Toronto’s top talent recognized with prestigious
IABC/Toronto OVATION Awards
Canadian talk show host & entertainment reporter Lainey Lui hosts
the 36th annual IABC/Toronto OVATION Awards.
Michael Blackburn, VP OVATION Awards, and Alice Namu, VP Programs, hand out awards in the new diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility categories for communications excellence.
IABC/Toronto President Russell Baker announces the Awards of Distinction and the Best of the Best Judges’ Choice Award to cap off the night.
Toronto’s premiere drag queen Baby Bel Bel turns the volume up at
#OVATION21 and gets attendees groovin’ from home.
TORONTO, ON – May 27, 2021 – On May 26, the Toronto chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC/Toronto) celebrated communication professionals for their talent and creative brilliance at the 36th annual IABC/Toronto OVATION Awards, hosted by Canadian talk show host and entertainment reporter Lainey Lui.
Streamed live-to-air from Arcadian Court, this prestigious event drew hundreds of attendees – from students to polished professionals – who tuned in from the comfort and safety of their own homes to get a front-row seat of Toronto’s top talent.
The year 2020 was challenging and changed everything. There were world-changing developments at every turn, political shifts, waves of social change and a global pandemic. Communicators rose to the challenge. They played an integral role in keeping people informed, safe and connected as we navigated challenging and unprecedented times together, while physically apart.
The OVATION Awards received more than 200 entries this year. In total, 49 Awards of Merit and 41 Awards of Excellence were recognized at the event and were evaluated against the Global Standard of the communications profession using IABC’s Global Seven-Point Scale of Excellence.
IABC/Toronto is pleased to have announced the winners of six Awards of Distinction:
2021 Boutique Agency of the Year
- Principles
2021 Small Agency of the Year
- CO-OP
2021 Mid-Sized Agency of the Year
- Strategic Objectives
2021 Large Agency of the Year
- Weber Shandwick
2021 Corporate Communication Department of the Year
- Astellas Pharma Canada, Inc.
2021 Not-for-Profit Communication Department of the Year
- Sheridan College
For 2021, IABC/Toronto introduced the Best of the Best Judges’ Choice Award. Recommended by OVATION Award judges and reviewed by a panel of accredited international IABC judges, this winner represents the very best OVATION Award entry seen in the Greater Toronto Area.
2021 Best of the Best Judges’ Choice
- Strategic Objectives and Maple Leaf Foods for the “Maple Leaf Foods Sustainability Program”
Each year at the OVATION Awards ceremony, IABC/Toronto recognizes a promising young communicator with the Bobbie Resnick Student of the Year Award. This award goes to a student from an accredited institution that has demonstrated leadership and excellence in the communications field. The 2021 Student of the Year Award was awarded to Jacob R. Robinson, CAPM, who studies at Humber College in the Public Relations Advanced Diploma program.
View a full list of 2021 IABC/Toronto OVATION Award winners.
Quotes
- “Congratulations to all our OVATION Award winners. Never before have our evaluators seen so many high-calibre entries, which is particularly impressive given the communications challenges that 2020 presented. IABC/Toronto received more than 200 award submissions, including entries for the new COVID-19 Response & Recovery, LGBTQ2 and Accessibility categories. We are extremely proud of the work Toronto communicators produced over the past year and their commitment to delivering the Global Standard of the communications profession.”
– Russell Baker (He/Him), President, IABC/Toronto
Sponsors
- Cision
- Fusion Design Group
- Arc and Crown Media
- McMaster-Syracuse MCM Program
- Lloyd Rang Communications
- Canmark Communications
Related links
- IDEA 2020-2021 Recommendations Report
- Post a job on CareerLine
- Exclusive IABC membership benefits
- Certification & Accreditation
- 2021 Communicator of the Year Award
- IABC World Conference (June 28 to 30)
Cision is the exclusive distribution partner of IABC/Toronto
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About IABC/Toronto
IABC/Toronto is the largest chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. The chapter supports its community of business communication professionals with innovative thinking, shared best practices, in-depth learning and career guidance.
Media Contact
Diane Bellissimo
Vice-President, Data Analytics
& Brand Management
IABC/Toronto
toronto-analytics@iabc.to