Editorial: January 10, 2025

This past weekend, Hollywood celebrated the achievements of the motion-picture and television industry with the Golden Globe Awards show, hosted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. They are the first, with the Directors Guild and the Writers Guild among others honoring their most successful members, too.

But all those pale in comparison to the most prestigious of them all, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Academy Awards, aka Oscar. The film awards are the most famous and popular with the public, but other industries also honor their own. These other communities celebrate and recognize individual achievement with award shows, dinners and presentations that include Broadway’s Tony Awards, off-Broadway’s Obie Awards, and the advertising industry’s ADDY and Clio awards. The sports world is full of awards and celebrations, from the now very popular ESPY Award to baseball and football MVPs. Horse racing singles out breeders, owners and jockeys. Fashion has its own various awards that include a Hall of Fame. Among the more cerebral awards is the Noble Prize, given for achievement in the fields of peace, literature, economics, physics, chemistry and medicine. Those worldwide awards are awarded in two different countries — the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Olso, Norway, while the remaining awards are given in Stockholm, Sweden.

Which brings us to the recognition of the sport of purebred dogs. In several weeks, the annual Purina Pro Plan Show Dogs of the Year Awards dinner proudly partnered with Dog News will be held on Saturday evening, February 8, to honor the achievements of the seven top-winning dogs of 2024; the top Obedience, Agility and Rally winners; the top Junior Handler, and, by national voting, the Judge of the Year, Breeder of the Year, Professional Handler of the Year, Owner Handler of the Year, Specialty Show of the Year and Cluster of All Breed Shows of the Year. All followed by another induction into the Anne Rogers Clark Hall of Fame.
We want to take this opportunity to thank those who voted for their favorite “Of Year” nominees in the above categories. It a joyous celebration that brings together a community of dog lovers — be it breeders, owners, handlers or others involved in the sport — to congratulate our peers for a job well done and by their achievement elevating the level of our sport. Dog News congratulates all who have been recognized with other nominations, and congratulates the winners that will be announced the night of the event.

So, until then, it’s a Tip of the Hat and a Pat on the Back: You deserve it.