Nunatsiaq News named Best Overall Newspaper
in regional newspaper awards
Paper wins 8 Quebec Community Newspapers Association awards
Nunatsiaq News staff accept the Best Overall Newspaper award at the Quebec Community Newspapers Association’s annual awards Friday in Gatineau, Que. Members of the team who were on hand for the ceremony are, from left to right, Cedric Gallant, Krista Klassen, Randi Beers, Julia Roberts, Corey Larocque, Jeff Pelletier, Dominique Gené, Nehaa Bimal, Arty Sarkisian and Gord Howard. (Photo courtesy of Savanna Oliver/QCNA)
The teamwork of Nunatsiaq News journalists and the individual excellence of reporters and columnists were recognized Friday, as the Quebec Community Newspapers Association presented its annual awards.
Nunatsiaq News was named Best Overall Newspaper among 11 entries, while reporter Nehaa Bimal won two awards and Arty Sarkisian won one.
“There are a lot of fingerprints on the awards we won this year,” managing editor Corey Larocque said. “Wins in the Best Overall, Best Front Page and Best Special Section categories are the results of the experience, dedication and enthusiasm our team consistently brings to our news coverage.”
It was the second year in a row Nunatsiaq News won the Best Overall Newspaper category. In 2025, it shared that honour in a rare three-way tie with the Eastern Door, which covers the Kahnawake area, and Montreal’s the Suburban.
The paper also won Best Special Section for its November 2025 publication of JBNQA 50 — Looking Back. Moving Forward. It was a supplement to the weekly print edition to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement.
Magda Konieczna, who judged the category, called the section an “impressive” and “nuanced treatment” of a complex topic. She pointed to the profiles of young Nunavik leaders looking to the future as well as graphics that told the story of the region’s evolution following the 1975 signing of the JBNQA.
Several judges pointed to the paper’s attractive look and presentation, both in print and on its website.
“Nunatsiaq News is always beautifully put together, with impactful stories and quality pictures,” wrote Lucie Laumonier, who judged the Best Feature Page category.
Peter Menzies, who judged the Best Front Page category, said Nunatsiaq News’ entry had a “clean and comprehensive presentation,” noting informative headlines and well-crafted leads.
Nunatsiaq News won eight awards of the 22 it had been nominated for. The awards recognize the best work in 2025.
Reporter Bimal’s two wins came in the Best Agricultural Story and Best Environmental Story categories. Judge Magda Konieczna called her story about a greenhouse in Gjoa Haven a “fascinating look at indoor farming in a remote area.”
Her story about plans to outfit Gjoa Haven with solar power prompted judge Ryan MacDonald to say, “the world needs more stories about solutions.”
Sarkisian’s research into preparations for Qikiqtarjuaq’s deepsea port won the Best Business Column or Feature category. Judge Mary Baxter called it a “well-managed, well-paced story that features different voices and lots of context.”
Longtime Taissumani columnist Kenn Harper earned the top prize for Best Columnist. The judge called Harper an “erudite columnist” who writes about history through a “unique, historical lens.”
Ann Hanson, the former editor of the Inukshuk newsletter that became Nunatsiaq News, won the Best Feature Series for her three-part series about the Inuit arranged marriages tradition, titled “Will you marry me? was not the question …”
Judge Greg Colgan called it “an incredibly powerful and emotional series” that “raises difficult memories but allows for it to be discussed by the community.”
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