Canadian Journalists Honoured at 36th Annual AJAC Journalism Awards presented by CarGurus

Marc Lachapelle is Canadian Automotive Journalist of the Year

TORONTO, Oct. 31, 2019 /CNW/ - Marc Lachapelle is the Canadian Automotive Journalist of the Year. He joins 11 of the country's most respected automotive journalists in being recognized for their achievements at the 36th Annual Automotive Journalism Awards presented by CarGurus, organized by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada.

"We're thrilled to be joining AJAC both as a corporate member and sponsor of the AJAC Journalism Awards," said Amy Mueller, VP of Communications at CarGurus. "The journalism community across Canada is committed to providing consumers with the most insightful, helpful and expert advice and reporting on the fast-changing automotive market, and at CarGurus we value that dedication to transparency and are happy to support an organization that helps move that mission forward." 

The award was announced in a presentation Tuesday, October 29, 2019, at the Ajax Convention Centre in Ajax, Ontario. The AJAC Journalist of the Year presented by Jaguar Land Rover Canada was inaugurated in 1984 by John Mackie, past president of Jaguar Canada, to "reward excellence in automotive journalism." The award has been presented by Jaguar Land Rover Canada for the past 36 years. By being named Jaguar Land Rover Journalist of the Year, Marc Lachapelle receives the most esteemed automotive writing award available in Canada. The runner-up for the award is Lorraine Sommerfeld.

Jaguar Land Rover Canada is extremely proud to present the AJAC Journalist of the Year award as we have done every year since its inception in 1984," said John Lindo, Director, Marketing & PR, Jaguar Land Rover Canada. "It's always a privilege to see the work of the entrants for this award as it is the highest calibre of automotive writing. It was no surprise that Lorraine and Marc were honoured tonight as they are two of the best in the business. Congratulations to both."

This is the fourth time that Marc has been named Journalist of the Year. He was previously recognized in 2017, 2005, and 1994.  

Two new awards are added for 2019 – the Business Writing Award presented by Kal Tire and the Land Rover Defender Adventure Writing Award – expanding the total number of available winners to 12.

The full list of awards and recipients at the 36th Annual AJAC Journalism Awards presented by CarGurus is as follows:

AJAC Journalist of the Year presented by Jaguar Land Rover Canada

Winner: Marc Lachapelle

1st Runner Up: Lorraine Sommerfeld

Wakefield Castrol Awards for Automotive Writing

Technical Topics

Winner: Justin Pritchard

Runner Up: Lesley Wimbush

Vehicle Review/Testing

Winner: Justin Pritchard

Runner Up: Kathy Renwald

Feature Writing Award presented by Subaru Canada

Winner: Marc Toljagic

Runner Up: Lorraine Sommerfeld

Environmental Journalism Award presented by Nissan Canada

Winner: Jil McIntosh

Runner Up: Marc Lachapelle

Photography Award presented by Kia Canada

Winner, Published: Evan Williams

Winner, Unpublished: Russell Purcell

Road Safety Journalism Award Presented by CAA

Winner: Mark Toljagic

Runner Up: Justin Pritchard

Best Video Journalism Award presented by General Motors of Canada

Winner: Justin Pritchard

Runner Up: William Clavey

Land Rover Defender Adventure Writing Award

Winner: Lesley Wimbush

Runner Up: Mark Toljagic

Business Writing Award presented by Kal Tire

Winner: Lorraine Sommerfeld

The Julie Wilkinson Motorsport Journalism Award presented by Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Winner: Stephanie Wallcraft

About the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC)

The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) is an association of professional journalists, writers, photographers, and corporate members whose focus is the automobile and the Canadian automotive industry. Collectively, our primary objectives are to promote, encourage, support, and facilitate professionalism in Canadian automotive journalism and to ensure factual and ethical reporting about the automobile and automotive issues to Canadian consumers. This is achieved through the work of our members and AJAC's annual vehicle testing and evaluation events, the Canadian Car of the Year and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards (CCOTY and CUVOTY), Innovation Awards, and EcoRun.

About CarGurus

Founded in 2006, CarGurus CARG is a global, online automotive marketplace connecting buyers and sellers of new and used cars. The Company uses proprietary technology, search algorithms and data analytics to bring trust and transparency to the automotive search experience and help users find great deals from top-rated dealers. CarGurus is the most visited automotive shopping site in the U.S. (source: Comscore Media Metrix® Multi-Platform, Automotive – Information/Resources, Total Audience, Q2 2019, U.S. (Competitive set includes: CarGurus.com, Autotrader.com, Cars.com, TrueCar.com)). In addition to the United States, CarGurus operates online marketplaces in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain. To learn more about CarGurus, visit ca.cargurus.com. CarGurus® is a registered trademark of CarGurus, Inc.

SOURCE Automobile Journalists Association of Canada

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