EWTN Earns 75+ Honors, Including 30 First-Place Awards, at 2026 Catholic Media Awards

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Jun 24, 2026, 13:34 ET

IRONDALE, Ala., June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- EWTN Global Catholic Network received widespread recognition at the 2026 Catholic Media Awards, earning more than 75 honors, including 30 first-place awards across its many divisions: EWTN Digital, EWTN Studios, EWTN Publishing, and EWTN News.

EWTN's top awards reflected its comprehensive coverage of major events in the life of the Catholic Church around the world, especially reporting on the death of Pope Francis, the election of Pope Leo XIV, and the lives of persecuted Christians.

Pope Leo XIV rides through St. Peter's Square in Vatican City on June 24, 2026, in a photo captured by EWTN's papal photographer Daniel Ibáñez, who recently won "Photographer of the Year" in the Catholic Press Awards. EWTN received more than 75 honors across its many divisions: EWTN Digital, EWTN Studios, EWTN Publishing, and EWTN News. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

The awards, presented June 19, recognize outstanding work produced in 2025 across EWTN's expansive multimedia platforms, from social media and video production to book and newspaper publishing, photography, advertising, and English and Spanish language journalism — highlighting 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 P. 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."

EWTN's papal photographer, Daniel Ibáñez, was named "Photographer of the Year" and EWTN Digital's Debbie Cowden was named "Social Media Professional of the Year." The EWTN News' special report, in English and in Spanish, "Before Francis, Who Was Bergoglio?" won first place in "Best Video – Hot Topic – Pope Francis."

EWTN News' live coverage from St. Peter's Square — "Living the Moment After the Habemus Papam" — received top honors for social media video. The network's coverage of NCYC 2025, 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 include 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. EWTN News also secured first place in "Single News Story" for the documentary "Christians Fight to Survive: ISIS in Iraq."

The National Catholic Register earned 17 total awards, including 10 first-place honors, and once again received the top distinction as "Best Catholic Newspaper" (National/Wire Service), 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 hubs across the United States.

The network achieved an exceptional sweep in "Best Video – Feature" (Radio, TV and Film Company), taking first, second, third, and honorable mention for:

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 are:

The best-in-class pro-life videos are:

First-place honors also were given to two EWTN Publishing titles and 10 awards went to EWTN News' Spanish-language services, ACI Prensa and Church POP Español for reporting on the Pope, immigration, social justice issues, and inter-faith dialogue among young people, as well as other topics.

"It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by our peers for excellence in Catholic journalism and storytelling," said Montse Alvarado, President 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."

The awards were announced at the conclusion of the 2026 Catholic Media Conference, held June 16-19 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

To view the full list of EWTN's award-winning work, visit: https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/ewtn-winners-cma-gabriel-2026.

For the complete Catholic Media Association awards list, visit: https://www.catholicmediaassociation.org/2026-catholic-media-awards-results.

About EWTN:
In its 45th year, EWTN is the largest Catholic media organization in the world. EWTN'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.

SOURCE EWTN Global Catholic Network