On September 22, 2022, Asparagus Magazine was named 2022’s BC Magazine of the Year at the Alberta Magazine Awards, presented by the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association (AMPA). According to AMPA, “Asparagus was named the BC Magazine of the Year for its ability to create a ‘lively, practical and credible forum for readers interested in environmental topics and issues.'”

AMPA created a BC Magazine of the Year category in 2020. After the Western Magazine Awards shut down in 2015, there had been no award opportunities for BC publications beyond the central-Canada-dominated National Magazine Awards. Past winners have been among the province’s heavy hitters: Vancouver Magazine in 2020 and The Tyee in 2021. In 2022, Asparagus was nominated alongside two other independent publications: Folklife and Fly Fusion.

The honour was awarded on the basis of the three issues published in 2021:

• Winter 2021
• Spring/Summer 2021
• Fall/Winter 2021 (the Art for Earth’s Sake issue)

You can read more about the awards and other winners in the AMPA press release.