartz- Mustard Museum in Madison Wisconsin
Zack Metcalfe – Pizza and Other Moral Quandaries
Wing Sze Tang – The Spirits of Scotland

Best Illustrated Story
Sponsor: Parks Canada

Judi Cohen – Rideau Canal Houseboat Adventure in Canada with Le Boat — A Must Do Small Ship Cruise
Tamara Elliott – 10 incredible things to do during winter in Iceland
Gerry Feehan – Exploring Gros Morne
Arlene Karpan – The Joys of Winter
Maureen Littlejohn – How a 5,000-km African Road Trip Forged a Father-Daughter Bond

Best Nature or Environmental/Responsible Tourism Story
Sponsor: Destination BC

Jennifer Bain – On a Desolate Yukon Island, a Story of Nature and Culture Unfolds
Maureen Littlejohn – Call of the Wild Horses on Sable Island
Carol Patterson – A Saskatchewan road trip in search of whooping cranes
Diane Selkirk – Is Ecotourism Harming BC Bears
Diane Selkirk – Regenerative Travel: A Step Beyond “Do No Harm”

Best Outdoor Adventure, Sport or Recreation Story
Sponsor: Tourism Belize

Jennifer Bain – In Yellowknife, an Action-Packed Chase for the Northern Light
Jennifer Bain – Hiking Through a Canadian National Park That Protects Farmland
Jane Finn – Challenge Golf – Empowering People Of All Abilities
Jessica Lockhart – Wild New Zealand is perfect for tramping (that’s Kiwi for “hiking”)
Jayme Moye – Exploring the Origins of Skiing in China’s Altai Mountains

Best Spirit of Canada
Sponsor: Tourism Yukon

Linda Barnard – Indigenous Retreat
Liz Campbell – Come from Away to Discover Newfoundland
Heather Greenwood Davis – In Canada, Caribbean Roots Run Deep
Tamara Elliott – 10 reasons to love Calgary, Alberta
Sydney Loney – Chasing Icebergs

Best Travel Blog Posts or Column
Sponsor: Le Quebec maritime

Lindsay Davies – I’ve Been Bit! Travel Blog
Marie-Julie Gagnon –Chronique Voyage
Adrian Brijbassi – Travel Columns During the Pandemic
Arlene Karpan – Photo Journeys
Claudia Laroye – Claudia Travels

VISUAL CATEGORIES

Best Emerging and Broadcast Media *NEW* (22)
Sponsor: TMAC

Heather Greenwood Davis – Podcast: Tarmac Warriors (Intro + Episode 1-3)
Heather Greenwood Davis: New Zealand Welcome
Carolyn Heller – As Canadian As A Butter Tart: An American Foodie Dishes on Ontario’s Butter Tart Trail
Arienne Parzei – Small Town Getaways in Ontario’s Southwest (ongoing series)
William Tang – Is Egypt Safe?

Best Landscape or Evocation of Place
Sponsor: Tourism Saskatchewan

Robin Karpan – Vemilion Lakes
Dave Slaght – On The High Wire Banff National Park
Sharon Matthews Stevens – Heading South
Gemma Taylor – A foggy day on the West Coast Trail
Kevin Wagar – Sunset over the Atacama Desert

Best Nature Photo
Sponsor: Tourism Newfoundland & Labrador

David Finn – A Tiger-Heron finds his mark (from Planet Golf Review)
Arlene Karpan – Red fox (from Photo Journeys)
Robin Karpan – Ruby-throated hummingbird (from Photo Journeys)
Robin Karpan – Flying into the storm (from Photo Journeys)
Zack Metcalfe – Humpback

Best People Photo
Sponsor: TMAC

Robin Karpan – Trail Rider (from Saddle Up to Explore Banff’s Backcountry)
Rhonda Krause – Wild Rapids (from Things to do in Sundre Alberta)
Leigh McAdam – The governor in the storeroom at Port Royal National Historic Site (from Nova Scotia Road Trip)
Lindsay Nieminen – Into the Marshes of Southern Iraq (from Highlights from Iraq – An adventurers journey)
Kevin Wagar – Fun on the beaches of El Nido, Philippines (from Philippines with Kids)

MEMBER VOTED AWARDS

The much anticipated Member-Voted Awards welcomed two new awards this year, each honouring the memory of a member of our TMAC family, the Nathan Fong Award and Ann Britton Campbell Memorial Award.

These additions brought our Member-Voted Awards to a total of five categories. Submissions from TMAC members were received between March 31 – April 27. Voting by members was completed between May 2 – 16.

Below are the FINALISTS in each of the categories, noting that the nominees and winners for each the Industry Member of the Year and Volunteer of the Year will be revealed, along with all other winners, at the TMAC Awards Gala Dinner on June 25 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

Ann Britton Campbell Memorial Award *NEW*
Sponsor: Campbell Family