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Investigative Journalism Bureau earns eight journalism award nominations for groundbreaking reporting on Indigenous healthcare, ‘exploitative’ clinical trials, medical assistance in dying and sexual misconduct by lawyers

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The Investigative Journalism Bureau (IJB) has been recognized as a finalist for eight journalism awards in Canada and the United States. The nominations include two 2024 National Newspaper Awards (NNAs), two Canadian Association of Journalists Awards (CAJs), two 2024 Mindset Awards for Mental Health Reporting, a New York Festivals Radio Award and a 2025 Golden Sheaf Award at the Yorkton Film Festival.

National Newspaper Awards

At the NNAs, the IJB is being recognized in partnership with the Toronto Star in two highly competitive categories for its impactful investigative work that has helped expose serious issues within Canada’s healthcare system and clinical trials industry:

NNAs Business Reporting, Finalists:
Robert Cribb, Max Binks-Collier, Masih Khalatbari, Charlie Buckley and Habiba Nosheen.
For their eye-opening investigation into Canada’s clinical trial industry, where study participants who are often vulnerable and marginalized said they are financially incentivized to lie about side effects and health impacts. Their reporting revealed a system where profits and scientific data integrity collide, raising serious ethical questions about how these trials are run and the risks they pose to participants and the public.

NNAs George Brown Award for Investigations, Finalists:
Robert Cribb, Wendy-Ann Clarke, Declan Keogh, and Owen Thompson.
For their in-depth investigation into the federal program designed to fund mental health care for First Nations and Inuit communities. The series exposed the program’s systemic failures from red tape to poor oversight leaving many Indigenous people unable to access critical care in moments of crisis. The team’s reporting amplified the voices of those most affected and sparked national conversations about accountability and equity in Indigenous healthcare.

The 2024 NNA finalists were selected from entries submitted by journalists across the country. A total of 83 individual journalists representing 22 publications are finalists this year, alongside nine team submissions from those publications. Stories recognized range from local investigations into childcare and affordability, to global coverage of the Paris Olympics, the war in Ukraine, and the U.S. election. Winners will be announced at a live gala at the Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain on Friday, April 25.

Find out more about the NNA awards and see the full list of nominations by clicking the link here.

Canadian Association of Journalists Awards

The IJB is a finalist in two categories at the CAJ awards. The CAJ serves as the national voice of Canadian journalists, and upholds the public’s right to know.

Online Media Category: Robert Cribb, Declan Keogh, Norma Hilton, Scott Martin, Rhythm Sachdeva
Lead in drinking water
Investigative Journalism Bureau

JHR / CAJ Award for Human Rights Reporting: Robert Cribb, Declan Keogh, Wendy-Ann Clarke, Owen Thompson
Mind games
Investigative Journalism Bureau / Toronto Star / TVO Today

Learn more about the CAJ here.

Mindset Awards

Two IJB stories are finalists for Reporting on Workplace Mental Health at the Mindset Awards which recognize outstanding mental health journalism. Representing half of the nominations in that category, reporters are nominated for their reporting on sexual misconduct in the legal profession and perilous gaps in First Nations mental health care:

For the Mindset Award for Reporting on Workplace Mental Health, Finalists: Robert Cribb, with Emma Jarratt, for Privileged and Confidential, published by Investigative Journalism Bureau and The Toronto Star on February 18, 2024.

Robert Cribb, with Wendy-Ann Clarke, Declan Keogh and Owen Thompson, for Mind Games – Healing or Harming Generational Wounds, published co-operatively by Investigative Journalism Bureau, TVO, and The Toronto Star on November 1, 2024.

The IJB accounts for two out of eight nominations this year at the Mindset Awards. Click here for the full list of nominees.

New York Festivals Radio Awards

The Ultimate Choice, the IJB’s podcast series on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in partnership with TVO, has been shortlisted for a New York Festivals (NYF) Radio Award in the Health/ Medical podcast category.

This marks the second international honour for The Ultimate Choice, which also won a silver Signal Award in the individual episode, documentary category last year, also in New York. NYF Radio Awards honour the creativity, innovation and impact of audio professionals worldwide.

Learn more about the NYF Radio Awards here.

Yorkton Film Festival

Bodies for Rent, a documentary that takes us inside the hidden world of clinical trials has been nominated for a Golden Sheaf Award in the Social/ Political Documentary category at the 2025 Yorkton Film Festival. Directed by Habiba Nosheen and created in collaboration with the IJB, the documentary follows the experiences of two professional clinical trial subjects who make their living volunteering to consume experimental drugs in exchange for money.

The Yorkton Film Festival began in 1947 as the Yorkton Film Council, making it North America’s longest-running film festival. Held annually in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, the festival celebrates the best Canadian screen-based media through its Golden Sheaf Awards competition.

Learn more about the Yorkton Film Festival here.

The IJB extends sincere congratulations to all the finalists and is deeply grateful to the sources, communities, and individuals who shared their stories and made these investigations possible. This recognition reinforces the importance of collaborative journalism that seeks not just to inform but to drive meaningful change.

Investigative Journalism Bureau
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