Judy Owen
Inducted 2014
Primary Outlet
Winnipeg Sun, The Canadian Press
Judy Owen carved out a distinguished career in sports journalism, known for her storytelling instincts, steady presence on the Canadian Football League beat and breaking ground in a male-dominated profession.
Born in Port Alberni, B.C., on May 17, 1962, Owen moved to Winnipeg before entering Grade 8 at Valley Gardens Junior High. A multi-sport athlete at Valley Gardens, she focused on volleyball and figure skating while attending high school at Kildonan East. When a boyfriend took her to a Winnipeg Blue Bombers game, it sparked a lifelong passion for the CFL.
After graduating from the University of Winnipeg in 1984, she entered Red River College’s Creative Communications program, combining her love of reading, writing and curiosity. In January 1988, midway through her second year, she accepted a job at the Winnipeg Sun, where she worked as a news reporter, law courts beat writer and assistant city editor. When Winnipeg hosted its first Grey Cup in 1991, Owen was tasked with co-ordinating the paper’s news coverage, marking her first major assignment tied to football.
That opportunity led her to the sports department in 1992, where she became one of the few female sports reporters in the city. Her focus was on feature writing, telling athlete stories beyond the scores. Between 1996 and 1998, she served as a backup and main reporter on the Blue Bombers’ beat – a rarity at the time for women in Canadian football media. She later covered the Manitoba Moose during their 1999-2000 International Hockey League season.
She embarked on a freelance writing and editing career in 2001, finding a perfect work-life balance as the Winnipeg sports stringer for The Canadian Press in 2002. She covers the Bombers, Winnipeg Jets and any major, local sporting events for the wire service. Her freelance career also included editing Sport Manitoba’s fundraising book, Iconic Stories from 150 Years of Sport in Manitoba, in 2020.
She was inducted into the media wing of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2025, becoming the second woman to receive that honour.
A longtime contributor to the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association, Owen is a past president and oversees the Jack Matheson Award for aspiring sports journalists. She also serves on Sport Manitoba’s annual awards selection committee.
Judy Owen was inducted into the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association Media Roll of Honour in 2014.
Born in Port Alberni, B.C., on May 17, 1962, Owen moved to Winnipeg before entering Grade 8 at Valley Gardens Junior High. A multi-sport athlete at Valley Gardens, she focused on volleyball and figure skating while attending high school at Kildonan East. When a boyfriend took her to a Winnipeg Blue Bombers game, it sparked a lifelong passion for the CFL.
After graduating from the University of Winnipeg in 1984, she entered Red River College’s Creative Communications program, combining her love of reading, writing and curiosity. In January 1988, midway through her second year, she accepted a job at the Winnipeg Sun, where she worked as a news reporter, law courts beat writer and assistant city editor. When Winnipeg hosted its first Grey Cup in 1991, Owen was tasked with co-ordinating the paper’s news coverage, marking her first major assignment tied to football.
That opportunity led her to the sports department in 1992, where she became one of the few female sports reporters in the city. Her focus was on feature writing, telling athlete stories beyond the scores. Between 1996 and 1998, she served as a backup and main reporter on the Blue Bombers’ beat – a rarity at the time for women in Canadian football media. She later covered the Manitoba Moose during their 1999-2000 International Hockey League season.
She embarked on a freelance writing and editing career in 2001, finding a perfect work-life balance as the Winnipeg sports stringer for The Canadian Press in 2002. She covers the Bombers, Winnipeg Jets and any major, local sporting events for the wire service. Her freelance career also included editing Sport Manitoba’s fundraising book, Iconic Stories from 150 Years of Sport in Manitoba, in 2020.
She was inducted into the media wing of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2025, becoming the second woman to receive that honour.
A longtime contributor to the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association, Owen is a past president and oversees the Jack Matheson Award for aspiring sports journalists. She also serves on Sport Manitoba’s annual awards selection committee.
Judy Owen was inducted into the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association Media Roll of Honour in 2014.