CBC News has won the top prize for investigative journalism awarded by the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) for its "Missing & Murdered: Unsolved cases of Indigenous women and girls" website.

The Don McGillivray Award was presented to journalists from CBC's Aboriginal news unit and other colleagues who helped develop the project at the CAJ awards gala on Saturday night in Edmonton. The website also won the Online Media category earlier in the evening.

"In a year when Canada's national media finally awoke to the tragedies of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, the work by our national public broadcaster set the standard," the CAJ said in a news release.

The CBC's Duncan McCue accepted the CAJ Online Media award Saturday on behalf of the team that created a website profiling more than 250 unsolved cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. The website later won the top investigative award of the night. (Brodie Fenlon/CBC)

"The elements of the CBC's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women website ... told the stories of those affected in an impactful way and, somewhat sadly, led to the identification of even more Indigenous women as missing or murdered."

More than 250 unsolved cases, confirmed by CBC journalists, have been profiled on the website.

Coverage of missing and murdered Indigenous women also garnered an award in the Open Media category for the Toronto Star.

CBC won seven CAJ awards on Saturday for radio, television and online coverage. Other winners included CTV, The Globe and Mail, The Canadian Press, Maclean's, APTN and The Brandon Sun.

"It is a great honour for CBC News to be recognized with these CAJ awards which represents work from across our services," said Jennifer McGuire, general manager and editor in chief of CBC News. "It is particularly gratifying to see our investigative digital project Missing and Murdered Women receive the top investigative award.

"This work represents what public service journalism does the best. We challenge ourselves to be editorial leaders and to bring light to issues Canadians need to see and understand. This was and remains an important story to tell. My thanks to the finest team of journalists anywhere."

CBC winners at the CAJ awards:

Don McGillivray investigative award and Online Media award

"Missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls" — Cate Friesen, Cecil Rosner, Connie Walker, Duncan McCue, Tiar Wilson, Kimberly Ivany, Martha Troian, Chantelle Bellrichard, Joanne Levasseur, Teghan Beaudette, Kristy Hoffman, Donna Lee, Tara Lindemann, William Wolfe-Wylie, Richard Grasley, Michael Leschart, Michael Pereira

Open broadcast feature award

"In the presence of a spoon" — Karin Wells, CBC Radio The Sunday Edition

Community broadcast award

"Real estate seminars exposed" — Natalie Clancy and Paisley Woodward, CBC News Vancouver

CAJ/Marketwired data journalism award

"Campus sexual assaults: The fight to get the real picture" — Diana Swain, Timothy Sawa and Lori Ward, CBC News Investigative Unit, The National

Daily excellence award

"Paris Mourns" — Margaret Evans, CBC Radio The World This Weekend

CWA Canada/CAJ award for labour reporting (tied with APTN Investigates):

"Up close: Prison guards" — Nick Purdon and Leonardo Palleja, CBC News The National

<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CAJAwards?src=hash">#CAJAwards</a> Data journalism nod to <a href="https://twitter.com/swaindiana">@swaindiana</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/timothysawa">@timothysawa</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/LoriRWard">@LoriRWard</a> for <a href="https://t.co/AfEviH8Nwb">https://t.co/AfEviH8Nwb</a> <a href="https://t.co/0knGIrjxLL">pic.twitter.com/0knGIrjxLL</a> —@brodiefenlon

Other CAJ winners

Second winner for CWA Canada/CAJ award for labour reporting

"Hurting for work" — Melissa Ridgen APTN Investigates

CAJ/CNW Group student award of excellence

"Risky decisions for Canadian cancer patients" — Amara McLaughlin, Jesse Yardley, Calgary Journal / Mount Royal University

Open media award

"Gone: Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women" — Andrew Bailey, David Bruser, Astrid Lange, Jim Rankin, Randy Risling, Joanna Smith, Rick Sznajder, Tanya Talaga, Jennifer Wells, The Toronto Star

Community media award

"The Runaways" — Ian Hitchen, The Brandon Sun

Open broadcast news award

"Phantom Menace" — Anton Koschany, Victor Malarek, Sarah Stevens, Brett Mitchell CTV – W5

Photojournalism award

Portfolio entry — John Lehmann, The Globe and Mail

Scoop award

"Omnibus budget bill rewrites history to clear RCMP of potential criminal charges" — Bruce Cheadle, The Canadian Press

Text feature award

"Jo has Alzheimer's. He's 38" — Shannon Proudfoot, Maclean's

JHR/CAJ award for human rights reporting

"A soldier scorned" — Dennis Ward, Murray Oliver, APTN Investigates