Kalle Benallie
ICT
The Indigenous Journalists Association announced their 2026 awards with ICT taking home two big prizes: first place for General Excellence for print and/or online; and the ICT Newscast took second in General Excellence in television.
“We are thrilled to be recognized and grateful to IJA for hosting these awards and shining a light on all the top-notch Indigenous journalism being done, despite often heavy odds these days,” said IndiJ Public Media President and Chief Executive Officer Katie Oyan, Oglala Lakota. “It’s a proud moment for ICT to be honored among this stellar group.” IndiJ Public Media owns ICT and Oyan is also the chief editorial officer.
ICT falls under the large outlet and professional division for the awards listed below unless named otherwise.
First place finishes for ICT include:
- Charles Fox for Best Coverage of Indigenous communities in print and/or online in the associate division for “A Soul on Ice: The quest for recognition after 100 years for hockey great Taffy Abel.”
- Dan Ninham for Best Sports Coverage in print and/or online in the professional division for “Historic hockey broadcast celebrates Minnesota Wild’s Native American Heritage Day.”
- Kevin Abourezk for Best Editorial/Column in print and/or online in the professional division for “‘For the first time it was cool to be Indian.’”
- Daniel Herrera Carbajal and Mary Annette Pember for Best Shortform/News story in print and/or online in the professional division for “Post-Typhoon Halong: ‘No home to go back to.’”
Second finishes for ICT include:
- Jourdan Bennett-Begaye for Best Health Coverage in print and/or online in the professional division for four articles on the IHS layoffs during the Trump administration: “Abrupt federal layoffs expected to hit tribal programs,” “RFK Jr. rescinds Indian Health Service layoffs,” and “‘Life or Death Consequences’: Layoffs throw Indian Country into turmoil.”
- Miles Morrisseau for Best International Indigenous Coverage in special coverage for “INDIGENOUS IDENTITY: Métis history is no longer forgotten.” A story part of ICT’s ongoing Indigenous identity series. Plus ““Canada loses measles-free status,” “Canadian Prime Minister budget cuts Indigenous departments, invests in clean water and housing” and “Canada’s auditor general calls out ‘unsatisfactory progress’ on First Nations programs.”
- Pauly Denetclaw and Stewart Huntington for Best Feature Story in television for “Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Restores Water with Oysters.”
- Amelia Schafer and Stewart Huntington for Best Environmental Coverage in print and/or online in the professional division for “Tribes that restored buffalo are killing some to feed people because of the shutdown,” a collaboration with the Associated Press as part of the AP’s Global Indigenous Reporting Network, and “A new day in the Dawnland.”
ICT’s newsroom partner, Underscore Native News, walked away with a huge win, too. They won first place in General Excellence in print and/or online in the small outlet category.
Other prizes journalists from the ICT and Underscore Native News partnership include:
- First place in special coverage for Best Two-Spirit Coverage by Luna Reyna for “INDIGENOUS IDENTITY: Reclaiming Two-Spirit Roles Across Native Nations,” as part of ICT’s ongoing Indigenous identity series;
- Nika Bartoo-Smith won second in the same category for “Inspired by Generations Before, Healing Together for Those to Come.”
- Luna Reyna also won second in Best Longform/Magazine Story in print and/or online for “Two Decades Later, a Federal Native Homeownership Program in Washington Has Yet to Convert a Single Home to Ownership.”
- Nika Bartoo-Smith and Lyric Aquino won first place in Best Health Coverage in print and/or online for “Medicaid Cuts Could Strip Critical Funding from Tribal Health Clinics, Including in Rural Oregon,” “‘We Need Our Own People to Protect Us:’ NCAI Restarts Two-Spirit Task Force,” “Healing through Song: Culture as Medicine,” “New Center Providing Comprehensive Youth Services Opens in Spokane,” and “New Online Support Hub Launches for 2SLGBTQ+ People.”
- Nika Bartoo-Smith won first place in Best News Photo for “The Paddle to Elwha Has Begun.”
- Nika Bartoo-Smith and Lyric Aquino won first place in Best Two-Spirit Coverage in special coverage for “Here’s What We Know About What’s at Stake for 2SLGBTQ+ Rights Across Indian Country” and “‘We Need Our Own People to Protect Us:’ NCAI Restarts Two-Spirit Task Force.”
- Luna Reyna won first place in Best Sports Coverage in print and/or online for “Coast Salish Weavers Bring Meaningful Representation to New Seattle Sounders Jerseys.”
Find the full list of Indigenous Media Award winners on IJA’s website.
