Every year, The John H. McDonald Awards for Excellence in Student Journalism — better known as the Johnnies or the JHMs — are presented as a part of NASH. These prestigious awards recognize the very best in student journalism across the country.
Nominees are finally here! Thank you to everyone who sent in submissions, and to our fantastic group of judges from all over the industry.
Winners will be presented at the virtual JHM Gala on Sunday, February 21 at 7 p.m. EST, which closes off this year’s NASH conference.
Please direct any inquiries to president@cup.ca.
Here are the nominees:
WRITTEN
Arts & Culture Writing Award
- Queerness, fashion & safety: When LGBTQ2IA+ aesthetics popularized but left its community members behind, Nabeeha Baig, The Eyeopener
- Meet the team working to Indigenize the U of O campus, Ryan Pepper, The Fulcrum
- The Art of the Resale, Kayla Zhu and Andrea Josić, The Eyeopener
Humour Award
- Clog in the Machine: How to take a compliment, Simona Rosenfield, The Concordian
- How to prepare, cook and eat the allegedly ‘inedible’ Buchanan Beans, Thomas O’Donnell, The Ubyssey
- Men’s Literature, Daisy Sprenger, The McGill Daily
Diversity Reporting Award
- How Mental Health Is (or Isn’t) Handled in Asian Communities, Sheena Macmillan, The Link
- Lost in (mis)communication, Emma Moore, The Eyeopener
- call-me-by-your-url.tumblr.com, Tyler Griffin, The Eyeopener
Feature Writing Award
Over $50,000:
- Taking off the layers, Tina Tai, The Gateway
- Sex work is real work for Ryerson students, Andrea Josić, The Eyeopener
- $1 for a Piece of History, $2 for 3: The History of Samosas, Noah Merali, The McGill Daily
Under $50,000:
- The story behind the ramen, Young Joo Jun, The Aquinian
- Potential ban on conversion therapy: Is it the beginning of the end?, Aaron Sousa, The Aquinian
- Going viral, Meg Zhang, The Strand
Investigative Reporting Award
- UBC changed its cash payment policies amid 2019 provincial ‘dirty money’ laundering concerns, Maneevak Bajaj, The Ubyssey
- Trinity College’s institutional reckoning, Joshua Chong & Hana Sharifi, The Varsity
- Concordia will not comply with the Quebec Human Rights Commission’s recommendations regarding sexual assault complaints, sources say, Hadassah Alencar, The Concordian
The CWA Award for Labour Reporting
- Report Sheds Light on Poor Working Conditions for Warehouse Temporary Workers, Kaity Brady, The Link
- Queen’s denying many international students employment during COVID-19, Aysha Tabassum, The Queen’s Journal
- For TAs, Casual Employees, Invigilators, and Graders, COVID-19 Has Exacerbated Already Uncertain Working Conditions, Yasna Khademian, The McGill Daily
News Reporting Award
- “It comes down to discrimination”: International students still ineligible for student union executive, Ana Cristina Camacho, The Sheaf Publishing Society
- John Abbott Athletics Has a Sexual Assault Problem, Candice Pye, The Link
- U of T to review policies after UTM student handcuffed while seeking mental health support, Kathryn Mannie, The Varsity
Op-Ed Award
- Why disruptive protests are the protests we need, Truly Hunter, The Martlet
- From exams to cross-examinations: What it’s like to be a survivor and a student, Jes Mason, The Eyeopener
- Why I’m happy to stay home this fall, Kaity Brady, The Link
Sports Reporting Award
- Western women’s football team marches on without varsity status, Jordan Bloom, The Western Gazette
- In internal emails, former provost Tom Harris referred to cross country team member’s email as ‘cult behaviour’, Matt Funk, The Queen’s Journal
- U of O discouraged Gee-Gees social media accounts from posting about Bell Let’s Talk, Charley Dutil & Matt Gergyek, The Fulcrum
Indigenous Reporting Award
- Why Kolin Sutherland-Wilson can’t stay quiet, Josh Kozelj, The Martlet
- The evolution of “reconciliation”, Madi Wong & Samreen Maqsood, The Eyeopener
- Breaking Barriers: Hockey in First Nations Communities, Elias Grigoriadis, The Link
Data Journalism Award
- So you think you can afford a home in Victoria?, Kate Korte, The Martlet
- Where are people wearing masks on campus?, Hope Mahood, The Western Gazette
- Noisy, nosey and nurturing: An analysis of Vancouver’s non-emergency line during COVID-19, Myla White & Edith Coates, The Ubyssey
Climate Reporting Award
- Can universities become leaders in sustainability?, Dhriti Gupta and Giulia Fiaoni, The Eyeopener
- We went to the climate strike—now what?, Aaliyah Dasoo, The Eyeopener
- What Does the Future of Sustainability Look Like After Concordia Divests?, Erika Morris, The Link
Science Reporting Award
- A Look at Endangered Species in Montreal, Sheena Macmillan, The Link
- Students with poor Internet left behind in online learning atmosphere, Ryan Matte, The Fulcrum
- Scientists in ecology and evolutionary biology divided on navigating academia as BIPOC, Mandy Huynh, The Ubyssey
Public Health Reporting Award
- School, but you’re bleeding, Katie Swyers, The Eyeopener
- U of T students feel impact of lockdown following coronavirus outbreak in China, Haley Sheh & Mikaela Toone, The Varsity
- On the front lines: Healthcare students deal with unique challenges during COVID-19, Dorothy Poon, The Martlet
MULTIMEDIA
Cover/Layout of the Year
- The Ubyssey, February 11, 2020, Elizabeth Wang & Lua Presidio
- The Western Gazette, July 8, 2020, Liam Afonso, Taniya Spolia, Emily Tayler, Rania Osman, Hope Mahood
- The Eyeopener, January 15, 2020, Pernia Jamshed
Graphic/Illustration of the Year
- John Pachkowsky, Capilano Courier
- Maya Rodrigo-Abdi, The Ubyssey
- An Bui, The Gateway
Photo of the Year
- Theo Arbez, The Varsity
- Mike Graeme, The Martlet
- Timothy Austen, The Charlatan
Best Online Media
- The Ubyssey
- Spine, The Varsity
- The Eyeopener
Prize for Digital Storytelling
Over $50,000:
- Through the looking glass, Dina Dong, The Varsity
- Western’s outbreak, traced, Liam Afonso & Lucas Arender, The Western Gazette
- The Intersection of Transit and Disability, Jack Bailey, Diana Hong & Charlotte Alden, The Ubyssey
Under $50,000:
- ‘We are all treaty people’: Support rally for Mi’kmaq relatives at N.B. legislature, Hannah Rudderham & Shannon Nickerson, The Aquinian
- From Kazakhstan to Canada: Traveling tips during a pandemic and more!, Young Joo Jun, The Aquinian
RECOGNITION
Student Journalist of the Year
- Adam Lachacz, The Gateway
- Bailey Martens, The Ubyssey
- Liam Afonso, The Western Gazette
Student Photojournalist of the Year
- Spencer Colby, The Charlatan
- Elana Emer, The Eyeopener
- Esteban Cuevas, The Link
Student Publication of the Year
This award, voted on by CUP’s membership (digitally) during the NASH conference, is designed to help foster solidarity among the student media landscape and to recognize any outstanding accomplishments, progress, and community service that a student publication has brought to their community at large over the past year.