The National Media Awards Foundation (NMAF) has nominated Xtra for two Digital Publishing Awards (DPAs): “Where are the queer divorce stories?” by contributor Zena Sharman (edited by Tara-Michelle Ziniuk) has been nominated in the category of Best Lifestyle Storytelling, and associate culture editor KC Hoard’s Consumed column (which in 2025 was edited by Tara-Michelle Ziniuk, Tobin Ng and Oliver Haug) has been nominated for Best Column. Hoard’s monthly column tackles art and obsession through the lens of our cultural touchstones—from Robyn to Freddie Mercury and beyond. (A new instalment of Consumed comes out this week—be sure to check back to read it!)
“I pour a piece of myself into every instalment of my column,” says Hoard. “My queer and trans colleagues at Xtra support me writing what I want, even though my pieces sometimes strike me as myopic and experimental. That support is an enviable reward in and of itself, but recognition from an organization as revered as the NMAF is gratifying and affirming. It makes me feel like my instincts aren’t misguided, and reminds me of how lucky I am to get to do what I do alongside my community.”
In addition, “This online scam is putting the LGBTQ2S+ global activist community at risk” by Rob Csernyik (with support from Tara-Michelle Ziniuk, Angela Mullins, Julie Carl and Tobin Ng) has been nominated for a Canadian Association of Journalists Online Media Award.
“These three nominations, along with the pieces we had nominated for COPA and GLAAD awards this year, really show the breadth of the work and talent that the current iteration of Xtra is doing,” says managing editor Tara-Michelle Ziniuk.
Earlier this year, Xtra was nominated for two GLAAD awards with senior editor Mel Woods nominated for Outstanding Online or Print Journalism Article for their piece “Trans people didn’t ask to get pulled into any of this” about the anti-trans misinformation that proliferated in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s shooting. In addition, Xtra was nominated for Outstanding Independent Journalism as an overall publication. Xtra was also a finalist for two Canadian Online Publishing Awards (COPA) earlier this spring, winning gold in the Best Investigative Article (Business to Consumer division) category for Arvin Joaquin’s “Why is the federal government still refusing to decriminalize HIV?” Denio Lourenco was also nominated in this category (24/7 News division) for his article “This Canadian think tank is claiming ‘victory’ over anti-trans legislation.”
Xtra is the longest-serving LGBTQ2S+ publication in Canada. For more than 40 years, it has been a dedicated voice in telling the stories of queer and trans people, a segment of the population that is largely overlooked or misrepresented by large, mainstream media outlets.
Previously a print product that turned fully digital in 2015, Xtra offers fresh journalistic insight, context and background on current affairs and contemporary culture. In 2023, it became the first queer publication to join the ranks of The Trust Project, an international consortium of news outlets committed to transparency, accuracy, inclusion and fairness. That same year, Xtra won gold for best mid-size digital publication at the DPAs.
Xtra is owned and operated by Pink Triangle Press, one of the longest-publishing LGBTQ2S+ media groups in the world.
Why you can trust Xtra
