Last night, produced by Masthead and partnered with the CMC, the eighth annual Canadian Newsstand Awards were handed out to a great crowd at Spice Route in Toronto. Winners included the October 2008 issue of French-language Châtelaine for Newsstand Cover of the Year. The July 7, 2008 issue of Maclean’s won the top magazine award in the Extra-Large circulation category.

In the Small circulation magazine category, This Magazine won for the third year in a row, with its July/Aug 2008 issue. The Beaver: Canada's History Magazine captured the top spot in the Mid-Size category. The Hockey News picked up the prize for best newsstand in the Large magazine category.

The prestigious Newsstand Marketer of the Year award was also presented at the reception. This year's recipient is Mike Hughes, national marketing manager at Transcontinental Media. The Newsstand Marketer of the Year award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated passion and innovation for a newsstand project.

Winning magazines in most categories receive $3,500 each in credits towards promotional programs at newsstands owned by HDS Retail. The winner in the Small Magazine Category wins $1,000 in credits, plus $500 cash.

Launched in 2002, the Canadian Newsstand Awards is a unique awards program that takes into account the title’s newsstand sales performance. Sales results are worth 50% of the final score, while the other 50% is based on qualitative factors judged by a panel. The five judges represent key players in the newsstand mix: a retailer, a wholesaler, a national distributor, a circulation director and an art director.

For a list of all the finalists, visit Newsstandawards.ca.