Held every year since 1996, the AAN Awards recognize the best in alternative journalism and are a unique chance for alternative newsmedia to compete directly against the work of their peers in cities across the continent.

The AAN Awards honor superior journalism and graphic design among alternative publications across the United States and Canada. The contest promotes excellence by recognizing work that is well-written, incisively reported and effectively challenges established orthodoxies.

The first contest was organized in 1996. Each year since, awards have been presented in more than a dozen categories with size divisions. Today, every publication competes in one division, and multiple categories offer a cash prize.