Premier Awards - Outstanding Columnist ( Circulation up to 1499,Circulation 1500 to 3999,Circulation 4000 to 6499,Circulation 6500 to 9999,Circulation 10000 to 12499,Circulation 12500 to 17499,Circulation 17500 and over)
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Place Name:
First Place
Contestant Name:
Cowichan Valley Citizen (Duncan, BC)
Entry Title:
My Thoughts On That
Entry Credit:
Robert Barron
Judge Comment:
Kudos to Robert Barron for keeping it fresh. Rat-hunting isn’t your usual newspaper columnist’s fare, but Barron makes it work as a way to harken back to the way things used to be.
Sharing his own experience, he put Canada’s work shortage in perspective.
And he’s comfortable sharing a slice of life as he is opining about the worker shortage and days gone by.
Overall, his columns draw on his own personal experience to tackle bigger economic and social issues we all face. Readers walk away with a little bit more understanding of Barron and a better understanding of those big-picture issues.
Place Name:
Second Place
Contestant Name:
Dundas Star News (Dundas, ON)
Entry Title:
The Linguistic... School Board chooses... Why did a U.S. Paper...
Entry Credit:
Gordon Cameron
Judge Comment:
Gordon Cameron enjoyed a little word play about one of the plays on words that has been kicking around for 50 years – the suffix “-gate” attached to any scandal. He’s got a flair for words, knocking the overused suffix as having “about as much zing as a plain tofu sandwich.” He’s not the first to try to take the wind out of a lasting legacy of Watergate, but he comes at it from a fun, fresh angle.
Place Name:
Third Place
Contestant Name:
North Shore News (North/West Vancouver, BC)
Entry Title:
We've got a honkin' big problem with the flag right now
Entry Credit:
Andy Prest
Judge Comment:
Andy Prest does what a good columnist is supposed to do – say what readers are thinking themselves but don’t have the sharp wit to say it as well as he does. From the divisiveness over the way the Canadian flag was used to why soccer suddenly matters and a humorous look at lessons learned during the pandemic, Prest comes at readers full blast with his unvarnished take.
Competition Comment:
Personal, contemporary and engaging are three things a good column should be.
All of the nominees have in common lively writing, a direct approach and the ability to give readers a compelling argument.
But this year’s winner Robert Barron brings all that to the table along with a bit of shock value to keep you on your toes.
