UBC Journalism is celebrating a major national achievement following a standout performance at this year’s RTDNA Canada Best Canadian Local News Awards.
After advancing from the regional level, alumna Chaimae Chouiekh’s digital feature story “Pyar is Pyar: A Journey in Conservative Surrey” was named the national winner in the highly competitive Digital Feature News (Large Market) category.
The piece explores the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals in Surrey’s conservative South Asian community. The win highlights both the depth of reporting and the unique storytelling that UBC Journalism brings to Canadian news media.
“Chaimae’s piece continues to win praise and awards, and rightly so. This is a beautifully rendered project about faith, love and community that has won the hearts and minds of her peers and industry professionals,” said Kamal Al-Solaylee, professor and director at the School of Journalism, Writing, and Media.
Chouiekh developed “Pyar is Pyar” in the Visual Journalism course taught by professors Alfred Hermida and Uytae Lee. The project has garnered additional recognition, winning a silver award in the 2025 Digital Publishing Awards for Best Lifestyle Storytelling.
“I’m immensely proud of Chaimae’s big heart and talent and grateful to the Visual Journalism professors, Alfred Hermida and Uytae Lee, for their innovative teaching and mentorship of the next generation of digital storytellers,” added Al-Solaylee.
Building on regional success
The recognition at the national level comes after the feature’s earlier success at the RTDNA regional awards.
Chouiekh won in the digital Feature News (Large Market) category for the West Region, which covers British Columbia and Yukon.
UBC Journalism professor Alfred Hermida was recognized as a finalist in the opinion category in the RTDNA Canada Best Canadian Local News Awards after winning in the West Region.
This latest recognition builds past success. In 2019, alumna Joanne Pearce (’18) secured an RTDNA Canada regional award for her multimedia investigation “Follow the Water: Hidden Cost of a B.C. Town’s Water.”
The RTDNA Canada Awards are among the most prestigious in the country, honouring outstanding achievements in radio, television, and digital news.
