CBC Saskatchewan and CBC Saskatoon rake in 7 national RTDNA awards
On Saturday night in Toronto, CBC Saskatchewan and CBC Saskatoon won seven Best Canadian Local awards at the 2023 Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) awards.
The RTDNA awards recognize excellence in digital and broadcast journalism.
Here is a list of the awards won:
Audio Breaking News Small/Medium Market
CBC Saskatchewan's The Afternoon Edition won for its breaking news coverage of the arrest of Myles Sanderson — the man responsible for all 11 deaths in the mass stabbing. The team behind this coverage consisted of Garth Materie, Steve Pasqualotto, Peter Mills, Camille Bolen, Sharon Gerein, Jessie Anton, Jason Warick, Kendall Latimer and the entire newsroom.
Digital Breaking News Small/Medium Market
CBC Saskatoon won for its digital coverage of the James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon mass stabbing that left 11 people dead and 17 injured.
Digital Opinion
Rollie Pemberton won the Opinion category for a piece called The Prairies got something to say. It is part of the CBC's Black on The Prairies: Place Edition. Pemberton's piece focuses on how his hometown of Edmonton inspired his rap career. Omayra Issa, Melissa Fundira, Alisha Parchment, Andrew McManus and Dwight Friesen worked on this project.
Digital Overall Excellence in Digital
CBC Saskatoon journalist Omayra Issa has won the Overall Excellence in Digital category for Black on the Prairies: Place Edition.
CBC's Black on The Prairies series explores the history and present lives of Black people on the Prairies through their triumphs and challenges, and places their contribution at the very centre of the Prairie narrative as part of the Canadian story. The project is led by Issa and CBC radio host Ify Chiwetelu. Omayra Issa, Melissa Fundira, Alisha Parchment, Andrew McManus and Dwight Friesen contributed to this piece for CBC Saskatchewan.
Multiplatform Investigative Excellence
Geoff Leo won for his CBC Saskatchewan multimedia piece Disputed History. It explores how prominent scholar and former judge Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond's claims of being a treaty Indian of Cree ancestry don't appear to match the historical record. Her story illuminates a complex and growing discussion about Indigenous identity that's playing out across the country.
Video Audio Visual Storytelling Small/Medium Market
Freelance videographer and editor Aaron Sinclair has won the award for his piece on how a race car driver in Saskatchewan is carving out a place for women in the sport. Destiny Klym is the first Saskatchewan and Indigenous woman to compete in a Nascar-sanctioned race. Both Aaron Sinclair and Natascia Lypny worked on this project.
Video Excellence in Sports Reporting
Dan Plaster, Bryan Eneas, Natascia Lypny claimed this award for CBC Saskatchewan for their piece called All-Black baseball teams used to play for small Prairie towns; One is finally getting recognized, the video element of which was called Golden opportunities. The story entails how 70 years ago, Nat Bates and Willie Reed came to Canada to play for the Indian Head Rockets, one of several all-Black baseball teams that played on the Prairies in the 1940s and 1950s.
CBC Saskatchewan and CBC Saskatoon also won 9 regional RTDNA awards back in June.
A full list of RTDNA category winners can be found on their website.
