TORONTO, March 20, 2026 /CNW/ - This year's finalists for the 2025 National Newspaper Award include journalists from some of the smallest newsrooms in the country as well as some of the largest, from digital-only and print operations, and from newsrooms that publish journalism in English, French, Inuktitut and Chinese.
A total of 99 individual journalists, and seven larger team submissions, are finalists this year, representing 27 publications from across the country.
More than half of this year's nominated journalists are first-time finalists for Canada's most prestigious journalism award. This is also the first time that The Green Line, Sudbury.com, Taproot Edmonton and The Tyee have won nominations.
Finalists for the competition's new Innovation in Journalism award include the National Observer, Taproot Edmonton and the Toronto Star, each of whom built tools to support political engagement at different levels of government.
Three-judge panels selected finalists in each of the 26 NNA categories. Judges considered a total of 927 entries, all published in 2025, from 77 news organizations.
Some other highlights:
- Several journalists were nominated in multiple categories: Martin Tremblay of La Presse is a finalist in three categories; Magdaline Boutros of Le Devoir, Ariane Lacoursière and Vincent Larouche of La Presse, Marsha McLeod of Winnipeg Free Press, Darryl Dyck of The Canadian Press and Carrie Tait, Alanna Smith and Mark MacKinnon, of The Globe and Mail, are each nominated in two categories.
- Sing Tao and Nunatsiaq News are finalists for work in a language other than French or English. It is the third year for that category and both were finalists last year.
The Globe and Mail leads all papers with 19 nominations, followed by La Presse, with 13. Other organizations with multiple finalists include: Toronto Star (8), The Canadian Press/La Presse Canadienne (7), Winnipeg Free Press (5), Le Devoir (4), Kingston Whig-Standard and the National Observer (2).
The full list of finalists can be found below.
Winners will be announced at a live gala at the Delta Hotel in Toronto on Friday, April 24. The 2025 Journalist of the Year will also be announced at the gala.
The awards were 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.
Twelve of the award categories are named after important figures in the news industry:
• George Brown Award for Investigations (sponsored by the Globe and Mail) • Mary Ann Shadd Cary Award for Columns • John Wesley Dafoe Award for Politics (sponsored by Ron Stern) • E. Cora Hind Award for Local Reporting • Joan Hollobon Award for Beat Reporting (sponsored by the Globe and Mail) • John Honderich Award for Project of the Year (sponsored by the Honderich family) • Bob Levin Award for Short Feature (sponsored by the Globe and Mail) • Stuart M. Robertson Award for Breaking News (sponsored by Paul and Lauraine Woods) • Claude Ryan Award for Editorial Writing (sponsored by Le Devoir) • William Southam Award for Long Feature (sponsored by the Fisher, Bowen and Balfour families) • Geoffrey Stevens Award for Sustained News Coverage (sponsored by family and friends of Geoffrey Stevens) • Norman Webster Award for International Reporting (sponsored by the Webster family) •
Tickets for the awards gala are available at a cost of $250. Sponsorship opportunities also remain available for the gala and for named awards. For ticket information, contact [email protected]. For sponsorship information, contact [email protected].
Finalists in all categories are:
Arts and Entertainment
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.
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.
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
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.
Terry Pender, Waterloo Region Record, for tenacious ongoing coverage of threats against the Waterloo region's water supply.
Stuart M. Robertson Award for Breaking News
The Canadian Press, for responsive and compassionate coverage of the Lapu Lapu street festival attack in Vancouver.
Daniel Renaud, Mayssa Ferah and Vincent Larouche, La Presse, for their authoritative coverage of the Montreal underworld's connection to drug kingpin Ryan Wedding.
Winnipeg Free Press, for sensitive, far-reaching coverage of the mass stabbing in Hollow Water First Nation, a semi-remote Indigenous community.
Business
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.
Marco Chown Oved, Toronto Star, for his persistent coverage of how Tesla exploited the federal government's electric vehicle rebate program and its impact on Canadian auto dealers.
Mary Ann Shadd Cary Award for Columns
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.
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.
Digital Storytelling
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.
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.
Claude Ryan Award for Editorial Writing
Kennedy Gordon, Prince George Citizen, for editorials on funding for seniors programs, the significance of the debate over funding local media, and misinformation and NIMBYism.
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
Magdaline Boutros, La Presse, for her reporting from Nuuk, Greenland, a region thrust into the heart of global geopolitics, and its connection to the Inuit of Canada.
Lindsay Jones and Patrick White, The Globe and Mail, for their in-depth reporting on the toxic aftermath of forever chemicals in Newfoundland communities.
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
Marie-France Coallier, Le Devoir, for her photo from the agricultural fair at Expo Brome, an annual event in the Eastern Townships.
Meagan Hancock, The 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
Michael de Adder, The Globe and Mail, for his political satire on the impact of the Trump presidency.
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
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.
Taproot Edmonton, for its Taproot Survey, created to inform the city's municipal election and guide voters on an unprecedented scale.
Rory White, David McKie, Linda Solomon Wood and Jimmy Thomson, 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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
E. Cora Hind Award for Local Reporting, Small
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.
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.
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.
E. Cora Hind Award for Local Reporting, Medium
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.
Maegen Kulchar, Kingston Whig-Standard, for her reporting on the suicide of a prison guard and the toxic workplace culture of bullying.
E. Cora Hind Award for Local Reporting, Large
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.
Vancouver Sun and Province, for rigorous, ongoing coverage of the Lapu Lapu festival attack and its aftermath.
William Southam Award for Long Feature
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.
Shannon Proudfoot, The Globe and Mail, for her in-depth profile of Mark Carney.
News Photo
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.
Martin Tremblay, La Presse, for his photo of a Hells Angel arrest on Montreal's south shore.
Photo Story
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.
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.
John Wesley Dafoe Award for Politics
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.
Carrie Tait, The Globe and Mail, for her exclusives-driven coverage of Alberta's health care political controversy.
John Honderich Award for Project of the Year
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.
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
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.
Mike Hager, The Globe and Mail, for his entertaining look at the colourful characters who continue to sell waterbeds to the devoted.
Nono Shen, The Canadian Press, for her novel tariff-impact story that took readers on a journey from Vancouver's docks to the kitchen of one of Canada's most renowned Asian chefs.
Special Topic
Debbie Chen, Marcel Tong and Norman Sin, Sing Tao, on the human cost of British Columbia's overdose crisis and the systemic gaps.
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.
Sports
Gare Joyce, Kingston Whig-Standard, on Don Cherry's life and complicated legacy in his hometown of Kingston, Ontario.
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.
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
Barbara Davidson, The Globe and Mail, for her photo on the heartbreak of Blue Jays fans after the team's 18th inning loss.
Darryl Dyck, The Canadian Press, for his celebration soccer photo from the Canadian Championship quarterfinal in Vancouver.
Frank Gunn, The Canadian Press, for his portrait of L.A. Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani mid-pitch.
Geoffrey Stevens Awards for Sustained News Coverage
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 its cross-newsroom coverage of the Blue Jays playoff run as a prolonged civic story that mattered to every part of the city.
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.
SOURCE National Newspaper Awards
For more information contact: Anne Marie Owens, Executive Director, National Newspaper Awards, [email protected], 647-968-1059; Mariana Soares, Program Director, National Newspaper Awards, [email protected], 438-366-1201
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