CTV News won eight National Awards of Excellence and seven Best Canadian Local News awards from RTDNA Canada, the organization announced Saturday night at a gala event in Toronto. National awards CTVNews.ca took home a Breaking News award in the Digital category for coverage of the resignation of former prime minister Justin Trudeau. The team also won the Live Special Events award for its coverage of the 2025 Canadian federal election, and the award for Excellence in Sports Reporting for coverage of the Blue Jays’ playoff run uniting a nation. CTV W5 won the Enterprise Journalism award in the Multiplatform category for “Avery Haines Investigates: Cartel Canada,” an investigation into how Canada became the largest exporter of meth to New Zealand in the world. CTV W5 also won the Investigative Excellence award for “Avery Haines Investigates: Sleeping With The Enemy,” following an online network of men who are secretly drugging and videotaping their crimes. Taking home the best ‘TV Newscast’ award was CTV National News with Omar Sachedina. CTV News won the Breaking News award for coverage of Trudeau’s resignation, and the Excellence in Sports Reporting award for reporting on PWHL player Abby “Hustles” Hustler. Best Canadian Local News awards Local CTV News teams claimed seven awards in the “Best Canadian Local News” categories Saturday. CTV News Toronto won the Multiplatform award for Continuing Coverage (Large Market) for its coverage of the Toronto Blue Jays playoffs. CTV News Saskatoon won the same award for Small/Medium Market for coverage of Saskatchewan wildfires. In the Video category, CTV News Atlantic won the Feature News (Small/Medium Market) award for a feature on a sculpture-building mechanic. CTV News Vancouver won a Multiplatform award for Enterprise Journalism (Large Market) for a piece titled “Hidden in Plain Sight.” In the Video category, the Vancouver team won awards for Breaking News (Regional, Large Market) for its coverage of flooding in the Fraser Valley, and the VJ Video award for “The Darkest Day Debate.” CP24.com won a Live Special Events (Regional) Digital award for its coverage of Ontario’s provincial election. Teams with CTV News Atlantic, Barrie, Montreal, Calgary, Regina, Saskatoon, Toronto, Vancouver, Vancouver Island, also won a combined total of 23 regional awards earlier this year. Lifetime Achievement, Distinguished Service, Emerging Journalist awards This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to CTV W5’s Avery Haines. The Award is presented to individuals who have “distinguished themselves through outstanding service and continued excellence during the course of their career,” RTDNA Canada says. CTV News Vice-President Richard Gray was also honoured with the Distinguished Service Award, which RTDNA Canada says is given “in recognition and appreciation of outstanding contribution and exemplary distinguished service rendered for the benefit and advancement of electronic journalism and RTDNA.” Several current and former Bell Media employees also received Regional Lifetime Achievement Awards. Jeff Rogstad and Bruce Gellvear won for the Prairie region, while Joanne Clancy won for the East region. CTV News Social Content Coordinator Sydney Wray was presented with the Emerging Journalist Award, given in recognition of “the achievements and excellent work of Canadian journalists who are at the beginning stages of their career,” according to the organization. RTDNA Canada, or the Radio Television Digital News Association of Canada, is the leading voice of journalists in Canada, fostering the best in Radio, Television and Digital News. The members of RTDNA Canada recognize the responsibility of journalists to promote and to protect the freedom to report independently about matters of public interest and to present a wide range of expressions, opinions and ideas.
