Atlantic Journalism Awards announce 2020 Gold and Silver winners

The Atlantic Journalism Awards (AJAs) announced the gold and silver winners for its 2020 earlier this week.

More information at www.AJAs.ca.

View/listen to all 2020 finalists at www.ajasonline.org/finalists2020.

Winners in the newspaper and digital categories included:

Breaking/Spot News Reporting: Newspaper
The gold winner is: Juanita Mercer – The Telegram – St. John’s, NL – Snowmageddon.

The silver finalists in this category are:
Alex Bill – allNewfoundlandLabrador.com – St. John’s, NL – Nasdaq acquires Verafin.

Andrew Rankin – The Chronicle Herald – Halifax, NS – Lawyer: tenant evicted by demolition.

Feature: Newspaper
The gold winner is: Noushin Ziafati – The Chronicle Herald – Halifax, NS – Refugee claimant ‘wrestling virus’ at Northwood.

The silver finalists in this category are:
Anne Calder – The Chronicle Herald/Saltwire – Halifax, NS – The extraordinary evolution of writer Amy Mckay.

Drew Brown – The Independent – St. John’s, NL – Unmasking Donny Dooley: Newfoundland’s most wanted troll.

Enterprise Reporting : Newspaper
The gold winner is: Aidan Cox – The Daily Gleaner – Fredericton, NB – Holes in tracking raise questions around racial discrimination in policing.

The silver finalists in this category are:
Andrew Rankin – The Chronicle Herald – Halifax, NS – The making of a mass killer.

Ashley Fitzpatrick – The Independent – St. John’s, NL – A glimpse inside: a day at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary.

Photojournalism News
The gold winner is: Keith Gosse – The Telegram – St. John’s, NL – Family escapes house fire.

The silver finalists in this category are:
John Morris – Reuters and others – Charlottetown, PEI – Nova Scotia shootings.

Keith Gosse – The Telegram – St. John’s, NL – Fatal rollover.

Photojournalism Portrait/Feature
The gold winner is: John Morris – Reuters and others – Charlottetown, PEI – Back to school after COVID March break.

The silver finalists in this category are:
John Morris – The Globe and Mail – Charlottetown, PEI – Canada/USA Border Closure.

Keith Gosse – The Telegram – St. John’s – Distorted driving.

Editorial Cartooning
TIE for gold: Bruce MacKinnon – The Chronicle Herald – Halifax, NS – Show of work.
and also:
Michael de Adder – The Chronicle Herald –Halifax NS – Show of work.

Best Community Newspaper News Story
The gold winner is: Tina Comeau – Tri-County Vanguard – Yarmouth, NS – Bringing life to unmarked graves.

The silver finalists in this category are:
Maurice Rees – The Shoreline Journal – Maitland, NS – Portapique coverage.

Rhea Rollmann – The Independent – St. John’s, NL – An empty lot on Eric Street holds the key to the city.

OTHER – ANY MEDIUM

Excellence in Digital Journalism: Breaking News
The gold winner is: Yvette d’Entremont – Halifax Examiner – Halifax, NS – Body of work: pandemic coverage.

The silver finalists in this category are:
Halifax Examiner news team – Halifax Examiner – Halifax, NS – Mass murder coverage.

René Landry/Alix Villeneuve – Radio-Canada Acadie – Caraquet, NB – Directeurs de scrutin au N.-B. : les militants progressistes-conservateurs sont légion.

Excellence in Digital Journalism: Enterprise/Longform
The gold winners are: Rob Csernyik/Mary Campbell – The Cape Breton Spectator – Sydney, NS – Sydney’s casino at 25.

The silver finalists in this category are:
Joan Baxter – Halifax Examiner – Halifax, NS – Port Wallace gamble.

Marine Ernoult – Actions Femmes IPÉ – Charlottetown, PEI – Féminin PluriElles.

Business Reporting: Any Medium
The gold winner is: Rob Csernyik – The Halifax Examiner – Halifax, NS – The casino crapshoot.

The silver finalists in this category are:
Ashley Fitzpatrick/Alex Bill – allNewfoundlandLabrador.com – St. John’s, NL – Fallout of a scuttled refinery deal.

René Landry/Alix Villeneuve – Radio-Canada Acadie – Moncton, NB – Un projet éolien qui fait jaser à Anse-Bleue.

Sports Reporting: Any Medium
The gold winner is: Tom Murphy – CBC NS – Halifax, NS – Surfing towards change in North Preston, NS.

The silver finalists in this category are:
François Le Blanc – Radio-Canada Acadie – Moncton, NB – Yanic Duplessis: Réconcilier hockey et homosexualité.

Jeremy Fraser – Cape Breton Post – Sydney, NS – 30th anniversary of UCCB Capers Football.

Commentary: Any Medium
The gold winner is: Connell Smith – CBC NB – Fredericton, NB – An absent goodbye.

The silver finalists for this category are:
Brian Flinn – allNovaScotia.com – Halifax, NS – Government business: under the rug.

Paul MacNeill – Eastern Graphic – Montague, PEI – The drug cave is a signal that PEI needs to do better.

Stephen Kimber – Halifax Examiner – Halifax, NS – Shopping while strolling.

The Jim MacNeill New Journalist Award
The gold winner is: Ben Cleary – NTV – St. John’s, NL – Show of work.

The silver finalists in this category are:
Nicole Munro – The Chronicle Herald – Halifax, NS – Show of work.

Taryn Grant – CBC NS – Halifax, NS – Show of work.