UBC Journalism graduates have been recognized with three 2026 RTDNA Canada West Region Awards for visual journalism projects produced in the Master of Journalism program.
Cornelia Qian won in the Digital Feature News (Large Market) category, Ashrit Vaidya and Ian French won for Digital Excellence in Sports Reporting, and Katrianna Skulsky was recognized for Excellence in Innovation. In the first two of these categories, the students were up against CBC British Columbia.
The regional winners were announced on September 23 in Vancouver by RTDNA Canada. The awards recognize excellence in digital, audio, video and multiplatform journalism across Western Canada.
The latest recognition builds on last year’s success, when UBC Journalism took two regional awards and one national one.
Visual journalism projects
Beyond Kung Fu by Cornelia Qian examined the cultural history and contemporary practice of kung fu through visual reporting and multimedia storytelling.
Tobi Akinkunmi: Surging Forward by Ashrit Vaidya and Ian French followed Nigerian-born sprinter Tobi Akinkunmi and explores his experience as an athlete pursuing elite competition in Canada. The other finalist was a sports feature by CBC British Columbia.
She Speaks in Power by Katrianna Skulsky was a creative multimedia portrait of Mwayi Mphande, a Malawian hip-hop artist living in Vancouver, who uses music to explore identity, voice and power.
The projects were created in UBC Journalism’s visual journalism courses, taught by Professor Alfred Hermida and filmmaker Uytae Lee.
The courses focus on reporting through photography, video and multimedia forms, with students developing stories from initial reporting and field production through editing and publication.
The latest awards add to a growing record of recognition for work produced through the courses.
In 2025, UBC Journalism graduate Chaimae Chouiekh won the West Region Digital Feature News award for Pyar is Pyar: A Journey in Conservative Surrey. The project later won the RTDNA Canada Best Canadian Local News Award in the same category.
UBC Journalism student work has also received recognition from the Canadian Online Publishing Awards and other national journalism competitions.
The RTDNA Canada Awards honour journalism produced for audio, digital, video and multiplatform formats across the country. West Region award winners advance to consideration for the Best Canadian Local News Awards, with the 2026 national awards gala taking place on November 7.
