Andrew Carter's touching story about his everyday struggles with depression has earned him a significant honour from his fellow broadcasters.

The CJAD 800 morningman's story has won the national Sam Ross Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA). The award is given for outstanding and original editorial commentary.

During his segment, done for the 2017 Bell Let's Talk Day, Carter shed his "happy-clappy host" image for a few moments to bring listeners into brief flashes of his years-long battle with depression.

"Can I ask you a question?" was how he began the piece. "Have you ever teared up when someone asked you 'how are you?' You ever quietly sob driving to work? You ever go to the bathroom during a break at work and quietly cry? Do you ever walk into a supermarket and start to tear up because you saw the chicken on sale? Does any of this sound familiar to you?"

Carter's intensely personal, honest account of his depression sounded familiar to many CJAD 800 listeners, and even some co-workers — many of whom were encouraged to reach out and share their own stories.

Last fall, his story earned him an honour from Ami-Quebec, a Montreal-based non-profit group helping families cope with mental illness.

The segment, which first aired on CJAD 800 on Jan. 25, 2017, can be heard in full below.