Sinclair honoured at National Newspaper Awards

Niigaan Sinclair is the top columnist in the country.

The Free Press Indigenous issues writer was named Canada’s best columnist at the 77th annual National Newspaper Awards Friday night in Toronto.

The Free Press writer was awarded the Mary Ann Shadd Award for columns at the 77th annual National Newspaper Awards Friday night in Toronto.

“I’m honoured to receive this award but this recognition is as much about the Free Press’s dedication to providing space for Indigenous voices and our community’s demand and interest for them,” Sinclair said during the ceremony.

Three of Sinclair’s columns were submitted to judges for consideration. One concerned the death of Pope Francis and his complicated relationship with Canada’s Indigenous people.

A second column centred on bestselling author Thomas King’s announcement he was not a Native American.

The final one dealt with candid comments by Manitoba’s premier on child pornography legislation when Wab Kinew said: “Not only should (you) go to prison for a long time, they should bury you under the prison.”

Sinclair has written about Indigenous issues for the Free Press since 2018. He first won the award that year and has been a finalist four times.

“I’m delighted the judges recognized Niigaan as the country’s top columnist,” said Free Press editor Paul Samyn. “Niigaan’s perspective and voice is truly a gift we are thrilled to share with our readers.”

Of his writing, the judges wrote: “Sinclair asks questions that stay with the reader and invite reflection long after reading his column.”

The Globe and Mail led all organizations with eight wins, followed by The Canadian Press with four and the Toronto Star and La Presse with three each.

The Globe’s Carrie Tait was named journalist of the year for her coverage of the politics of Alberta health care. She also won the award for investigative journalism and the John Wesley Dafoe Award for politics.

Project of the year went to The Canadian Press for its extensive reporting on the Ring of Fire in Northern Ontario, which highlighted the landscape, people and politics at play.

The Free Press was a finalist in four other categories.

“I’m proud of the recognition given to our other finalists for their outstanding journalism that is essential to the service the Free Press delivers every day,” said Samyn.

That included a nomination for breaking news for coverage of the mass stabbing at Hollow Water First Nation in September 2025, with reporting from Scott Billeck, Nicole Buffie, Chris Kitching, and Carol Sanders, a column by Niigaan Sinclair, and photography by Mikaela MacKenzie and Mike Deal.

Arts and life reporter Ben Waldman was nominated for his in-depth feature story on Richard Comely’s Captain Canuck comic, created in Winnipeg 50 years ago and as relevant as ever amid trade tensions with the United States.

Investigative reporter Marsha McLeod was nominated for two NNAs — in the exploratory category for a piece explaining the origins of the second-generation cut-off in Canada’s Indian Act, its impact on Indigenous families and possible alternatives; and in the long feature category for a story on the RCMP’s fatal shooting of Conor Rae and the subsequent investigation by the province’s police watchdog.

Ninety-nine journalists were nominated across the country, representing 27 newspapers. The full results can be found on the NNA’s website.

Print reporters will join colleagues in radio, television and online journalism in June at the Canadian Association of Journalists awards. Free Press reporters Julia-Simone Rutgers and Malak Abas are nominated in the data journalism category for their analysis of major route changes for Winnipeg bus riders. The CAJ winners will be announced at Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communications on June 13.

Fpcity@freepress.mb.ca