Observer Media Group Awards and Nominations

2023

Canada’s National Observer’s The Salmon People was named a Webby Honoree for the 27th Annual Webby Awards.

Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honour” by The New York Times, the Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), the leading international awards organization honouring excellence on the Internet.

“Honorees like The Salmon People are setting the standard for innovation and creativity on the Internet,” said Claire Graves, president of the Webby Awards. “It is an incredible achievement to be selected among the best from the nearly 14,000 entries we received this year.”

The podcast, which is a co-production between journalist Sandra Bartlett and CNO, tells the story of a 30-year battle to save Canada’s wild salmon. The investigation takes listeners into the waters off Vancouver Island, where juvenile wild salmon travel past fish farms on their way to the ocean. Over the years, fewer and fewer have been successful in making the journey to the ocean and returning to spawn the next generation. The podcast follows biologist Alexandra Morton as she uses science to show that diseases and organisms from fish farms are having a deadly impact on wild salmon.

"The Salmon People" is also nominated for the best in Canada for "overall excellence" in the Canadian Foundation for Journalism award for small media.

Cloe Logan’s hard-hitting expose, “Investigation: Past safety violations loom large over the reopening of Canadian coal mine,” has been nominated for an Atlantic Journalism Award in the Enterprise/Longform category. Cloe’s nation-rocking investigative reporting is up against the CBC and the Atavist Magazine in this category and is one in a three-part series. (Be sure to check out Part 2 and Part 3, too.) She is also a finalist for the Metcalf Foundation’s 25th annual science immersion workshop for environmental journalists.

Our urban Indigenous reporter Matteo Cimellaro, based in Ottawa, was honoured by the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) with a nomination for its Emerging Indigenous Journalist Award. Matteo’s reporting, “Native American Journalists Association bars New York Times from its conference over harmful coverage,” was one of the stories that earned him the nomination.

Marc Fawcett-Atkinson and former CNO reporter Jessica McDiarmid’s piece, “Right-wing operatives masquerading as local grassroots groups on Facebook,” has been nominated for a CAJ award in the coveted Scoops category.

The Atlantic Journalism Awards and the CAJ will announce the winners in mid-April.

2022

Winner National Newspaper Awards' Mary Ann Shadd Cary award for columns for Karyn Pugliese's writing on history of residential schools (tba May 6)

Finalist alongside The Globe and Mail and CBC for the Canadian Journalism Foundation's Climate Solutions Reporting award for Race Against Climate Change podcast.

Nominated for National Newspaper Awards' John Wesley Dafoe Award for Politics for 'Friends with Benefits' (a collaborative investigation with Toronto Star) on influence of developers on Doug Ford and the Greenbelt (tba May 6)

Honourable Mention at Canadian Hillman Prize award for 'fearless journalism' for 'Friends with Benefits' (with Toronto Star)

Nominated for top award in large media category, Jackman Awards for Excellence in Journalism, Canadian Journalism Foundation, with Institute for Investigative Journalism and collaborators across Canada for 'Clean Water, Broken Promises' series on the fight for clean drinking water in First Nations communities.

2021

2020

  • Canadian Association of Journalism: Canada's National Observer Deputy Editor David McKie takes prestigious Bury Award in recognition of his 'pioneering work in the field of computer-assisted reporting/data journalism in Canada over the past several decades in newsrooms and classrooms across the country.' Co-recipient Fred Vallance-Jones.
  • Canadian Association of Journalism nomination with Vice for Best Photojournalism (Jesse Winter)

2019

2018

Canadian Online Publishing Awards:

Canadian Association of Journalists

  • Best Emerging Indigenous Reporting: Emilee Gilpin

2017

Finalists, Canadian Association of Journalists:

  1. Carl Meyer: Daily Excellence
  2. Emily Gilpin: Emerging Indigenous Journalist
  3. Mike De Souza Online Media Investigative Reporting
  • Canadian Committee: World Press Freedom Honourable Mention to Mike De Souza at 2018 awards ceremony
  • Hillman Foundation: Honourable Mention for Price of Oil series
  • Finalists, Digital Publishing Awards: General Excellence in Digital Publishing for Small Publications
  • Emerge Media Award to the Film Crude Power
  • Finalist, Canadian Journalism Foundation 'Jackman Award': Price of Oil series
  • Finalist, RTDNA (Radio, Television, Digital News Association): Price of Oil series
  • Finalist, Investigative Reporters and Editors Association: Film Crude Power

2016

2015

  • Winner of the Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals' Clements Award: Elizabeth McSheffrey

Finalists, Canadian Association of Journalists:

  1. Online Media: Joshua Hergesheimer
  2. Online Media: Elizabeth McSheffrey
  3. Scoop: Staff Reporters

2014

2013

  • Finalist, Canadian Journalism Foundation: Excellence in Journalism for Small Media, Vancouver Observer

2012

2010

Winner, Canadian Online Publishing Awards:

  1. Best Website in Canada
  2. Best Online-Only Article