RTDNA Canada recognized excellence in digital and broadcast journalism over the weekend at its National Awards Gala in Toronto, unveiling the winners of its Best National and Canadian Local News Awards for 2025 across audio, digital and video.
CBC News bureaus captured a leading 41 awards, with CTV News picking up 11 wins and Global News earning recognition in four categories. The Investigative Journalism Foundation, TVO, McGill University campus radio station CKUT, CityNews Montreal, UBC Journalism, and Toronto online publication, The Green Line also picked up awards.
This year’s National Lifetime Achievement Award recipients were Heather Hiscox, who retires from CBC News later this week after 20 seasons at the helm of network morning show, CBC Morning Live; former CBC foreign correspondent Brian Stewart; CTV News Director and Senior Managing Editor David Hughes; and Dawna Friesen, Anchor and Executive Editor, Global News.
Jerry Vienneau, Director of Photography, CTV/W5, was inducted into the RTDNA Canada Hall of Fame, while Mary Nersessian, CTV News Director of Digital and the Chair of the RTDNA Awards Committee, received the Distinguished Service Award. The President’s Award, the association’s highest honour, was presented to Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) President Rachel Pulfer.
The Emerging Journalist Award recognized Sofia Vavaroutsos of Toronto’s 680 News, with Honourable mention to Maria Sarrouh of CTV Charlottetown and Taya Fast of Global Abbotsford.
Find the full list of winners here:
2025 RTDNA Canada Awards Best National News
AUDIO
Best Podcast
CBC News
Bad Results
Excellence in Sports Reporting
CBC Ideas
Breaking Barriers: The Trailblazing Chatham Coloured All-Stars
Feature News
CBC The Current / Audio Documentary Unit
The Burn
News Information Program
CBC’s The House
The real dirt on the Liberals’ two-billion-tree pledge
DIGITAL
CTVNews.ca
Trump Assassination Attempt
Excellence in Data Storytelling
CBC News Labs
Where can you afford to rent?
Excellence in Newsletters
CBC News
Morning Brief
Excellence in Social
CBC News Social
2024 U.S. Election
Feature News
CBC News Labs: There is a community outside Toronto where most people can’t drink their tap water
News Live Special Events
CTVNews.ca
Solar Eclipse 2024
Overall Excellence in Digital
Investigative Journalism Foundation
Open by Default
MULTIPLATFORM
Continuing Coverage
CBC Indigenous: Wet’suwet’en abuse of process hearings
Enterprise Journalism
CTV News
W5: Our Son The Terror Suspect
Excellence in Innovation
CBC News Labs
Discover where ancient rivers flow under Canadian cities
Investigative Excellence
Global News
Indigenous kids as ‘cash cows’
VIDEO
Breaking News
CBC News Network
Live Special: Freeland Resigns
Excellence in Sports Reporting
CBC Indigenous
All abilities welcome at this ball game for disability awareness week in Kahnawà:ke
Excellence in Video
CTV News – W5: Narco-Jungle: The Darien Gap
Feature News
CBC News: The National
Deepfake Porn
News – Live Special Events
CTV News
The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney: A Life Remembered
News Information Program
CTV News
W5: Narco-Jungle: The Darien Gap
TV Newscast
CBC News: The National
Trudeau Government in Crisis
VJ – Video
CTV News
Newfoundland Fish Harvesters Protest
2025 RTDNA Canada Awards Best Canadian Local News Winners
AUDIO
Breaking News (Large Market)
CBC Montreal
July 10, 2024: McGill Encampment Dismantled
Breaking News (Small/Medium)
CBC Quebec
Quebecers reflect on death of former Prime Minister – and neighbour – Brian Mulroney
Excellence in Editing
CBC Edmonton
Birdsong: Edmonton’s quiet soundtrack
Excellence in Sports Reporting
CBC North
Nunavut’s Small but Mighty Cross Country Ski Team
Feature News (Large Market)
CKUT
Viewpoints 129: Urban Agriculture
Feature News (Small/Medium Market)
CBC Saskatchewan
Mission 300
News – Live Special Events
CBC Quebec
Quebec under spell of 2024 total eclipse frenzy
Opinion
CBC Edmonton
‘Pieces of my heart are still in Afghanistan’
Radio Newscast (Large Market)
CBC Montreal
October 24, 7:30 AM
Radio Newscast (Small/Medium Market)
CBC Windsor
6:30 a.m. Newscast
DIGITAL
Breaking News (Large Market)
CBC Edmonton
Jasper in ashes from ‘monster’ wildfire
Breaking News (Small/Medium Market)
CBC North NWT
6 dead in Fort Smith plane crash
Excellence in Data Storytelling
CBC Ottawa
Paid to stay home: Suspended police officers cost Ontario taxpayers $134M over past decade
Excellence in Social
CBC Manitoba
Respectful coverage of Skibicki trial on TikTok
Excellence in Sports Reporting
CBC British Columbia
Lawsuit, tighter rules follow amateur fighter’s coma
Feature News (Large Market)
UBC Journalism
Pyar is Pyar: A Journey in Conservative Surrey
Feature News (Small/Medium Market)
CBC Yukon
Troubled Water: The Aftermath of the Eagle mine disaster
News – Live Special Events
CBC Quebec
Quebec under spell of 2024 total eclipse frenzy
Opinion
CBC Montreal
I’m learning how to live with the reality of war and the beauty of motherhood
Overall Excellence in Digital
The Green Line
Toronto’s Housing Crisis
MULTIPLATFORM
Continuing Coverage (Large Market)
CBC Edmonton
Jasper wildfire: The emergency and the aftermath
Continuing Coverage (Small/Medium Market)
CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
Jack’s Law: A man’s fight to change N.L.’s Limitations Act
Enterprise Journalism (Large Market)
Global Edmonton
Global News Investigates: Surviving Edmonton
Enterprise Journalism (Small/Medium Market)
CBC Yukon
Addictions and Recovery: A look at Yukon’s ongoing crisis
Excellence in Innovation
CBC Ottawa
The Voice in their Hands
Investigative Excellence
TVO
The Thread with Nam Kiwanuka: International Students and The Housing Crisis
VIDEO
Audio-Visual Storytelling
CBC Vancouver
Retired Vancouver school custodian has invented a number of gadgets to make his job easier and more fun, including the “snow shovel for seniors.”
Breaking News (Large Market)
Global BC
Atmospheric River
Breaking News (Small/Medium Market)
CTV Atlantic
State of Emergency: Cape Breton Digs Out after Massive Snow Storm
Excellence in Editing
CBC Montreal
A baker’s wife, a ball gown and someone named Bob
Excellence in Sports Reporting
CityNews Montreal
Making a splash in water polo
Excellence in Video
CBC British Columbia
Would commercial rent control protect small businesses in Canada?
Feature News (Large Market)
Global BC
Stanley Park Resident
Feature News (Small/Medium Market)
CBC North
Virtual reality reconnects elders with tradition
News – Live Special Events
CBC Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Election Night
Opinion
CBC Ottawa
Good Nose: A love letter to the ‘Persian nose’
TV Newscast (Large Market)
CTV Vancouver
CTV News at 6: Bomb Cyclone Hits BC’s South Coast
TV Newscast (Small/Medium Market)
CTV Atlantic
Acts of Remembrance: Remembrance Day 2024
VJ Video
CTV Vancouver
Vancouver’s worst road
