The winners of the COPAs for 2019 were awarded last night over a 10 course dinner party event at Dim Sum King in Toronto that saw Hakai Magazine win 6 Gold and 3 silver. Hakai Magazine is based in Victoria, BC and explores science, society, and the environment from a coastal perspective. HuffPost Canada won 6 medals with 3 Gold and 3 Silvers. Bell Media won 5 with 2 Gold and 3 Silver. The event was broadcast live on Twiiter through the #mastheadmag and #COPAwards hashtags

Who was the Best of the Best?

The best of of the best competition from all the entries saw the following results for the Best of Canada. Gold was won by Hakai Magazine for Best Digital Content for their investigative article on Human Smuggling and Silver went to Local Love /United Way.

The Gold for Best Publication was awarded to a surprise winner Fête Chinoise an entry in the new Ethnic Media Division, an upscale lifestyle publication for the Chinese community. Silver was won by Vancouver Magazine.

The Best Digital Solution Gold went to Top Hat for their cloud based teaching resources website for the post secondary market and silver was won by Hakai Magazine. The Independent publisher of the year Gold award went to Hakai Magazine with Local Love/United Way winning silver.

Entries in French saw Roast Battle Le Grand Duel a comedy website win Gold that is produced by Comediha and HuffPost Quebec winning Gold on the use use of IUDs for Best Service Article. RDS won two silver for their coverage of the NHL Trade Deadline  (Best News Coverage) and the Raptors (Best Sports Feature).

The COPA Awards through its partnership with News Canada and their members saw two community news publications win Silver. Soo Today, part of the Village Media network won silver for its article on Steel Mills for Best Continuing coverage of News story and Grand and Gorgeous a publication produced by the Wellington Advertiser win silver for Best Print and Digital Publication that came in a very close second with Vancouver Magazine that won Gold.

Ryerson University won Gold in the Best Interactive/Inforgraphic category on Hong Kong  (Students from Ryerson)

The Academic division saw Carleton University win 3 Golds in one of the most competitive competitions to date with entries from 9 schools that included BCIT Students Association, McGill, Queens, Ryerson, Sheridan College, UBC, University of King’s College and York University.  Two schools entered in some non-acadmeic categories - UBC’s Thunderbird won silver for Best Use of Social Media/Influencers and  p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial} Conestoga College won silver for Best Video.

University Affairs was the big winner in the B2B Division with 4 mdeals with 3 Gold and 1 silver, followed by a bunch of winners with two medals each Annex Media (2 Gold), CPA Canada (Gold and Silver), Laywers Weely (Gold and Silver), Remi Network (2 Silver) 

While may get lost in the celebration of the moment of winning a COPA award, the COPAs received this thank you note for a silver winner, Nunavik - Eye on the Arctic for Best Investigative Article created by Radio Canada International. After reading this it makes it all worthwhile as journalists in what we do and should make us all proud that we are making a difference.

"I would like to thank the judges of COPA for selecting DEATH IN THE ARCTIC as a Finalist in your awards ceremony. This means a lot to me and to the Inuit, First Nations, Metis communities as a whole including southern communities who may have been treated or are still being treated the same as my family is/was. Ellis is a great and patient journalist and you made her year by placing her story as a silver winner. She contacted me last night overjoyed. Beginning on January 14,15 and 16, 2020, my handsome son Robert Matthew Dakota Adams case will take place in the Nunavik community of Kuujjuaq where the Quebec Supreme Court will hear the Murder trial and the sentencing will be for the murderer. Once again, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU." Bernard Adams, Father

For a compete list winners click here