Award‑Winning Profile of Maven Maurer
The Globe and Mail’s feature “Her turn to play” earned the Topical Reporting: Gender and Identity award for large newsrooms. Written by Jana G. Pruden, the piece follows Maven Maurer, who competed as Mike Maurer and won a Grey Cup before pursuing a career in mixed martial arts. The story offers an intimate look at her fears, vulnerabilities and the courage that led her to become the first professional football player to come out as transgender.
Honour for Anna Mehler Paperny’s Brain Surgery Essay
Anna Mehler Paperny’s essay “Holes in my head, wires in my brain” captured the Personal Narrative prize. The work blends illustration, animation and video to convey her experience with deep brain stimulation as a treatment for chronic depression. Digital storytelling editor Laura Blenkinsop led a team that included Timothy Moore, Mark Medley, John Sopinski and Bryan Gee in bringing the multimedia narrative to life.
Further Recognition for Tumbler Ridge Coverage and Maryam Story
The Globe was also named a finalist in three additional categories. Its breaking‑news team received a nomination for the February mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, where an eighteen‑year‑old killed eight people, including five children at the local school, before taking her own life. Jennifer Yang, Melissa Tait and Timothy Moore were shortlisted for both Excellence in Science Reporting and Feature awards for “The two halves of Maryam”, which examines the agonising choice faced by the parents of baby Maryam Fatima, whose doctors proposed a hemispherectomy to halt catastrophic seizures.
The Online News Association administers the honours, celebrating excellence in digital journalism worldwide. Winners will be celebrated at a ceremony in New York on 1 October.
Why it Matters
These accolades underscore the Globe and Mail’s commitment to telling complex, human‑centred stories that push the boundaries of traditional reporting. By recognising both a pioneering transgender athlete’s journey and a deeply personal account of experimental neuroscience, the awards highlight how innovative storytelling can foster empathy, inform public debate and inspire change across diverse communities.
