RTDNA Canada Announces 2026 Prairies Region Awards Finalists

Press Release

May 5, 2026

RTDNA Canada is pleased to recognize excellence in digital and broadcast journalism with the Regional Awards of Excellence.

RTDNA Canada Awards honour the best journalists, programs, platforms, stations, and newsgathering organizations in audio, digital and video.

Regional awards winners will be announced in September 2026.

Congratulations to the finalists for their excellent work!

2026 RTDNA Awards Prairies Region Finalists

AUDIO

Best Podcast – Audio – Prairies

Global News Calgary – Crime Beat: Uncovering a serial killer
CBC Saskatchewan – Missing Megan
650 CKOM – The Remarkable Klara Belkin
CBC Manitoba – This is Manitoba

Breaking News (Large Market)

660 NewsRadio Calgary – Trudeau Steps Down

Breaking News (Small/Medium Market)

980 CJME – Regina Refinery Explosion

Excellence in Editing

CBC Edmonton – From the trapline to the Grand Ole Opry
CBC Edmonton – Rockin’ Recorders with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
CBC Saskatchewan – The Kids are Alright

Excellence in Sports Reporting

980 CJME – Sweeping Change: Curling Helps Two Sisters Find Home
CBC Edmonton – The 97-year-old rock thrower

Feature News (Large Market)

CBC Edmonton – “Some things you can never forget”
CBC Manitoba – Bringing traditional foods and land based learning back to the community
CBC Calgary – First Campout for New Canadians

News – Live Special Events

650 CKOM – Canada Votes 2025
CBC North – The Trailbreaker special from on-the-land wellness camp
CBC Manitoba – InfoRad is live from the edge of the forest fire line in Lac du Bonnet
980 CJME – Saskatchewan Celebrates A Grey Cup Victory

Opinion

CBC Edmonton – Full of faith

Radio Newscast (Large Market)

CBC Calgary – 5:30 p.m. Radio News
CBC Manitoba – June 4, Wildfires near Flin Flon
CBC Edmonton – A totally mid-December newscast
CBC Manitoba – September 4th Hollow Water mass stabbing

Radio Newscast (Small/Medium Market)

650 CKOM – 650 CKOM morning news
CBC Saskatchewan – CBC Saskatchewan June 3, 2025
980 CJME – Regina Refinery Explosion – 7am News

DIGITAL

Breaking News (Large Market)

CBC Calgary – Fatal rockfall in Banff National Park
CBC Edmonton – Sweeping school book ban triggered, then rolled back
CBC Manitoba – ‘Worst fears’ confirmed as 2 people trapped by wildfire die in southeastern Manitoba: RCMP

Breaking News (Small/Medium Market)

CBC Saskatchewan – Big Island Shooting

Excellence in Data Storytelling

CBC Edmonton – Invisible injuries
CBC Edmonton – Why sexual violence trials are increasing in Alberta courts
CBC Manitoba – Winnipeg’s bylaws lack teeth to curb short-term rentals, say downtown condo owners

Excellence in Social

CBC Edmonton – Alberta-wide teachers’ strike: A month-long view
CBC Edmonton – Having fun with a playoff run
CBC Manitoba – The fight Indigenous families endured to bring their women home
CBC Calgary – Understanding a municipal election

Excellence in Sports Reporting

CBC Manitoba – Mom recalls ‘sheer terror’ after teen hockey player’s wrist artery cut by skate

Feature News (Large Market)

CBC Manitoba – Manitoba health officials admit racism in care of Indigenous man who died of cancer
CBC Edmonton – Deep inside the bat cave
CTV News Winnipeg – From Eaton’s to the Mall: The history of the department store Santa
CBC Calgary – Fugitive ‘Pistol Packin’ Mama’ hid in Alberta for decades

Feature News – Digital (Small/Medium Market)

CBC Saskatchewan – Family calls for more rigorous investigation of woman’s death
CBC Saskatchewan – Girl on Fire
CBC North – How housing fits into Paulatuk’s renewable energy goals
650 CKOM – The Tale of the Turtle Lake Monster

News – Live Special Events

CBC Saskatchewan – Saskatchewan wins football classic

Opinion

CBC Calgary – Now, I support separatism
CBC Manitoba – My family and I had to leave due to wildfires. Here’s a photo diary of what happened next
CBC Edmonton – What moving back in with my parents taught me in my 20s

Overall Excellence in Digital

CBC Saskatchewan – CBC.ca/sask and CBC.ca/Saskatoon
CTV News Winnipeg – CTV News Winnipeg
CTV News Regina – ctvnews.ca/regina
CBC Calgary – Digital explorations of energy, a criminal cold case, Calgary’s music scene, immigration, Canada-U.S. border security and Alberta separatism

MULTIPLATFORM

Continuing Coverage (Large Market)

CBC Manitoba – Jeremy Bray’s fight for life-preserving drug succeeds after province changes its mind
CBC Calgary – Calgary Votes 2025: What Matters
Global Winnipeg – Manitoba Wildfires
CBC Edmonton – The search for Samuel Bird

Continuing Coverage (Small/Medium Market)

CBC Saskatchewan – Denare Beach Fire
CTV News Saskatoon – Saskatchewan on Fire
Global News Lethbridge – The Search for Darius

Enterprise Journalism (Large Market)

CBC Calgary – Can Canada become an LNG superpower?
CBC Edmonton – Inside the Humble Lodge
Global News Calgary – Let’s Talk About It. Period
CBC Calgary – Life in the red zone

Enterprise Journalism (Small/Medium Market)

CBC Saskatchewan – The Canadian roots of Elon Musk’s conspiracist grandpa

Excellence in Innovation

CTV News Calgary – Calgary Stampede Parade
Global News Calgary – Decision Calgary 2025

Excellence in Writing (Large Market)

CBC Calgary – ‘Shikata ga nai’: It can’t be helped
CBC Edmonton – The night Jasper burned
CTV News Calgary – Cybercriminals Target Youth
CBC Manitoba – He died a convicted killer. Now, Russell Woodhouse’s family wants his name cleared in 1973 homicide

Investigative Excellence

CBC Manitoba – Manitoba addictions centre offers limited treatment services for $10K monthly fee: advocates, former client
CTV News Winnipeg – ‘Hang up, try later’: Manitoba family unable to contact 911 during deadly heart attack
CBC Saskatchewan – Hard to Swallow
CBC Manitoba – John Q Public

VIDEO

Audio-Visual Storytelling

Global News Winnipeg – Evacuees from Flin Flon gather for open mic in Winnipeg
CBC Manitoba – Father daughter duo make bagels like their ancestors
CBC Calgary – Piikani Nation Banff Bison Hunt
CBC Edmonton – Wanted: Pool hall barber

Breaking News (Large Market)

CTV News Calgary – Deadly Rockslide
CBC Manitoba – Northern Manitoba Wildfire Evacuations

Excellence in Camera Work

CTV News Calgary – Adventure Bike Venture
CBC Edmonton – Capturing the need for speed
Rogers tv Lloydminster – Hope Street Team serving Lloydminster’s unhoused
CBC Calgary – Life Along the Fence: How Alberta-Montana border residents feel about new security measures

Excellence in Editing

CTV News Calgary – Blacksmith World Championships
CBC Manitoba – How much of Manitoba’s 2025 wildfire season is due to climate change?
CBC Calgary – Canada’s ‘Connor McDavid of darts’ prepares for World Championship in England
CBC North – Despite tragedy, reforestation project reaches 1.5 million tree planting goal

Excellence in Sports Reporting

CBC Edmonton – Acing it at 93
CTV News Calgary – Battle of His Life: Former Stampeder Fights ALS
CTV News Regina – Centenarian Golf Celebration
CTV News Calgary – Gloves Not Guns

Excellence in Video

CBC Calgary – Can Canada become an LNG superpower?
CBC Manitoba – Empty pews: Rural Manitoba churches struggle to find ministers
CBC Manitoba – What Winnipeg’s new rules mean for people in, and near, encampments

Feature News (Large Market)

Global News Winnipeg – Fighting the addictions crisis in Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation
Global News Edmonton – MAID Decision
CBC Edmonton – Traditional births return to Kehewin Cree Nation after 60 years
CBC Edmonton – Shooting inside the bat cave

Feature News (Small/Medium Market)

CTV News Saskatoon – A new ‘leash’ on life
CBC North – Alberta’s anti-trans laws drive N.W.T. adults to private gender-affirming care
CTV News Regina – Swift Current Concretion
CBC Northbeat – The teenage tour guides of Cambridge Bay

News – Live Special Events

CTV News Calgary – Municipal Election 2025
CTV News Regina – Celebration in Rider Nation
Global News Edmonton – Edmonton Municipal Election
CTV News Calgary – Remembrance Day Service

TV Newscast (Large Market)

CTV News Calgary – CTV News at 6 – March 4, 2025
Global News Calgary – G7: Global Calgary News Hour at 6 in Banff
Global News Edmonton – Jasper Wildfire 1 year anniversary
CTV News Winnipeg – CTV News Winnipeg

TV Newscast (Small/Medium Market)

CTV News Regina – News at Six
Global Saskatchewan – Saskatchewan Grey Cup Win
CBC Saskatchewan – Saskatchewan Wildfires
CTV News Saskatoon – Wildfire Season 2025

VJ Video

CTV News Regina – Classic Combine Collection
Global News Edmonton – Foodbank food drive
CBC Edmonton – Old Christmas trees will be left by the curb
CBC North – Paulatuk using acoustic tags on Arctic char to better understand their whereabouts

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