J-Schools Canada / Écoles-J Canada announced the recipients of the second annual Canadian Student Journalism Awards during a Nov. 2 ceremony. The awards recognize excellence, innovation and leadership among emerging journalists across the country.

Awards were free to enter for any student of any Canadian college or university. Volunteer judges— seasoned media professionals and teachers from across the country — evaluated submissions for their originality, impact, technical execution, and contribution to public understanding.

This year’s honourees come from across Canada from Vancouver to Halifax and in between. Their work represents the best journalism produced by students nationwide and reflects the breadth and diversity of Canadian journalism education, adjudicated by a panel of expert judges.

WINNERS

Name: Canadian Communication Association (CCA) Annual Conference
Start: 2027-06-01T08:00:00-04:00
End: 2027-06-03T17:00:00-04:00
Location: Mount Royal University

Student Journalist of the Year

Toni De Guzman, RRC Polytech and the University of Winnipeg
– For work published in CBC Manitoba, the Globe and Mail and elsewhere

Honourable mention: Emma Bolzner, BCIT (Burnaby)
– For work published in the Globe and Mail and elsewhere

Honourable mention: Jenna Olsen, University of King’s College (Halifax)
– For work published in the Investigative Journalism Bureau and elsewhere

Story of the Year

Julianna Adair, Mount Royal University (Calgary)
– Fact-checking Alberta Premier Smith’s claims about puberty blockers, Calgary Journal

Honourable mention: Sarah Palmer, Mount Royal University (Calgary)
– Calgary transit union wants ‘epidemic’ of abuse stopped, Calgary Journal

Student Group Project of the Year

Acacia Carol, Sarah Palmer, Bella Coco and Mia Smith, Mount Royal University (Calgary)
– With MAID in mind: Considerations ahead of mental illness criterion, Calgary Journal

Honourable mention: Reporting in Indigenous Communities, Carleton University (Ottawa)
– Ottawa at 200: Indigenous Perspectives, Capital Current

Community-Driven Project of the Year

Risky Restaurants, MacEwan University (Edmonton)
– Student partnership with the Edmonton Journal

Honourable mention: Jacqueline Newsome, University of King’s College (Halifax)
– Feeling the heat on the front lines of the climate crisis, published in the Globe and Mail and the Signal.

Emerging BIPOC Student Leader

Desi Ajayi-Smith, Thompson Rivers University (Kamloops)
– Is DEI on the brink of collapse in Canada?, and other work in The Omega

Honourable mention: Kai Garcia, BCIT (Burnaby)
– Work in the BCIT News