These awards, thanks to our enthusiastic nominators and dedicated jurors, showed me, the rest of Canada, and the world at large a depth and breadth of Canadian blogging that we would not have otherwise seen, and I am so grateful to everyone who took part.

Read the whole post here…

There were hundreds more nominations this year than in any of our previous four years, which makes this 5th year of the Canadian Weblog Awards our biggest ever. We had 766 nominations in total.  SEVEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SIX. After weeding out the duplicates, there are a grand total of 530 nominees across 25 categories in the 2014 Canadian Weblog Awards. Go, Canada!

We finally finished processing all of the nominations two days ago, and our 38 jurors are now hard at work judging each of the blogs against our 10 criteria in the first of two rounds to discover the top five nominees in each category. The Top Fives will be announced here on December 5th.

We are still rolling out announcements of nominees on Twitter, so if your favourite blog hasn't been announced yet, hang on.

After the Top Fives are announced, our jury will score each of the Top Fives within their categories using the same 10 criteria to find the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd best blogs in Canada in each category. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will be announced on December 15th.

Thank you to everyone who nominated blogs for the 5th season of the Canadian Weblog Awards, and thanks especially to our incredible jurors, who are volunteering their time and energy to critically judge approximately 40 weblogs each in this first round. Without them, we would not be here.

See you all again on the December 5th!

You have three weeks left to nominate Canadian blogs for the 2014 Canadian Weblog Awards!

A few of our categories are short on nominees, but it's not for a lack of blogs out there, so if you know of good blogs that would fit into the following categories, get in there and nominate them:

• Activism & Social Justice
• Agriculture & Nature (this includes gardening and farming)
• Education
• Fashion
• French Language
• Green Living
• Group Weblog
• Placeblog
• Sports & Recreation

We are busy entering new nominations — we still have 500 of them waiting in queue — so our present public list of nominees is by no means comprehensive, but check out this year's nominees listed so far.

And don't forget to honour your favourite Canadian blogs with a nomination in the 2014 Canadian Weblog Awards!

As an avid blogger and marketing student, I was excited to serve as a Canadian Weblog Awards juror. I knew I could be of help and figured I'd pick up a couple of tips along the way. What I didn't know is how much the judging process would teach me about building an effective blog.

Happy New Year!

As we usher in 2014, we also usher in the new season of the Canadian Weblog Awards. It is our fifth season already. Our FIFTH. It feels like our baby is growing up so fast. Sniff.

We have made a few category changes, as we do every year both to reflect our changing times and to better show off our Canadian talents. This year, we have narrowed down the number of categories from 34 to 25. The consolidation and removal of extraneous categories will make for less ambiguity and category crossover, and it will also mean tighter competition. Whee!

Take a look at our new list of blog categories here. And the best part of starting our new 2014 Canadian Weblog Awards season?

Nominations open today.

You can nominate your favourite Canadian weblogs starting right now using our simplified nomination form, and we will keep a running blogroll of nominees and a public Twitter list so that you can keep up with them throughout the year. Also, remember that this is a competition decided by jury with no public vote, so a blog need only be nominated once for an equal chance to place at the end of the year.

Thank you so much to everyone who has seen us through our first four years so that we can open up this exciting fifth season. We are thrilled to be here and cannot wait to showcase all the great Canadian blogging that is going on.

Now, go nominate the best in Canada!

The 2013 Canadian Weblog Awards winners are here!

Over the past year, the 2013 Canadian Weblog Awards saw 492 weblogs nominated across 34 categories. Our 34 volunteer jurors worked hard over the course of this November and December using our 10 criteria to judge each of the 492 weblogs in the first round and each of the approximately 170 weblogs in the second round to arrive at our winners.

Each of our jurors stepped forward to volunteer hours of their time and energy to make these awards possible. We quite simply could not exist without them and their dedication to fostering quality in the Canadian blogging community. All of this is thanks to them, and I am honoured by their involvement. Thank you!

And now it's time! We are excited to announce the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in the 2013 Canadian Weblog Awards!

Activism & Social Justice / Activisme et la justice sociale

1st: BLOOM

2nd: PhD in Parenting

3rd: Mom-ology

Art, Crafting & Photography / Art, artisanat et photographie

1st: KellyNeil.com

2nd: Just Bella

3rd: All About Ami

Arts & Culture / Arts et culture

1st: A Music Blog, Yea?

2nd: Raincoast Creative Salon

3rd: Criticize This!

Business & Career / Affaires et carrières

1st: Oh My! Handmade

2nd: Networking in Vancouver

3rd: Your Writer Platform

Comics / Bande dessinée

1st: The Animated Woman

2nd: Comic Book Daily

3rd: Comic Strip Mama

Disability

1st: Mom-ology

2nd: Chasing Hazel

3rd: Daisies and Bruises

Education / Éducation

1st: Intellidance

2nd: Made in Banff: The Banff Centre Blog

3rd: Homeschool Canada

Ex-Pat (written by a Canadian living abroad) / Expatriés

1st: My Sardinian Life

2nd: K and K Adventures

3rd: Living-Being

Family & Parenting / Famille et enfants

1st: PhD in Parenting

2nd: Home To Heather

3rd: Mother Blogger

Fashion, Style & Design / Mode, style et design

1st: torontoShopoholic

2nd: Her Waise Choice

3rd: Dress Me Dearly

Feminist / Féminisme

1st: PhD in Parenting

2nd: Gender Focus

3rd: Love Average

Finance / Finance

1st: Save Money in Winnipeg

2nd: SR&ED Education and Resources

3rd: Commoncents Mom

Food & Drink / Cuisine et breuvages

1st: Eat North

2nd: A Canadian Foodie

3rd: Foodobyte

French Language / En français

1st: L'Écran Fenêtre

2nd: Me, Myself & Montreal

3rd: Presse Raisin

Gardening / Jardinage

1st: A Green Hearth

2nd: Toronto Gardens

3rd: Empress of Dirt

General Interest (for weblogs that cover a range of topics separated into different sections) / Intérêt général

1st: YummyMummyClub.ca

2nd: LXRY Magazine

3rd: Mommy Knows

Green Living / La vie écologique

1st: A Green Hearth

2nd: Good Girl Gone Green

3rd: Ekostories

Group Weblog / Blogue collectif

1st: Criticize This!

2nd: Eat North

3rd: 5 Minutes for Mom

Health & Wellness / Santé et bien-être

1st: Foodobyte

2nd: Alison Smith

3rd: Joyous Health

Humour / Humour

1st: Joy and Woe

2nd: Mother Blogger

3rd: The Animated Woman

LGBTQ / LGBTQ

1st: Mama Non Grata

2nd: myWebbSite.ca

3rd: Alfred Lives Here

Life / Mode de vie

1st: 8 Clicks from Nowhere

2nd: The Animated Woman

3rd: On the Beaten Path

Lifetime Achievement Award (for weblogs created before December 31, 2008) / Prix d'excellence pour l'ensemble de son œuvre (blogues créés avant le 31er décembre 2008)

1st: A Canadian Foodie

2nd: Cheaper Than Therapy

3rd: Loulou's Views

Media & Journalism / Médias et journalisme

1st: A Music Blog, Yea?

2nd: Off the Beaten Palate

3rd: Atlantic Canada Rocks

Placeblog (contains local political/social/arts/community articles about a place) / Placeblogue (contenant des articles sur la politique/vie sociale/arts/communauté dans une localité)

1st: Vancity Bride

2nd: Me, Myself & Montreal

3rd: Calgary is Awesome

Podcast & Vlog / Podcast et vlog

1st: Travel Yourself

2nd: Hopscotch the Globe

3rd: Chonilla.com

Politics / Politique

1st: On Procedure and Politics

2nd: Alberta Diary

3rd: Gender Focus

Religion, Spirituality & Philosophy / Religion, spiritualité et philosophie

1st: Modern Man Of The Cloth

2nd:  Joe Sales Writes

3rd: WeddingChaplain's Journal

Science & Nature  / Science et nature

1st: EarthNinja

2nd: Ekostories

3rd: Extreme Enginerding

Sports, Fitness & Recreation / Sports, condition physique et loisirs

1st: 8 Clicks from Nowhere

2nd: Family Adventures in the Canadian Rockies

3rd: A Girl Named Jillian

Technology & the Internet / Technologie et Internet

1st: Spydergrrl On The Web

2nd: Your Writer Platform

3rd: Reshift Media Blog

Topical (for weblogs that fit within a very particular niche not covered by other categories) / Topique

1st: Vancity Bride

2nd: Not Just Clutter

3rd: Best Birthdays

Travel / Voyage

1st: L'Écran Fenêtre

2nd: Oh! Travelissima

3rd: Breathe Dream Go

Writing & Literature / Écriture et littérature

1st: Ekostories

2nd: Your Writer Platform

3rd: I Believe in Story

Congratulations to all of our winners! If you are listed above, grab a button for your blog and brag a little. This is something to celebrate.

Nominations for the 2014 Canadian Weblog Awards open again on January 1st, so nominate your favourites for the coming year once the form goes live again in the New Year!

Activism & Social Justice
Activisme et la justice sociale

Art, Crafting & Photography
Art, artisanat et photographie

Arts & Culture
Arts et culture

Business & Career
Affaires et carrières

Comics
Bande dessinée

Disability

Education
Éducation

Ex-Pat (written by a Canadian living abroad)
Expatriés

Family & Parenting
Famille et enfants

Fashion, Style & Design
Mode, style et design

Feminist
Féminisme

Finance
Finance

Food & Drink
Cuisine et breuvages

French Language
En français

Gardening
Jardinage

General Interest (for weblogs that cover a range of topics separated into different sections)
Intérêt général

Green Living
La vie écologique

Group Weblog
Blogue collectif

Health & Wellness
Santé et bien-être

Humour
Humour

LGBTQ
LGBTQ

Life
Mode de vie

Lifetime Achievement Award (for weblogs created before December 31, 2008)
Prix d'excellence pour l'ensemble de son œuvre (blogues créés avant le 31er décembre 2008)

Media & Journalism
Médias et journalisme

Placeblog (contains local political/social/arts/community articles about a place)
Placeblogue (contenant des articles sur la politique/vie sociale/arts/communauté dans une localité)

Podcast & Vlog
Podcast et vlog

Politics
Politique

Religion, Spirituality & Philosophy
Religion, spiritualité et philosophie

Science & Nature 
Science et nature

Sports, Fitness & Recreation
Sports, condition physique et loisirs

Technology & the Internet
Technologie et Internet

Topical (for weblogs that fit within a very particular niche not covered by other categories)
Topique

Travel
Voyage

Writing & Literature
Écriture et littérature

See you back here on December 7th when we announce the 2013 Canadian Weblog Awards 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners!

December 1:
Announcement of the top five blogs in each category

December 7:
Announcement of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place 2013 Canadian Weblog Awards winners

Women, Action and the Media (WAM!) recently released "Exploring the Canadian Feminist Blogosphere," informed by research conducted on behalf of WAM! Vancouver. The report delves into the distinction between blogs that explicitly identify as feminist and those that come from a feminist sensibility. While it paints an interesting picture of the developing feminist blogosphere in Canada, it doesn't offer feedback from or dialogue between the blogs/bloggers themselves: so that's where The Femisphere steps in!

• Art & Photography and Crafting have been combined to create Art, Crafting & Photography.
• The Best Designed and Best Written categories have been removed. These categories will be nominated by our volunteer jurors during adjudication of the nominated blogs.
• Best New Weblog has been removed, because, by the time the awards are announced, some of the nominated weblogs are already well over a year old.
• We have added a brand new category called Finance for all things both home and business finance, including couponing.
• We have added another brand new category called Green Living for those blogs about living ecologically mindful lives.
• Nature & Gardening has become Gardening, and Science, Technology & the Internet has become Technology & the Internet, and the leftover Nature and Science have been combined to create Science & Nature.
• Pop Culture & Entertainment has been absorbed by Arts & Culture.

The Ninjamatics' 2012 Canadian Weblog Awards winners are here!

Over the past year, the Ninjamatics' 2012 Canadian Weblog Awards saw 467 weblogs nominated across 36 categories. Our 51 volunteer jurors worked hard over the course of this January using our ten criteria to judge each of the 467 weblogs in the first round and each of the approximately 180 weblogs in the second round to arrive at our winners. Our jurors have been an incredible group to work with, and I wish I could adequately express the level of my gratitude, because they are what really make these Awards possible as a tool to promote weblogs of quality across Canada.

And now, without further ado, we are thrilled to announce the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in the Ninjamatics' 2012 Canadian Weblog Awards!

Best Weblog About Activism & Social Justice / Activisme et la justice sociale

First: Weighty Matters

Second: Mind of Change

Third: PhD in Parenting

Best Weblog About Art & Photography / Art et photographie

First: Just a Smidgen

Second: Kelly Neil

Third: Postcards from the Mothership

Best Weblog About Arts & Culture / Arts et culture

First: Production Ottawa

Second: Vancity Bride

Third: CVV Magazine

Best Designed Weblog / Meilleur design

First: Everybody Likes Sandwiches

Second: Suzy Krause + the Skyscrapers

Third: Pepper + Paint

Best New Weblog (for weblogs created after July 31, 2011) / Meilleur nouveau blogue (blogues créés après le 31 juillet 2011)

First: Family Adventures in the Canadian Rockies

Second: Mondays with Mac

Third: A Swell Place to Dwell

Best Written Weblog / Meilleurs textes

First: Finding Me In France

Second: Simple Bites

Third: Farewell Stranger

Best Weblog About Business & Career / Affaires et carrières

First: Kyla Roma

Second: Women On The Fence

Third: Productivityist.com

Best Comics Weblog / Bande dessinée

First: Comics! The Blog

Second: Hark! A Vagrant

Third: Mui-Ko

Best Weblog About Crafting / Artisanat

First: A Swell Place to Dwell

Second: Dragonfly Designs

Third: All About Ami

Best Weblog About Disability / Disability

First: Rolling Around In My Head

Second: wildheart

Third: Painfully Optomistic

Best Weblog About Education / Education

First: Figure/Ground Communication

Second: IP Osgoode IPilogue

Third: The Canadian Homeschooler

Best Weblog by an Ex-Pat (a Canadian living abroad) / Expatriés

First: Finding Me In France

Second: Planting Dandelions

Third: Journey Mama

Best Weblog About Family & Parenting / Famille et enfants

First: Mondays with Mac

Second: PhD in Parenting

Third: Farewell Stranger

Best Weblog About Fashion, Style & Design / Mode, style et design

First: Vancity Bride

Second: Lili Brunette

Third: Style Blog

Best Feminist Weblog / Féminisme

First: Gender Focus

Second: Brilliant Woman

Third: the spirit that moves me

Best Weblog About Food & Drink / Cuisine et breuvages

First: Everybody Likes Sandwiches

Second: Les Tuyaux bouffe de Katerine-Lune Rollet

Third: Simple Bites

Best French Language Weblog / En français

First: Lili Brunette

Second: Les Tuyaux bouffe de Katerine-Lune Rollet

Third: Quelquepart

Best General Interest Weblog (for weblogs that cover a range of topics) / Intérêt général

First: Calgary is Awesome

Second: The Best of This Life

Third: Beams and Struts

Best Group Weblog / Blogue collectif

First: I Dig Your Girlfriend

Second: Calgary is Awesome

Third: Simply Stacie

Best Weblog About Health & Wellness / Santé et bien-être

First: Weighty Matters

Second: PlayGroundology

Third: Sober Julie Doing Life

Best Humour Weblog / Humour

First: The Art of Doing Stuff

Second: Dirty Rotten Parenting

Third: Welcome to Kafkaville (Pop.1)

Best LGBTQ Weblog / GLBTQ

First: I Dig Your Girlfriend

Second: Mondays with Mac

Third: Crazy Lesbian Mom

Best Life Weblog / Mode de vie

First: Oh Clementine

Second: Planting Dandelions

Third: Farewell Stranger

Lifetime Achievement Award (for weblogs created before January 1, 2007) / Prix d'excellence pour l'ensemble de son œuvre (blogues créés avant le 1er janvier 2007)

Miss Tracey Nolan's Blog

Best Media & Journalism Weblog / édias et journalisme

First: Concert Addicts

Second: Production Ottawa

Third: CMS Critic

Best Weblog About Nature & Gardening / Nature et jardinage

First: You Grow Girl

Second: Empress of Dirt

Third: Strattons Farm

Best Placeblog (contains local political/social/arts/community articles about a place) / Placeblogue (contenant des articles sur la politique/vie sociale/arts/communauté dans une localité)

First: Vancity Bride

Second: CVV Magazine

Third: CornerBrooker.com

Best Podcast & Vlog / Podcast et vlog

First: The Glory, The Glory

Second: Erin's Tea

Third: Chonilla.com

Best Political Weblog / Politique

First: On Procedure & Politics

Second: CalgaryLiberal.com

Third: Russ Campbell's Blog

Best Weblog About Pop Culture & Entertainment / Pop culture et spectacles

First: Sidewalk Hustle

Second: Style Blog

Third: Scene Creek

Best Weblog About Religion, Spirituality & Philosophy / Religion, spiritualité et philosophie

First: Sarah Bessey

Second: The Conscious Perspective

Third: Pineapple Pieces

Best Weblog About Science, Technology & the Internet / Science, technologie et Internet

First: Michael Geist

Second: CMS Critic

Third: Productivityist.com

Best Weblog About Sports, Fitness & Recreation / Sports, condition physique et loisirs

First: PlayGroundology

Second: Calgary Playground Review

Third: Family Adventures in the Canadian Rockies

Best Weblog About Topical / Topique

First: One Smiley Monkey

Second: BuyCanadianFirst.ca: The Good Shopper Blog

Third: An Italian-Canadian Life

Best Weblog About Travel / Voyage

First: Candice Does The World

Second: I Backpack Canada

Third: SpunkyGirl Monologues

Best Weblog About Writing & Literature / Écriture et littérature

First: Bella's Bookshelves

Second: Intralingo

Third: Mike's Bloggity Blog

Congratulations to all the winners! If you are a winner, grab a button for your blog

and sing it from the rooftops. Nominations for the Ninjamatics' 2013 Canadian Weblog Awards open tomorrow, so nominate your favourites for the coming year once the form goes live again at midnight!