Standardbred Canada is now seeking submissions for its 2025 Media Excellence Awards, which will be presented to the winners at the 37th O'Brien Awards Gala.

There are three award categories for media excellence:

• Outstanding Photograph
• Outstanding Written Work
• Outstanding Video, Film or Broadcast 

The Media Excellence program honours creators who, through one exceptional piece of work, have covered Canadian harness racing in a manner that is extraordinary and of broad national appeal.

The deadline for 2025 submissions is Nov. 27, 2025 at 5 p.m. (EST). 

Click here for complete details and criteria for the categories. 

All submissions and inquiries regarding the Media Excellence Awards should be submitted by email to [email protected].

The 2024 Media Excellence Award winners are listed below.

Clive Cohen, a two-time defending champion and now nine-time Media Excellence Award winner, was the 2024 recipient in the Outstanding Photograph category for his photo, "Fiery Sunset." The photo was taken on June 29, 2024 at Woodbine Mohawk Park and published the same day on the Woodbine Mohawk Park Facebook, Instagram and X feeds.

John Rallis won his first Media Excellence Award in 2024 for Outstanding Written Work for his feature, “A ‘Moment’ So Well Deserved.” The story, published in the 2024 September edition of TROT Magazine, details Yannick Gingras’ tumultuous journey to the Hambletonian winner's circle that year with Karl.

Ontario-based company, Cujo Entertainment, earned Media Excellence honours for the excerpt of the "2024 CBS Hambletonian Show," a one-hour broadcast covering the 99th edition of the Hambletonian from The Meadowlands. The broadcast was produced and executed by a talented and dedicated team of only nine individuals, including producer Curtis MacDonald, technical producer Cameron Chick and co-producer/director Luke Van Belkom. It was hosted by the dynamic trio of Greg Blanchard, Emily Gaskin and Michael Carter.

(Standardbred Canada Press Release)