Descant received 'Honourable Mentions' at the 2006 National Magazine Awards in the following two categories:

2006 Poetry, Honourable Mention
P.K. Page "Up the Amazon: 1959"; "Mexico: 1960"
(which appeared in Descant 130, Fall 2005: Vol 36, No 3)

2006 Words & Pictures, Honourable Mention
Larry Frolick, Donald Weber, Karen Mulhallen "Kebabistan—The Woman with Seven Heads"
(which appeared in Descant 131, Winter 2005: Vol 36, No 4)

A list of previous Descant NMAs:

2004 Poetry, Honourable Mention
Helen Kuk for "Scarborough, ON"
(which appeared in Descant 125, Summer 2004: Vol 35, No 2)

2004 Essays, Honourable Mention
Ryan Bigge for "The New Geographers"
(which appeared in Descant 125, Summer 2004: Vol 35, No 2)

2004 Essays, Honourable Mention
Modris Eksteins for "A Winter in Provence"
(which appeared in Descant 124, Spring 2004: Vol 35, No 1)

2003 Poetry, Honourable Mention
Eleni Zisimatos Auerbach "Spoilage"
(which appeared in Descant 117, Summer 2002: Vol 33, No 2)

1998 Editorial Package (sponsored by Indas Limited)
awarded to Karen Mulhallen/ Descant

1997 Fiction, Honourable Mention
Kathryn Woodward
(which appeared in Descant 97, Summer 1997: Vol 28, No 2)

1996 Fiction, Honourable Mention
Gilbert Reid
(which appeared in Descant 94, Fall 1996: Vol 27, No 3)

1989 Fiction
Douglas Glover "Story Carved in Stone"
(which appeared in Descant 62, Fall 1988: Vol 19, No 3)

1983 du Maurier Awards for Poetry
Gwendolyn MacEwen
(which appeared in Descant 42, Fall 1983: Vol 14, No 4)

The Writers' Trust of Canada/McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize is awarded annually to a new and developing writer of distinction for a short story published in a Canadian literary publication. The $10,000 Journey Prize is the most significant monetary award given in Canada to a writer at the beginning of his or her career for a short story or excerpt from a fiction work-in-progress.

A list of Descant-related Journey Prize nominations:

2006/ The Journey Prize Stories #18
Craig Boyko, "The Baby"
(originally appearing in Descant 131)

Recently appearing on poet rob mclennan's blog: a review of our latest issue 132/ The World of Barbara Gowdy