The EWTN Global Catholic Network received widespread recognition at the 2026 Catholic Media Awards, including 30 first-place awards across its many divisions: EWTN Digital, EWTN Studios, EWTN Publishing, and EWTN News.
EWTN’s top awards reflected the network’s comprehensive coverage of major events in the life of the Catholic Church around the world, including reporting on the death of Pope Francis, the election of Pope Leo XIV, and the lives of persecuted Christians.
The awards were announced at the conclusion of the 2026 Catholic Media Conference, held June 16–19 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The awards recognize outstanding work produced in 2025 across EWTN’s multimedia platforms; from social media and video production to book and newspaper publishing, photography, advertising, and English and Spanish language journalism — showcasing the network’s continued innovation, creativity, and commitment to excellence in service of the Church.
“These honors reflect the extraordinary dedication of our teams across television, radio, digital, print, and news media, who work every day to create opportunities for people around the world to encounter Jesus Christ and His Church,” said Michael Warsaw, chairman of the board and CEO of EWTN.
“As the media landscape continues to evolve, EWTN remains committed to meeting audiences wherever they are, through both traditional and emerging platforms, ensuring that the truth of the Gospel and the Real Presence of Christ are accessible to the faithful and to those who may be encountering Him for the first time,” Warsaw added.
EWTN’s papal photographer, Daniel Ibáñez, was named Photographer of the Year. In awarding the distinction, CMA’s judges noted that in the work of Ibáñez “each photo is thoughtfully framed and immediately connects with the audience.”
Meanwhile, EWTN Digital’s Debbie Cowden was named Social Media Professional of the Year for her “strong, innovative, and enterprising content.”
The EWTN News special report in English and in Spanish, “Before Francis, Who Was Bergoglio?,” won first place in the category of Best Video — Hot Topic — Pope Francis. Judges called the report “one of the strongest entries in this year’s awards” and “a must watch.”
EWTN News’ live coverage of the election of Pope Leo XIV, “Living the Moment After the Habemus Papam, from St. Peter’s Square,” received the top award in the category of Best Use of Live Video in Social Media.
The network’s coverage of the 2025 National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC), which featured Pope Leo XIV’s historic first digital encounter with young U.S. Catholics, earned two first-place awards, for Best Multimedia Package — News and Best Social Media Campaign — General Interest.
From EWTN Publishing, “Leo XIV: Portrait of the First American Pope” by Dr. Matthew Bunson, vice president and editorial director of EWTN News, received second place recognition.
At the prestigious Gabriel Awards, which includes competition with both secular and religious media, EWTN Studios’ romantic-comedy streaming series “James the Less” won first place for Best Video for Digital Media for its second season. The show previously won best video for its first season in 2024.
EWTN News also secured first place in Single News Story for the documentary “Christians Fight To Survive: ISIS in Iraq,” which has garnered over a million views on YouTube alone.
The National Catholic Register earned 17 total awards, including 10 first-place honors, and once again received the top distinction as Best Catholic Newspaper, the sixth such recognition in the last decade.
The publication also won first place for its reporting on the Jubilee Year and on emerging Catholic population hubs across the United States.
The National Catholic Register won Best Newspaper for the sixth time in the last decade at the 2026 Catholic Media Awards in Atlantic City, New Jersey on June 19, 2026. | Credit: Ken Oliver-Méndez/EWTN News
The network achieved an exceptional sweep in Best Video — Feature (Radio, TV and Film Company), taking first, second, third and honorable mention for its videos “From Mohammed to Jesus: The Nikki Kingsley Story,” “John Paul II: Twenty Years Later,” “Eucharistic Pilgrimage in Navajo Nation,” and “Mother Angelica Witness to Providence Award: Doug Keck.”
Similarly, EWTN News captured first, second, and third place in two categories, Best Video — Personality Profile and Best Video — Pro-life Activities (Radio, TV and Film Company). The winning personality profile videos included “Judge Frank Caprio on His Fight Against Terminal Cancer & His Catholic Faith,” “Before Francis, Who Was Bergoglio?,” and “North Pole in New Jersey? This Man Has Been Santa for 60 Years.”
The best-in-class pro-life videos were for EWTN’s “Canada: Preserving the Life of a Nation,” “Flash Mob Against Euthanasia,” and “National Celebrate Life Rally.”
The EWTN News Spanish-language service, ACI Prensa, also took home numerous recognitions with 10 awards, including four first place wins.
“It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by our peers for excellence in Catholic journalism and storytelling,” said Montse Alvarado, president and COO of EWTN News.
“The past year marked a defining moment not only for EWTN News but for the global Church, as we helped audiences navigate the historic passing of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope.”
“Those extraordinary events challenged us to innovate, deepen our coverage, and create new ways of reaching people with meaningful, faith-filled content at a moment when the world was watching,” she said.
Now in its 45th year, EWTN is the largest Catholic media organization in the world. The network’s 11 global TV channels and numerous regional channels are broadcast in multiple languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week in more than 160 countries and territories. EWTN platforms also include radio services transmitted through SIRIUS/XM, iHeart Radio, and over 600 domestic and international AM and FM radio affiliates; a worldwide shortwave radio service; one of the most visited Catholic websites in the U.S.; EWTN Publishing, its book publishing division; and EWTN News, its global, multilingual news service.
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