CBC's sister French-language broadcaster, Société Radio-Canada's Enquête, won the top prize at the prestigious Michener Awards on Friday.

Governor General David Johnston presented the award in recognition of "outstanding and unbiased public service in journalism."

The winning story exposed ongoing physical and sexual abuse of Indigenous women in Val D'Or, Que., at the hands of provincial police.

What began as an investigation into the disappearance of an Indigenous woman turned into a much larger story when friends of the woman, Sindy Ruperthouse, came forward with their experiences.

"For the first time, these vulnerable and marginalized women overcame fear of retribution and spoke out,' the Michener Awards Foundation says on its website. "Their graphic and detailed allegations included beatings, police officers paying for sex, bullying and "geographic cures" (being dropped off out of town to walk off the alcohol in mid-winter)."

As a result of Enquête's broadcast, an investigation was ordered and eight officers were put on leave or transferred to desk duty. In addition, the province committed $6 million for programs to help aboriginal women in Val D'Or, and investigation into Ruperthouse's disappearance was resumed.

CBC News was also a finalist for the online feature "Missing & Murdered: Unsolved cases of Indigenous women and girls."

CBC's exhaustive investigations into, and profiles of, the hundreds of Indigenous women and girls who have gone missing or were killed has been recognized several times.

Awards to date for "Missing & Murdered: Unsolved cases of Indigenous women and girls" include: