Previously untold stories of Canada's veterans. The truth about life as children of immigrants. The fierce spirit of survival of Fort McMurray citizens during the wildfires. These are the stories we tell on HuffPost Canada, and they've captured the industry's attention.
HuffPost Canada has been nominated in four categories for the 2017 Digital Publishing Awards, including:
- Best Blog or Online-Only Column: for our Born And Raised series
- Best Online Video: Feature: for Coming Out To My First-Generation Parents
- Best Online Video: Mini-Doc: for our Salute video series
- Best Social Storytelling: for Fort McMurray Wildfires coverage
The awards celebrate the best and brightest of Canada's digital journalism content, publications and creators.
HuffPost Canada's managing editor, Kenny Yum, will receive the inaugural Digital Publishing Leadership Award, which honours his numerous contributions to the Canadian digital publishing industry.
Yum has led HuffPost Canada since its launch in 2011, and is proud of the recognition his newsroom received this year.
"Digital storytelling is evolving in so many ways and we're happy to see our work in mini docs, 360-degree video and live streaming be given a nod," he said. "In addition, our Born And Raised series, focusing on stories of second-generation Canadians, was our chance to tell stories often not told broadly by media today."
“Digital storytelling is evolving in so many ways and we're happy to see our work in mini docs, 360-degree video and live streaming be given a nod.”
— Kenny Yum
Launched in September 2016, Born and Raised focuses on the personal stories of the Canadian-born children of immigrants. Conceived and led by former lifestyle editor Arti Patel, the continuing series includes blogs, videos and aimed to bring these stories to the forefront.
As part of the Born And Raised series, Patel and videographer Stephanie Sannuto teamed up to produce "Coming Out To My First-Generation Parents," which featured the first-hand accounts of LGBTQ Canadians who came out to their immigrant parents.
Salute, a four-part documentary about former Canadian soldiers, explores their mental and physical trauma, and how they are dealing with the aftermath. HuffPost Canada senior politics editor Ryan Maloney and videographer Dan Lytwyn travelled across the country to bring back stories of the four veterans.
Finally, HuffPost video producer and host Emily Anonuevo and RYOT! videographer Tyson Sadler captured the harrowing aftermath of the Fort McMurray, Alta. wildfires for HuffPost and Facebook audiences, visiting an emergency centre in Lac La Biche and heading to the frontlines of the natural disaster.
Seventy-five Canadian digital publications entered the DPAs this year, with other top nominees including The Globe and Mail, CBC News, Buzzfeed Canada and Vice. The awards will be presented on June 1 at the Spoke Club in Toronto.