The 2024 TMAC National Awards, presented in June 2025, celebrate excellence for works published by TMAC Media Members. in 2024, between January 1- December 31. We encourage all styles of writing to be entered as they will be judged according to criteria that best fits the piece.
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** Please review this guide to submitting your entries: https://storytogo.ca/2025/01/submitting-to-the-2024-tmac-awards-on-filmfreeway/ It includes entry waivers. **
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**2024 TMAC Award Submission Guidelines**
Submission Timeline for Judged Awards:
- Submissions Open: January TBD
- Information Session: January 15, 2025, at 2:30 PM (Eastern) – RSVP
- Submission Deadline: February 20, 2025, at 11:59 PM (Eastern)
- Finalists Announced: May 2025
Winners Announced: June 2025, at the TMAC Awards Gala in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Key Preparation Notes:
- Review the guidelines thoroughly before submission.
- Complete your submission using the TMAC 2025 Awards Entry Form.
- Be prepared to provide:
- Title of the submission
- Publication name or location
- Date of publication
- Relevant URLs or uploadable files (e.g., PDFs, images)
* Important: Failure to follow guidelines will result in disqualification.
**Eligibility and Rules**
Work Eligibility:
- Submissions must have been created and published between January 1 and December 31, 2024.
- Exception: Books published between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2024, are eligible.
Member Eligibility:
- Only current TMAC members may submit entries.
- Renew your 2025 membership before submitting.
National Awards:
- Open to Media Members in good standing.
- Submissions must meet TMAC’s content and circulation requirements.
Chapter and Member-Voted Awards:
- Open to both Media and Industry Members, as outlined in category descriptions.
- Submissions for these categories open in March 2025.
Submission Limits:
- Maximum: Six submissions per member across all National Award categories.
- Per Category: Up to two entries.
- Restrictions: The same story or photo cannot be submitted to more than one category, except that photos in written submissions may also be entered into photo-specific categories.
Submission Fees:
- First three submissions are free.
- Additional submissions (up to six total) cost $25 each. Payment must be completed before finalists are announced in May.
Judging:
- Independent judges, bilingual where applicable, will evaluate submissions using a scoring matrix.
- Judges review and evaluate submissions individually, before collaborating in teams to make the final award decisions. All judges are external to TMAC.
Category-Specific Submission Details:
- Written Word Entries:
Upload a single PDF with the title, publication name, and date clearly visible.
- Self-Published Travel Website / Blog Entries:
Provide URLs for three blog/story entries from 2024 that are written by you, on a site that you own.
Judges will also consider the overall quality of the site.
- Visual Entries (Photos):
Submit images as PDF, JPEG, JPG, or PNG.
Include a 25–50 word description for context.
Social media photos (e.g., Facebook, Instagram) are not eligible.
- Best Photo Series:
Upload four images from the same story.
All images must be part of a single story, not from multiple pieces.
- All Media Forms (ie. Articles, Podcasts, Video, XR ... etc):
For articles, upload one PDF or URL (if the article includes interactive or multi media elements).
For audio or video submissions, provide a URL.
If you are submitting some other forms of immersive or interactive media, and are not sure how best to submit, please consult with Erica - erica[at]storytogo.ca.
- Books
Submit two physical copies or PDFs for judging (TMAC PO Box 332, Brighton, ON, K0K 1H0).
If two or more Media Members are listed as authors, contact Christine before submitting.
Technical Requirements:
- File Formats and Size for Photos:
Accepted formats: PDF, JPEG, JPG, PNG
Ensure all submissions are high resolution.
- File Labelling:
Label files with your name and submission title (e.g., FirstName_LastName_Title).
Avoid emojis in file names to prevent submission errors.
- Submission Process:
All files must be uploaded through FilmFreeway.
**Frequently Asked Questions**
Q: Are there minimum criteria for submissions?
A: Yes. Submissions must meet TMAC’s content and circulation requirements - https://www.travelmedia.ca/media-membership-points-table. Sponsored content is eligible .
Q: Can an award category be cancelled?
A: Yes. Categories with fewer than 10 entries will be removed from the program.
Q: Can TMAC volunteers submit entries?
A: Yes. Volunteers, including Awards Committee and Board members, are eligible. Judging is conducted independently to ensure fairness.
Q: Can I submit in French?
A: Yes. TMAC is a national, bilingual organisation with French-speaking judges.
**2024 MEMBERSHIP & CHAPTER AWARDS GUIDELINES**
Q. Do nominees for Volunteer and Industry Awards have to be members of the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC) or can they be anyone?
A: Nominees must be TMAC members whose membership fees are fully paid for 2025 BEFORE submissions are eligible to be submitted.
Q. Can I nominate myself or does someone else have to nominate me?
A: For ALL Award Categories as the member, you can only submit your own work for consideration - no one can submit on your behalf.
*EXCEPTION: Industry Member of the Year and Volunteer of the Year which are nomination based, by someone other than yourself.
Q. Do my entries have to have been published?
A: YES, and NO.
People's Choice Photo does not have to have been published - Industry members are not published as Media are, and are invited to submit.
For any Written and All Forms of Media categories, the entry is subject to our Media Membership Criteria. Submissions must have appeared in a publication or digital posting between January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024, unless otherwise stated.
Q. Can I re-enter a submission that did not win in 2024 but was published within the time period?
A: No.
Q. I have a story that I have submitted for one of the 12 National 'JUDGED' Award categories, but would also like to submit it for one of the 'Membership & Chapter Awards' categories - can I?
A. YES, and NO!
Within the People's Choice Photo of the Year category, you are not permitted to submit the same photo, if it was previously used for the Judged Award Categories. Please do pull from your anticipated large portfolio to submit a new piece for this category.
For Written or other forms of Digital Storytelling, the 12 'Judged' Awards are judged separately from the Membership & Chapter Awards, and thus you are able to enter a piece the same story (or a different one) in both the 'Judged' Awards and the Membership & Chapter Awards.
Q. I reached my maximum of 6 submissions in the National 'Judged' Award categories, am I permitted to submit under the Membership & Chapter Awards Categories?
A. YES! The Membership & Chapter Awards are considered separate from the National Awards, please do submit, based on the entry limitations described below associated with each Award.
Q: How do I submit my entry(ies)?
A: Please use the FilmFreeway 2024 TMAC Awards Entry Forms.