The Queen’s Alumni Review (QAR) has been declared the best magazine in the country by the National Magazine B2B awards. The magazine swept the competition last week, taking home top honours in several categories, including the most prestigious prize in the competition – Best Magazine.

The competition, held June 2 in Toronto, is the premier awards program for trade and professional magazines in Canada. The magazine, which launched its redesign in the spring of 2021, picked up accolades for writing, photography, design, podcast, and as a total package, bringing home five gold awards and two silvers – more than any other magazine in the country:

• GOLD: Best Magazine
• GOLD: Best Column or Regularly Featured Department – “If These Walls Could Talk”
• GOLD: Best Art Direction: Single or Opening Spread – “The Sound of Queen's”
• GOLD: Best B2B Podcast - Cause & Effect (Hosted by Deborah Melman-Clement)
• GOLD: Best Art Direction of a Complete Issue - Spring 2022
• SILVER: Best Issue - Fall 2022
• SILVER: Best Photograph - Funeral Lakes

Heading into the competition the Queen’s Alumni Review led all finalists with 17 nominations across categories.

“Between its extremely high-quality design and engaging features, Queen’s Alumni Review could fit perfectly alongside any major newsstand magazine,” the awards jury said. “You don’t have to be alumni to enjoy it.” 

Alex Beshara, Director of Marketing and Publications for Advancement, says the wins validated the new direction the magazine has taken since the redesign.

“The process of reimagining a magazine that has been a part of Queen’s for more than a century was daunting,” he says. “But these awards signal that we are delivering not only a new product to our alumni, but one that is of the highest calibre.”

The Queen’s Alumni Review also received five nominations in the National Magazine Awards, in which it competes against newsstand magazines such as Maclean’s, Toronto Life, and Chatelaine. The Queen’s Alumni Review bested all other alumni magazines with nods for photography, art direction, and its Fall 2022 cover (featuring a rare archival image of The Tragically Hip) which took home an Honourable Mention in the Cover Grand Prix category. 

The magazine took Gold for Best Photograph for Wade Hudson’s portrait of alumnus Elamin Abdelmahmoud and Silver for Art Direction for a Single Article for “Hall of Presidents,” a feature story about the Alma Mater Society that was designed by Wendy Treverton.

The magazine also received Honourable Mentions for Art Direction of a Single Article for “Lake Effects,” a story of alumni involved in efforts to promote and protect the Great Lakes, and “Rewilding of the Castle,” which told the story of Bader College’s efforts to restore the Castle grounds to their natural state. Both layouts were also designed by Wendy Treverton.

“These awards are a testament to the power of our alumni stories, reflected in narrative, images, and design,” says Scott Anderson, Executive Director, Marketing, Communications and Donor Relations. “Through the Queen’s Alumni Review, we have been able to illustrate the impact that Queen’s and Queen’s alumni are having in all our communities – locally, nationally, and around the world.”

Ruth Dunley, who was named editor of the Queen’s Alumni Review in 2021, noted that much of the winning content was not just about alumni, but created by them.

“The QAR would not be possible without the many writers, photographers, and illustrators – including many alumni – who make each issue unique,” she says. “We are so grateful for their contributions, and so proud of their outstanding work.” 

You can see a full list of the National Magazine Awards B2B winners  and a list of the National Magazine Award winners online.