Standardbred Canada is seeking submissions for its 2023 Media Excellence Awards, to be presented at the 35th O'Brien Awards Gala on Saturday, Feb. 3 at the Delta Hotels by Marriot Prince Edward in Charlottetown, P.E.I.

There are three award categories: Outstanding Written Work, Outstanding Video, Film or Broadcast, and Outstanding Photograph.

The program is aimed at honouring those who have, through one piece of exceptional work, covered Canadian harness racing in a manner that is extraordinary and of broad national appeal.

As of the 2022 awards, broadcast submissions will be restricted to 15 minutes in length. (In the case of longer broadcasts, it is up to the person submitting to provide a 15-minute excerpt.)

The deadline for all submissions is Nov. 30, 2023 at 5 p.m. (EST). For complete details and criteria for the categories, click here. 

All submissions and inquiries should be submitted by email to:

Jade Regina
[email protected] 
905-858-3060 ext. 207

The 2022 Media Excellence Award winners were:

Dave Briggs won his fourth Media Excellence Award in the Outstanding Written Work category for his feature, "There's still some magic left in the old game." The story, which was published on July 19 on Harness Racing Update, covers the past summer's magical evening of harness racing at The Meadowlands highlighted by historic performances from Canadian stars Bulldog Hanover and Beach Glass.

Horse Racing Alberta added its third Media Excellence Award in the Outstanding Broadcast category for the "2022 HRA Fun For Fans Promo," a video that tells the story of the Alberta Standardbred Horse Association's Fun For Fans charity initiative that has spanned 10 years and raised more than $250,000 for charities province-wide. Produced by Jeff Robillard of Horse Racing Alberta and Mike Little of Shine Light Entertainment, the video first aired on the Horse Racing Alberta website and social media channels on Sept. 22.

Defending champion in the Outstanding Photography category, Clive Cohen captured his seventh Media Excellence Award for his photograph, "The Long Shadow." The photo, which captures a striking bird's-eye view of a Standardbred casting a long shadow on the racetrack, was taken on June 2 at Woodbine Mohawk Park and published on the track's social media feeds.