The Globe and Mail won six gold and four silver medals at the 2020 Digital Publishing Awards, including for projects that brought attention to the dangers of distracted driving, institutional racism in Thunder Bay and the struggles of queer and trans artists in Toronto’s hip-hop scene.
No other publication won as many awards, which were announced Wednesday in a virtual ceremony. Other multiple gold winners were Radio-Canada, Le Devoir, The Tyee, Xtra and CBC Podcasts.
The Globe’s coverage of a nationwide manhunt, which ended when a Cree trapper helped the RCMP find the bodies of Canada’s most wanted fugitives, won gold in the best long feature category.
Paving a new road for rap won in both the best arts and culture storytelling and photo storytelling categories. The feature highlights up-and-coming female, queer and trans artists in Toronto’s hip-hop scene.
In the best news coverage category, The Globe won gold for several stories that explored the challenges of racism against and reconciliation with Indigenous people using Thunder Bay as a home base. The Globe opened a bureau in Thunder Bay last year to document that process with sustained coverage.
The Globe also won gold in the best service feature category for its 2019 edition of Hidden Canada. The annual project, which won the same category last year, highlights lesser-known travel gems across the country.
Part game, part story, Are you a distracted driver? Probably, Here’s why won for best science and technology storytelling, and received a silver for innovation in digital storytelling. Distracted driving is one of the most pervasive and dangerous public policy issues facing Canadians today. However, it is difficult to track and it lacks the stigma of drunk driving, and so goes largely undetected and unpunished on our roads. Through this interactive digital story, readers’ ability to multitask was tested highlighting the dangers of driving while preoccupied.
The Globe also claimed four silver awards over the 20 categories. Besides the innovation award, the other three were for best short feature article, ’It’s up to us’: A Mi’kmaq mother’s killing drives Cape Breton community to action, and best social storytelling with its Instagram election coverage, and best service feature for Canada’s kitchen on top chefs.
“Our nominated work saw us deploy our full suite of storytelling techniques. From data tracking to video, the journalism was both immediate and compelling,” said David Walmsley, The Globe’s editor-in-chief. “On behalf of everyone working to bring the journalism alive in these unprecedented circumstances, we thank the judges for the awards and recognition."
A breakdown of awards won by The Globe at the 2020 Digital Publishing Awards, out of 21 nominations:
Gold awards:
Best news coverage: Thunder Bay.
Best feature article, long: How the RCMP found Canada’s most wanted fugitives with a raven, a Cree trapper and luck.
Best service feature: Hidden Canada.
Best arts and culture storytelling: Paving a new road for rap.
Best science and technology storytelling: Are you a distracted driver? Probably. Here’s why.
Best photo storytelling: Paving a new road for rap.
Silver awards:
Best feature article, short: ‘It’s up to us’: A Mi’kmaq mother’s killing drives Cape Breton community to action.
Best social storytelling: Instagram election coverage.
Innovation in digital storytelling: Are you a distracted driver? Probably. Here’s why.
Best service feature: Canada’s Kitchen.
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