Saskatchewan News Team Receives Prestigious National Newspaper Award Nomination
A dedicated reporting and photography team from the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and Regina Leader-Post has earned a distinguished nomination for the National Newspaper Awards for their extensive and impactful coverage of the catastrophic Saskatchewan wildfires during the summer of 2025. The team, consisting of Michelle Berg, Brandon Harder, Larissa Kurz, Kayle Neis, and Rob O'Flanagan, received recognition in the sustained news coverage category for providing what the NNAs describe as "their up-close look at the people most impacted by Saskatchewan's summer of wildfires."
Comprehensive Coverage of a Devastating Season
The nomination highlights the team's exceptional work documenting various aspects of the wildfire crisis that gripped the province. Their reporting included compelling features on firefighters making a courageous stand against the blazes in Weyakwin, families forced to flee their homes, an historic Métis site transformed into a sanctuary for evacuees, and comprehensive analysis of the record-setting wildfire season that tested Saskatchewan's resources and resilience.
Kevin Mitchell, editor-in-chief at both the Leader-Post and StarPhoenix, emphasized the human-centered approach of their coverage. "It was important for us to write not just about the fires, but about the people most affected," Mitchell stated. "Our journalists brought readers up into the smoke and fire. Their words, photographs and observations provided added context while bringing those stories home. It was a remarkable job of reporting and storytelling, and one we're proud of."
Competition and Historical Context
The Saskatchewan team faces strong competition in their category, with the Toronto Star nominated for their coverage of the Blue Jays playoff run as "a prolonged civic story that mattered to every part of the city," and a team from The Globe and Mail recognized for their investigation into how measles made a concerning comeback across Canada.
This nomination continues a tradition of excellence for the two Saskatchewan publications. Previously, the StarPhoenix and Leader-Post were honored with an NNA in the breaking news category at the 2023 ceremony for their joint coverage of the James Smith Cree Nation killings. Additionally, team member Brandon Harder received an NNA last year for long feature writing documenting the case of Joseph George Thauberger, who was eventually convicted of the 1997 murder of his brother.
Legacy of Excellence in Canadian Journalism
The National Newspaper Awards, established by the Toronto Press Club in 1949, represent Canada's most prestigious journalism honors, recognizing outstanding work from daily newspapers, community publications, and digital organizations that publish original content at least five days per week. Since the awards' inception, the StarPhoenix has won six NNAs while the Leader-Post has secured five victories.
In recent years, reporters and teams from both Saskatchewan outlets have consistently earned nominations and wins across multiple categories including breaking news, local reporting, editorial writing, news photography, and entertainment writing. Notably, Kevin Mitchell was named journalist of the year at the 2018 NNAs for his extensive and poignant coverage of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash tragedy.
This year's awards see The Globe and Mail leading with nineteen nominations, followed by La Presse with thirteen, the Toronto Star with eight, and The Canadian Press with seven nominations. The sustained recognition of Saskatchewan journalists demonstrates the vital role regional news organizations play in documenting significant events that shape communities across Canada.
