Photo: Gavin John / The Narwhal
The Narwhal is proud to be the recipient of four medals — including two gold — at the 2026 Digital Publishing Awards and National Magazine Awards, which were announced in Toronto on June 5.
The Narwhal took home a gold medal in the general excellence category of the Digital Publishing Awards, a prize that honours top Canadian publishers for representing “the highest journalistic standards” and “maximizing the possibilities afforded by the medium of digital publishing.” The Narwhal last won a gold in the general excellence category in 2021.
“2025 was a big, ambitious year for The Narwhal,” executive editor Denise Balkissoon said. “Our entire team — from our reporters to our operations team — should feel proud of our efforts to publish deep, inspiring stories about the natural world that resonate with people in Canada.”
Highlights from The Narwhal in 2025 included a massive growth in our YouTube and TikTok audiences following an investment in video storytelling, as well as several high-profile and impactful collaborations with other media outlets, including the CBC and the Investigative Journalism Foundation. A story on the proposed expansion of the Port of Montreal became our first one translated into French. Last year also saw The Narwhal’s pod of monthly and annual donors grow to over 7,200 members by the end of the year.
“We couldn’t be delivering some of the country’s best environmental journalism if it weren’t for our dedicated members,” Balkissoon said. “We continue to be humbled by their generous support.”
A gold medal for best climate change coverage
The Narwhal also took home a gold medal in the climate change reporting category of the Digital Publishing Awards, for Chloe Williams’ and Gavin John’s vivid portrayal of one Arctic community’s adaptation to climate change.
Reporting from the annual spring festival in Cambridge Bay, Nvt., Williams and John documented the threat climate change poses to Inuit sea ice traditions, as well as a possible solution that could preserve the region’s sea ice for another generation. Their story was “a clear-eyed and empathetic examination of the people at the heart of the warming Arctic,” bureau chief Michelle Cyca said.
A silver medal for Ainslie Cruickshank’s data-driven investigation into animal fatalities on B.C. railroads and eight honourable mentions for a range of other stories rounded out an impressive showing for The Narwhal at the Digital Publishing Awards.
At the National Magazine Awards, The Narwhal earned a silver medal in the investigative reporting category for a piece by Prairies reporter Drew Anderson that revealed who was behind the delinquent oil and gas companies costing Alberta millions of dollars.
An honourable mention was awarded in the service journalism category for Canice Leung’s myth-busting explainer on managing menstruation in the wilderness.
The Narwhal wishes to thank the National Media Awards Foundation for spotlighting and celebrating Canadian journalism and we extend our congratulations to the other winners and nominees.
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