CJF Edward Burtynsky Award for Climate Photojournalism

CJF-Edward Burtynsky Award for Climate Photojournalism awarded to Todd Korol

TORONTO, April 23, 2026 /CNW/ – The Canadian Journalism Foundation announced today that photojournalist Todd Korol has won the CJF-Edward Burtynsky Award for Climate Photojournalism. Korol was recognized for his compelling documentation of the Jasper wildfires, published in The Globe and Mail. The $5,000 award, launched in 2022 by the CJF in partnership with internationally renowned photographer and filmmaker Edward Burtynsky, celebrates provocative, impactful and inspirational climate photography.

“Todd Korol’s photographs are powerful and affecting, reminding us of the toll human ambition can impose on the natural world,” Burtynsky says. “These images speak to both the immense scale of this country and to our shared responsibility as stewards of the landscapes entrusted to us.”

Korol is a Canadian photographer known for his compelling images of the Canadian Prairies. He specializes in capturing the beauty of rural landscapes, farm life and the natural world. His work often highlights the vastness and solitude of the Prairies, portraying both expansive skies and the intimate details of everyday life in rural communities. His work has been exhibited internationally, and he has worked with leading publications and clients, drawing attention to the unique environment of the Prairies. He has also extensively documented how the energy sector has expanded and affected the Prairies, as well as how climate change is shaping the landscape.

Korol will be recognized at the CJF Awards ceremony on June 10 at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto.

For tickets, tables and sponsorship opportunities, please contact the CJF using the information below or visit the CJF Awards page.

The jury members for the CJF-Edward Burtynsky Award for Climate Photojournalism are:

Edward Burtynsky, chair
Jason Chiu, visual editor, The New York Times
Aliénor Rougeot, climate justice activist
Lucas Oleniuk, National Newspaper Award-winning photographer

This award is generously supported by Marci McDonald and Clair Balfour, Lisa Balfour Bowen and Sony Canada.

CIBC is the presenting sponsor of the 2026 CJF Awards.

The 2026 CJF Awards are supported by Google News Initiative, Rogers, Aritzia, BMO Financial Group, Canada Life, Sobeys, TD Bank Group, Intact, CBC/Radio-Canada, Canadian Medical Association, McCain Foods, RBC, Scotiabank, FGS Longview, KPMG, WSP, Canadian Bankers Association, Aga Khan Development Network, AI Safety Foundation, Barry and Laurie Green, CIGI, Canada’s National Observer, CPPIB, Definity Insurance, Fidelity Investments, The Globe and Mail, Loblaw Companies Ltd., Maple Leaf Foods, McDonald’s Canada, The New York Times, OLG, OMERS, Ontario Securities Commission, Real Content Networks, Rishi Nolan Strategies, TD Securities, Uber, Village Media, Weber Shandwick and Zai Mamdani/Mamdani Family Foundation.

Todd Korol's Award-winning Images

“There is a new paradigm shift in western Canada and how we view and deal with wildfires. The new term for many new fires is ‘monster fires.’ With years of mismanagement of our forests, extreme heat, drought and the abundance of flammable materials due to climate change, fires now quickly become super fires. The incredible heat from these fires create their own complete weather system within the fire, sometimes producing winds that would be equivalent to a category-3 hurricane. These images were made in the winter of 2025 surveying the extreme damage of Jasper, Alberta’s monster fire of 2024. I wanted to capture the landscape and the destruction of the forest, trees simply ripped out of the earth and scattered in the aftermath of the fire. This is now the new normal we can expect in the future of Canadian forest fires.”
— Todd Korol

The CJF-Edward Burtynsky Award for Climate Photojournalism

The CJF Edward Burtynsky Award for Climate Photojournalism celebrates provocative, impactful and inspirational climate photography from around the world. The award recognizes up to three images from a single photographer that collectively furthers people’s understanding of the causes and effects of the climate crisis.

The winner will receive a $5,000 prize presented at the CJF’s annual Awards ceremony in Toronto in June.

Submissions are open to Canadian professional photojournalists employed by Canadian news outlets or working freelance for a Canadian news organization.

Criteria for submissions are as follows:

The images must relate to the climate crisis and/or show people impacted by the climate crisis and/or trying to reverse or mitigate climate change;
Images must have been taken between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2025;
Submissions must be from a professional photojournalist employed by a Canadian news organization, or from a Canadian freelance photojournalist published by a Canadian news outlet;
Applicants must include a description of the images (maximum of 250 words) with their submission); and
Applicants must include their CV/resume with their submissions.

Each applicant is restricted to one submission.

Applications for 2026 are now closed.

This award is generously supported by Marci McDonald and Clair Balfour and Lisa Balfour Bowen and Sony.