It is a proud day for our team here at NTV News. The station’s news department has been nominated for six AJA’s for outstanding work in 2024.

The Atlantic Journalism Awards was started in 1981 to honour journalistic excellence and achievement in print and electronic news in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland & Labrador.

From a dramatic rescue at sea to chaos at Confederation Building, and much more, 2024 was a busy year in news in this province.

Marykate O’Neill leads the way with a pair of nominations. She earned a nod in the Breaking News TV category for the incredible rescue of seven fishermen who were lost at sea after their boat sank. The small town of New-Wes-Valley held out hope for the men who, after the rescue, would become known as The Lucky 7. O’Neill is also nominated for best video-journalist for the Atlantic region.

Bailey Howard is also nominated in the Breaking News TV category for her compelling coverage of the rowdy fishery protest outside Confederation Building last March. Hundreds of protesters and police in riot clashed ahead of the provincial budget and Howard covered the several-day protest.

Ben Cleary and Glenn Andrews are nominated for Atlantic Canada’s best feature story – from their journey to Europe to tell the cover the emotional repatriation of the ‘Unknown Soldier’. From Beaumont Hamel to a tomb at the refurbished National War Memorial in St. John’s, they followed the fallen soldier’s return to his final resting place.

News director Mark Dwyer is nominated for best sports story at the AJA’s for Terry Ryan’s triumphant return to professional hockey, playing for the Newfoundland Growlers on his 47th birthday.

Earl Noble is nominated in the print/digital-photojournalism news category for capturing a firefighter’s feline rescue, saving a family pet.

The awards will be handed out next month in Halifax.