Congratulations!
On June 3, during TMAC's 2021 Virtual Conference, we announced, celebrated and honoured our 2020 TMAC Award winners. Recognizing excellence across 14 categories from more than 400 member submissions, we proudly present below the 2020 Award recipients.
View the visual power point presentation here, including the judges comments.
Read the Media Release issued June 10/21 here.
Watch the video presentation, recorded LIVE.

Best Cultural & Historical Feature
A cultural and historical feature may focus on an art form or event, a local custom, or any travel experience that shares historical perspective or sheds light on a specific culture, whether you've written about a First Nations powwow, a funeral ceremony in Bali or a story about the Klondike gold rush.  

First Place: Jennifer Bain - The incarcerated artists who carve to support their families
Second Place: Heather Greenwood Davis - Here's how travelers of color are smashing stereotypes
Third Place: Jessica Lockhart - Sleeping overnight in the Dunedin Museum of Natural Mystery
Honourable Mention: Liz Campbell - Daughter of Burma Discovers Her Past Amid the Buddhist Charms of Modern Myanmar
Honourable Mention: Nancy Wigston - Buenos Aires: Drama, Diversity and Dancing

Best Family & Partner Feature
Whether your story is about facets of the travel experience that feature family-based activities – from multigenerational travels to kid-friendly resorts and attractions to shared memories no matter how you define “family” – this category is for you. As long as the focus is opportunities for sharing with the significant others in your life, we want to see your submissions.

First Place: Lisa Kadane - Traveling on the Spectrum
Second Place: Heather Greenwood Davis - Pride of Place
Third Place: Helen Earley - Combining Luxury with Local Flavour in Mazatlan
Honourable Mention: Jennifer Bain - Whatever floats your Le Boat
Honourable Mention: Joanne Elves - How One Family's Ski Habit Turned into a Growth Chart

Best Food/Drink Feature
This is about culinary travel whether it be about a road trip on the Texas BBQ Trail, munching your way along Collingwood’s Apple Pie route, sipping through the breweries of Ireland or attending a food festival in Hawaii. Your food and drink feature article could be about a city’s walking and eating tour, dining at Europe’s Michelin starred restaurants, a visit to a stunning new distillery or a wine soaked week in Napa. If you’re the Anthony Bourdain of the written word in travel, this category is for you.

First Place: Darcy Rhyno - Down red lanes and over green fields: The hidden hooch makers of PEI, Gin Making is an Art
Second Place: Cinda Chavich - The Great Irish Bake Off
Third Place: Linda Barnard - John Bishop: Godfather of Pacific Cuisine
Honourable Mention: Darcy Rhyno - Gin Making is an Art
Honourable Mention: Carolyn Heller - How a Canadian Brewer Is Helping Open Rwanda’s First Craft Brewery

Best Outdoors, Wildlife or Environmental & Responsible Tourism Feature  
This category focuses mainly on the outdoors – particularly wildlife, eco-tourism and the environment. Stories topics can range from conservation, ‘voluntourism’ (think: rescuing puffins) or travel from a green point-of-view and/or travel’s impact on the environment. Paddling, hiking, biking or birdwatching along an amazing trail, also belong in this category.

First Place: Jessica Lockhart - History of Polynesian explorers celebrated in Tairāwhiti
Second Place: Jennifer Bain - How to hike to the iconic Hollywood sign
Third Place: Sandra MacGregor - The Outsize Allure of South Africa’s Flightless Dung Beetle
Honourable Mention: Carolyn Heller - Why You Should Drink Beer Made From ‘Recycled’ Water
Honourable Mention: Diane Selkirk - The Island With a Key to Our Future

Best Adventure, Sport or Recreation Feature
A soft or hard adventure, sport or recreation feature that brings the reader along as the writer heads into the great outdoors or putts along a world-class golf course, or perhaps puts a new spin on a popular pastime. From sporting events to canoe trips, sky-diving to dog sledding, this category should draw stories that come to life, and maybe even get one’s adrenaline pumping.

First Place: Liz Beatty - Saddle Up for Stellar Views and Gaucho Culture in Patagonia
Second Place: Jayme Moye - Chinese Puzzle
Third Place: Gerry Feehan - These Boots Were Made For Wadin'
Honourable Mention: Zack Metcalfe - On The Peak, On The Edge
Honourable Mention: James Ross - A Ski in the Maine Woods

Best Spirit of Canada
This category is devoted to those articles that bring Canada, its landscape, its culture and its people alive on the page. These inspirational stories will scream “This is Canada!” 

First Place: Liz Fleming - Bison, Bones and Buttes: Rediscovering Saskatchewan
Second Place: Arlene Karpan - Waterton Resumes its Place as a Prime Destination
Third Place: Liz Campbell - Bizarre, Beautiful and Beyond the Pale, Dawson is the Most Colorful City You’ll Probably Never Visit
Honourable Mention: Matthew Bailey - The World's Largest Pond Hockey Tournament
Honourable Mention: Darcy Rhyno - Rich with Nova Scotia history, Sherbrooke Village turns 50

Best Online Travel Column & Blog
This category is for those who write a travel column or travel blog on a regular basis. Minimum frequency must be once a month and minimum word count 300 words per posting. Writings need not be a series, but must be regularly occurring under the author’s name on-line and must be travel focused. If this category fits your work, three examples of the column or blog from the same year must be submitted.

First Place: Laura Paquet - OttawaRoadTrips.com
Second Place: Kevin Wagar - Wandering Wagars - Adventure Family Travel
Third Place: Paul Knowles - Opinion
Honourable Mention: Tamara Elliott - Globe Guide
Honourable Mention: Matthew Bailey - Must Do Canada

Best Illustrated Feature
This category features the best of both worlds with articles that include writing and photography by the same person/journalist. Entries can be from articles published in print newspapers or magazines, digital magazines or other online publications, such as a travel blog or journalism/publication website.

First Place: Carol Patterson - Skiing Behind a Galloping Horse in Retro Neon - Is this the most Outrageous Race in Winter Sports?
Second Place: Arlene Karpan - Take a Springtime Wildlife Photo Safari
Third Place: Maureen Littlejohn - Having a Blast in Louisbourg
Honourable Mention: Liz Beatty - A wild ride through northern Patagonia
Honourable Mention: Diane Selkirk - Searching For the North

Best Landscape or Evocation of Place
Whether it’s an interior shot of an intimate bistro, a roaring fireplace in a mountain lodge, a pristine landscape or a bustling cityscape, the perfect image always creates a sense of location – it is an evocation of place. Whatever your criteria for this category, we invite you to submit your best photo that evokes a sense of place – wherever or whatever that place may be.

First Place: Sue Slaght - Wadi Rum at dusk
Second Place: Rhonda Krause - Antarctica Ice
Third Place: Hans Tammemagi - Totems in Thunderbird Park
Honourable Mention: Kevin Wagar - Amun Temple through the doors of a Mosque 
Honourable Mention: Taryn Eyton - View from the Eva Lake Cabin

Best People Photo
People photographs depict an aspect of culture, life or society, as perceived through the image of an individual or group. The person or people shown should clearly relate to a travel destination. The background should help “place” the subject, but not overpower the human aspect of an image.

First Place: Gerry Feehan - A family on the streets of India's sacred city of Varanasi
Second Place: Greg Olsen - Releasing a Rehabilitated Red-Tailed Hawk
Third Place: Sandra Phinney - Treasure Beach Jamaica story. Girl at beach
Honourable Mention: Liz Campbell - Daughter of Burma
Honourable Mention: Gerry Feehan - Hindu pilgrims meditating in the sacred city of Varanasi, India

Best Nature Photo
This category invites images that both celebrate nature and help translate your story of travel through the beauty or action you've encountered along the way. From a macro close-up of frost on a tree or a glorious light-filled rainforest to a well-time capture of wildlife in action or the chance moment when you locked eyes with a mutually curious living species. Show us your connection to nature and images that have played a pivotal role in telling your story.

First Place: Carol Patterson - Longtime dreaming and road-tripping in Southeast Alberta
Second Place: Rhonda Krause - Awaiting a New Arrival
Third Place: Rhonda Krause - King Chicks
Honourable Mention: Zack Metcalfe - Puffin
Honourable Mention: Robin Karpan - Harp Seal

People's Choice Award
Do you think that photo you snapped catches the essence of travel, will wow the masses and is an image that fills you with pride and satisfaction? Do you think the rest of us will agree? Then give it your best shot – literally – and submit it in this category. TMAC members will get a chance to agree or disagree in our newest photography category: the People’s Choice Award.

Winner: Carol Patterson - Skijordue: Cowboy Culture, Winter, & Fondue Mash-up

Volunteer of the Year Award
This award is presented to an outstanding TMAC member, in good standing, who has demonstrated an instrumental role as a volunteer, including dedication, leadership and commitment to service and support of the association.

The award will be presented annually and the volunteer can be nominated by members of TMAC, with the final selection being made by the National Board, upon review of all the nominees.

Winner: Jerry Grymek 

Industry Member of the Year Award
Based on TMAC’s Mission Statement, this recognition goes to an industry member showing through their work with the media members that there is a trusted resource who cultivates positive relationships, who is highly respected in the travel industry and is a true professional and productive expert in the field of travel.  This person must also demonstrate that they have contributed to the organization.

The award will be presented annually and the volunteer can be nominated by members of TMAC, with the final selection being made by the National Board, upon review of all the nominees.

Winner: Guy Thériault