Call for Nominations: The 2024 ACWS Lynda Steele Media Award

The call for nominations for the 2024 ACWS Lynda Steele Media Award is now open.

The ACWS Lynda Steele Award is named in honour of one of Alberta’s most accomplished and dedicated journalists. Lynda made tremendous contributions to shelters during her time in Alberta, through her tireless campaigns including donating the proceeds of her book The Laptop Diaries to Edmonton and area shelters, implementing the annual Give Me Shelter Campaign, and using her public position to bring awareness to the issues of domestic violence and to raise the profile of local shelters. Lynda continues her media career in B.C, but leaves an important legacy in her home province.

The ACWS Lynda Steele Media Award acknowledges journalistic excellence by print, television, radio and/or online media for their efforts in raising awareness about gender-based violence through:

Ongoing fundraising/awareness efforts in the community that benefit ACWS or member shelters.
Personal initiatives such as volunteering personal time and energy on an on-going basis.
Using media presence to influence and shape community attitudes.

The aim of the award is to encourage quality media actions that counter misinformation and stereotypes that lead to tolerance or excuse of violence against women and gender minorities, increase understanding of domestic violence as an issue that affects our community, as well as raise the public profile of domestic violence shelters and their role in helping end gender-based violence.

The ACWS Lynda Steele Media Award will be presented at Gifts of Hope, ACWS’ signature fundraising gala on March 5th, 2025. In 2023, Matthew Behrens, Jana Pruden, and Janice Johnston (awarded posthumously) received the 2022 Lynda Steele Media Award for their work in raising awareness about gender-based violence.

The call for nominations is now open! Submit a nomination or share this call in your community.

Guidelines and Nomination Form

Deadline: January 24, 2025