TORONTO, April 24, 2026 /CNW/ - The Nunatsiaq News won its first National Newspaper Award for a special section published in Inuktitut and English – one of 27 awards announced at a gala in Toronto.

Carrie Tait of the Globe and Mail was named Journalist of the Year after winning both the Politics award and as lead reporter for a team entry in the Investigation category for exclusives-driven coverage of Alberta's health care political controversy.

Judges said Tait's coverage of Alberta politics stood apart as a model of investigative rigour and personal fortitude. "Her reporting did more than chronicle events; it altered the province's political landscape, triggering real consequences and forcing accountability at the highest levels of government."

They noted the context in which the reporting was produced: Tait was subjected to a sustained campaign of intimidation, including a lawsuit, stalking, surveillance, and harassment.

"Tait did not retreat," the judges said. "She continued to report with discipline, precision, and restraint, navigating personal risk with a professionalism that has inspired colleagues across the profession."

The Canadian Press won Project of the Year for its extensive coverage from the Ring of Fire region in Northern Ontario. Reporter Liam Casey and photographer Christopher Katsarov Luna spent months producing a sweeping, multimedia project exploring the issues, the landscape and people.

Judges said the project — including a nine-chapter feature, stunning photo galleries and videos — brings genuine depth to a story of economic opportunity, Indigenous rights and the complexities of development.

The Toronto Star won the NNA's first Innovation in Journalism award. Cody Gault and Lucas Timmons developed an automated natural language search engine that married election data with templated journalist stories – providing real-time riding data for all 343 ridings across Canada in the 2025 election.

Judges were impressed by the product mindset and cross-functional teamwork, saying: "The Star identified a genuinely underserved area of coverage and built something to address it."

Other highlights:

• The Globe and Mail led all organizations with eight wins. The Canadian Press had four wins. The Toronto Star and La Presse each had three wins. Ten other publications each had a win.
• There were 18 first-time winners this year, not including those on teams. The first-time winners include Journalist of the Year Carrie Tait  and photographer Darryl Dyck, who's been nominated six times in the past.
• Mark MacKinnon of The Globe and Mail won his ninth NNA (International Reporting), tying record-holders Bruce MacKinnon of The Chronicle Herald (no relation) and Grant Robertson of The Globe and Mail.
• La Presse photographer Olivier Jean won an award posthumously, sharing the Sports award with reporter Ariane Lacoursière. He was also honoured as part of a tribute to NNA-nominated photographers who died in the past year.

Three-judge panels selected finalists in each of the 27 NNA categories. Judges considered a total of 927 entries, all published in 2025, from 77 news organizations across the country.

A total of 99 individual journalists, and seven larger team submissions, were finalists this year, representing 27 publications. Fourteen organizations won at least one award.

This is the 77th year for the awards program, established in 1949 to encourage excellence and reward achievement in daily newspaper work in Canada. The competition is now open to newspapers, news agencies and online news sites approved for entry by the NNA Board of Governors.

The complete list of winners and finalists:

ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT

Winner: Sarah Krichel, The Tyee, for her essays on the escapist necessity of reality TV and nostalgia for AI slop in the era of inconspicuous AI. Judges said these entries from The Tyee "demonstrate arts reporting at its most incisive."

Finalists: 
Emily Donaldson, The Globe and Mail, for her unique profile of British nature writer Robert Macfarlane, which doubles as a profile of the landscapes he chronicled.

Ben Waldman, Winnipeg Free Press, for his in-depth feature on Captain Canuck, the creation of a Winnipeg illustrator 50 years ago finding new audiences and relevance today.

JOAN HOLLOBON AWARD for BEAT REPORTING

Winner: Terry Pender, Waterloo Region Record, for his tenacious ongoing coverage of threats against the Waterloo region's water supply. Judges said Pender's reporting shows grit and perseverance, dedication by his newspaper, and the power of local journalism."

Finalists:

Jacques Gallant, Toronto Star, for his cohesive coverage of the Hockey Canada trial and all of its complexities.

Ariane Lacoursière, La Presse, for wide-ranging health coverage spanning news reports, in-depth features and investigative pieces.

STUART M. ROBERTSON AWARD for BREAKING NEWS

Winners: The Canadian Press, for their responsive and compassionate coverage of the Lapu Lapu street festival attack in Vancouver. Judges praised the team for the "swiftness of response and sustained commitment to offering clarity and compassion."

Finalists:

Daniel Renaud, Mayssa Ferah and Vincent Larouche, La Presse, for their authoritative coverage of the Montreal underworld's connection to drug kingpin Ryan Wedding.

The Winnipeg Free Press, for sensitive, far-reaching coverage of the mass stabbing in Hollow Water First Nation, a semi-remote Indigenous community.

BUSINESS

Winner: Marco Chown Oved, Toronto Star, for his coverage of how Tesla exploited the federal government's electric vehicle rebate program and its impact on Canadian auto dealers. Judges said Ottawa's decision to reopen the program and reimburse auto dealers was due to the Star's persistent reporting.

Finalists:

Jameson Berkow, The Globe and Mail, for his ongoing coverage of the rapidly growing Indigenous-led business sector and its outsized role in driving Canada's economic growth.

Kathryn Blaze Baum and Alexandra Posadzki, The Globe and Mail, for their series of stories about the digital black market created by Meta's failure to address hacked accounts and its impact on businesses.

MARY ANN SHADD CARY AWARD AWARD for COLUMNS

Winner: Niigaan Sinclair, Winnipeg Free Press, for columns on the death of Pope Francis, the gut punch of Thomas King's admission he was not Indigenous, and the power of Wab Kinew's comments on child pornography legislation. Judges said: "Sinclair asks questions that stay with the reader and invite reflection long after reading his column."

Finalists:

Rima Elkouri, La Presse, for her columns on the immigration debate and the many ways it divides Quebec.

Arno Kopecky, National Observer, for his dispatches from a self-guided campaign trail following Pierre Poilievre's announcement he wouldn't allow journalists to travel with him.

DIGITAL STORYTELLING     

Winner: Nathan Pilla, Toronto Star, for his portfolio of work on a wrong-way police pursuit, heat risk and workers, and ways to make Toronto better. Judges described Pilla as "a storyteller who reimagines what digital storytelling can do — not just in service of journalism, but as journalism itself."

Finalists: Jeremy Agius, The Globe and Mail, for his portfolio of work on mapping the measles outbreak, tiny condos and housing policy and Margaret Atwood's Toronto.

Magdaline Boutros, Cédric Gagnon and Catherine Bombardier, Le Devoir, for their immersive, multimedia work on daily life in Gaza.

CLAUDE RYAN AWARD for EDITORIAL WRITING

Winner: Kennedy Gordon, Prince George Citizen, for editorials on funding for seniors programs, misinformation and NIMBYism and the significance of funding local media. Judges said "Gordon's work demonstrates why local newspapers are essential for democracy in Canada."

Finalists: Stéphanie Grammond, La Presse, for editorials on seizing the opportunity Trump provides for Canada, Canada Post and the catastrophic hidden costs of low-cost trucking.

Louise-Maude Rioux Soucy, Le Devoir, for editorials on the sweeping scope of a school scandal, the provincial government's dispute with doctors and the immigration debate.

EXPLANATORY WORK

Winners: Lindsay Jones and Patrick White, The Globe and Mail, for their in-depth reporting on the toxic aftermath of forever chemicals in Newfoundland communities. Judges described this piece as "the epitome of exceptional explanatory journalism."

Finalists:

Magdaline Boutros, Le Devoir, for her reporting from Nuuk, Greenland, a region thrust into the heart of global geopolitics, and its connection to the Inuit of Canada.

Marsha McLeod, Winnipeg Free Press, for explaining the origins of the second-generation cut-off in Canada's Indian Act, its impact on Indigenous families and possible alternatives.

FEATURE PHOTO

Winner: Marie-France Coallier, Le Devoir, for her photo from the agricultural fair at Expo Brome, an annual event in the Eastern Townships. Judges said, "The photographer found a beautifully lit moment in a challenging environment and transformed it into a wonderful feature photo."

Finalists: 
Meagan Hancock, Globe and Mail, for her photo from Kings Theatre, a beloved, community venue in Annapolis Royal, N.S.

Richard Lautens, Toronto Star, for his photo from the cooling pad at Celebration Square in Mississauga.

ILLUSTRATED COMMENTARY

Winner: Michael de Adder, The Globe and Mail, for his political satire on the impact of the Trump presidency. Judges described it as "truly memorable satire that felt fresh and provocative."

Finalists: 
Judith Lachapelle, La Presse, for her multi-panel illustration about daily life in Ukraine and the challenges of travelling into an active conflict.

David Parkins, The Globe and Mail, for a portfolio of cartoons ranging from domestic politics to international, to the search for missing and murdered Indigenous women.

INNOVATION IN JOURNALISM

Winners: Cody Gault and Lucas Timmons, Toronto Star, for their automated natural language search engine which provided real-time riding data for all 343 ridings across Canada in the 2025 election. Judges said: "The Star identified a genuinely underserved area of coverage and built something to address it."

Finalists:

Taproot Edmonton, for its Taproot Survey, created to inform the city's municipal election and guide its voters on an unprecedented scale.

Rory White, Bruno De Bondt, David McKie, Jimmy Thomson and Linda Solomon Wood, National Observer, for Civic Searchlight, a tool for any Canadian journalist or civic worker that transcribes municipal council meetings and makes them searchable by keyword and location.

NORMAN WEBSTER AWARD for INTERNATIONAL REPORTING

Winner: Mark MacKinnon, The Globe and Mail, for his reporting from "the new Syria" on the rapid changes unfolding in the country and the enormity of the challenges ahead. Judges said the series offered important insights at a time when Canadians were trying to understand the new Syria.

Finalists:

Vincent Larouche and Martin Tremblay, La Presse, for their reporting from the Democratic Republic of Congo, revealing the little known links between the ongoing conflict and Canada.

Karine Tremblay, La Tribune, for her series, the Dark Side of Chocolate, documenting the harsh working conditions and exploitation rampant in cocoa production in Côte d'Ivoire.

GEORGE BROWN AWARD for INVESTIGATIONS

Winners: Carrie Tait, Tom Cardoso, Mark MacKinnon, Stephanie Chambers and Alanna Smith, The Globe and Mail, for a series of scoops on the procurement controversy at Alberta's health authority. Judges said: "This is journalism in the public interest — reporters speaking truth to power." 

Finalists:

Leah Borts-Kuperman, The Narwhal, for her investigative series into contamination on military sites across Canada.

Nora T. Lamontagne, Louis-Philippe Bourdeau, Le Journal de Montréal, for their investigation uncovering a concentration of ALS cases in Charlevoix, leading to a public health investigation.

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Winner: Carrie Tait, The Globe and Mail, for her tenacious, ongoing coverage of Alberta's politically charged health care controversy amid a climate of intimidation and threats.

E. CORA HIND AWARD for LOCAL REPORTING

Small Market

Winner: Jenny Lamothe, Sudbury.com, for her reporting on seniors left stranded in their homes by broken elevators and the landlords and city officials responsible for oversight. Judges praised it as "journalism that serves the public good."

Finalists:

Jennifer Hamilton-McCharles, North Bay Nugget, for revealing the mayor used taxpayers' money on personal expenses, leading to internal debate at city council, resignations and public outcry.

Mary Newman, James Westman, Yara El Murr, Aia Jaber and Anthony Lippa-Hardy, The Green Line, for their series on 'demovictions' associated with the construction of a new transit line in Toronto.

Medium Market

Winner: Maegen Kulchar, Kingston Whig-Standard, for her reporting on the suicide of a prison guard and the toxic workplace culture of bullying. Judges said Kulchar's work "shone a light on the human cost of a dark workplace culture."

Finalists:

Lise Denis, Le Droit, for her reporting on the military community in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, particularly women impacted by equipment not tailored to their body shape, leading to safety concerns.

Joanna Frketich, Hamilton Spectator, for tracking the precarious staffing situation at Hamilton's hospitals and the extent of its impact on spending, staff and care.

Large Market

Winner:  Vancouver Sun and The Province, for their rigorous, ongoing coverage of the Lapu Lapu festival attack and its aftermath. Judges said: "Long after the national spotlight faded, the team's sustained, rigorous reporting made it poignantly clear the Lapu Lapu tragedy was not confined to a single day."

Finalists:

Francine Kopun, Toronto Star, for her coverage of Toronto's complex waterfront and the diverse issues surrounding it.

Omar Mosleh and David Rider, Toronto Star, for their ongoing coverage of supervised consumption sites and the intersection of politics, public safety, mental health and addiction.

WILLIAM SOUTHAM AWARD for LONG FEATURE

Winner: Shannon Proudfoot,  The Globe and Mail, for her in-depth profile of Mark Carney.

Judges said "Political profiles can risk the mundane and obvious, but Proudfoot's clear, evocative language and excellent analysis create a vivid and accessible portrait of Canada's 24th prime minister."

Finalists:

Isabelle Hachey, La Presse, for her report on the underground world of online scamming centres in Southeast Asia and the men and women forced to work there.

Marsha McLeod, Winnipeg Free Press, for her investigation into the RCMP's fatal shooting of 18-year-old Conor Rae and the investigation by the province's police oversight agency.

NEWS PHOTO

Winner: Martin Tremblay, La Presse, for his photo of a Hells Angel arrest on Montreal's south shore. Judges said: "The composition effectively draws the viewer toward the police officers and the Hells Angels member's defiantly uplifted face. It is a powerful storytelling image."

Finalists:

Darryl Dyck, The Canadian Press, for his photo of a candlelight march in Vancouver during a vigil for the victims of the Lapu Lapu festival attack.

Greg Locke, The Globe and Mail, for his photo of an air tanker water-bombing summer wildfires in Newfoundland.

PHOTO STORY

Winner: Chris Young, The Canadian Press, for his series, From Moss Park with Love, documenting the human side of the safe consumption site at the epicentre of Toronto's opioid crisis. Judges said "the raw imagery captures the trauma of addiction with both compassion and love."

Finalists:

Goran Tomasevic, The Globe and Mail, for his photo series from a Russian-run field hospital in Donbas, where wounded soldiers from both sides are treated just steps from the front lines.

Martin Tremblay, La Presse, for his photos from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, documenting the lives of Congolese workers and the mines that supply the world's advanced technologies.

JOHN WESLEY DAFOE AWARD for POLITICS

Winner: Carrie Tait, The Globe and Mail, for her exclusives-driven coverage of Alberta's health care political controversy. Judges praised Tait's skill in gaining sources' trust and her courage amid lawsuits and online harassment, saying her work "exemplifies why journalism is a public good.

Finalists:

Katia Gagnon, Ulysse Bergeron, Hugo Joncas and Vincent Larin, La Presse, for their investigation into the scandal at Quebec's automobile insurance board, resulting in massive public service delays, soaring project costs and a government inquiry.

Jessica Smith Cross, Charlie Pinkerton and Jack Hauen, The Trillium, for their ongoing coverage of power and influence in Ontario politics.

JOHN HONDERICH AWARD for PROJECT OF THE YEAR

Winners: Liam Casey and Christopher Katsarov Luna, Canadian Press, for their extensive coverage from the Ring of Fire region in Northern Ontario, highlighting the landscape, the people and the powerful politics at play. Judges said "The project brings genuine depth to a story of economic opportunity, Indigenous rights and the complexities of development.

Finalists:

The Globe and Mail, for Poisoned, a series of stories on the opioid crisis, its impact in communities across the country, and devastating consequences.

Philippe Mercure and François Roy, La Presse, for The Great Crossing project, a federal election, cross-country road trip aimed at understanding the issues that matter to Canadians.

BOB LEVIN AWARD for SHORT FEATURE

Winner:  Simon Drouin, La Presse, for his powerful piece on the final moments of his friend, Pierre Foglia, one of the most influential columnists in Quebec. Judges said Drouin's short, impactful piece unified readers through their shared love of Foglia and the journalism he represented.

Finalists:

Mike Hager, The Globe and Mail, for his entertaining look at the colourful characters who sell waterbeds to the devoted.

Nono Shen, The Canadian Press, for her novel tariff impact story that took readers on an impromptu journey from Vancouver's docks to the kitchen of one of Canada's most renowned Asian chefs.

SPECIAL TOPIC – Journalism in a language other than French or English

Winners: Nunatsiaq News, for a special edition showcasing the impact of the James Bay hydroelectric project and the subsequent James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement with Inuit and Cree communities. Judges praised the ambition of the project, which unflinchingly looked at the impact – "good and bad – of one of the most complex Indigenous land claim settlements in Canada."

Finalist: Debbie Chen, Marcel Tong and Norman Sin, Sing Tao, on the human cost of British Columbia's overdose crisis and the systemic gaps.

SPORTS

Winners: Ariane Lacoursière and Olivier Jean, La Presse, for their features on amateur sport in Norway, which boasts one of the highest ratios of Olympic medalists per capita in the world. Judges said the series "demonstrates journalism's capacity to spark courageous and necessary national conversations."

Finalists:

Gare Joyce, Kingston Whig-Standard, on Don Cherry's life and complicated legacy in his hometown of Kingston, Ontario.

Jana G. Pruden, The Globe and Mail, for her stories of three professional athletes that examine issues of human resilience, courage and identity.

SPORTS PHOTO

Winner: Darryl Dyck, Canadian Press, for his celebration soccer photo from the Canadian Championship quarterfinal in Vancouver. Judges said. "The uniqueness of this composition pushed this photo over the edge."

Finalists:

Barbara Davidson, The Globe and Mail, for her photo on the heartbreak of Blue Jays fans after the team's 18th inning loss.

Frank Gunn, The Canadian Press, for his portrait of L.A. Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani mid-pitch.

GEOFFREY STEVENS AWARD for SUSTAINED NEWS COVERAGE

Winners: Nathan VanderKlippe, Alanna Smith, Grant Robertson and Kelly Grant, The Globe and Mail, for their extensive coverage tracking how measles made a comeback in Canada. The judges said: "The series exemplifies public–service journalism at its best — informing citizens, holding power to account and contributing to the protection of public health."

Finalists:

Michelle Berg, Brandon Harder, Larissa Kurz, Kayle Neis and Rob O'Flanagan, Regina Leader Post and Saskatoon Star Phoenix, for their up-close look at the people most impacted by Saskatchewan's summer of wildfires.

Toronto Star, for their cross-newsroom coverage of the Blue Jays playoff run as a prolonged civic story that mattered to every part of the city.

SOURCE National Newspaper Awards