Insights from the 2025 Nora and Ted Sterling Prize in Support of Controversy

To understand how the conversation resonated, we collected insights from two places. First, we observed what arose in the room. Second, we analyzed the reflections shared through a short post-event survey. Together, these perspectives offered a fuller picture of how people experienced the event. Survey respondents told us what resonated with them, which questions and concerns they are carrying, and what they hope to explore in future programming. Their feedback showed how rapid digital evolution is influencing daily life and where people feel they need more clarity, support, and the opportunity to engage in deeper conversations together.  

The 2025 Sterling Prize Ceremony and Presentation, featured current recipient Dr. Ron Deibert, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto and the Founder and Director of the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, in conversation with Micheal Vonn, CEO of PHS Community Services Society, and was facilitated by Charles journalist and founding contributor at the Tyee. This fireside chat invited our community into a timely and necessary conversation and attendees showed up ready to listen, learn, and reflect together on these emerging systems that are influencing how we live, connect, and participate in society. Despite diverse backgrounds and experiences, everyone shared a genuine desire to understand a rapidly changing digital world and collective curiosity was the tone of the evening.

Key Themes That Emerged  

1. People are looking for clarity in a world that feels increasingly complex  

Many attendees feel overwhelmed by how quickly technology is advancing. Deibert’s insights helped break down issues that often feel abstract or out of reach. Several participants shared that the event gave them language to understand what is happening around them and how digital systems shape daily life. It was also clear that people want more conversations like this, that are clear, accessible, and grounded in real human impact.  

2. Communities want honest spaces to talk about power and responsibility  

Another strong theme which emerged was that people appreciated the tone of the evening, in that the event created room to ask hard questions and sit with the answers. Rather than debate or judgment, the conversation centered listening and reflection. Attendees said they want more opportunities to gather in this way. To think about governance, transparency, and the public good, and to understand their own role within that bigger picture. The attendees at this event showed us that people are not avoiding these compilated issues. They are looking for spaces where they can engage with them openly and thoughtfully.      

3. Digital safety and democratic health are deeply connected in people’s minds  

Many respondents said the event helped them see digital surveillance as more than just a technical issue. It is also a civic one. It influences public trust, participation, and people’s ability to feel safe while being active members of their communities and in our larger society. Attendees want to learn more about how institutions, governments, and tech companies can work together to build systems that protect people instead of leaving them vulnerable. They want clarity on what accountability looks like and how citizens can advocate for themselves.  

4. There is a growing appetite for conversations about digital rights  

People want to understand what meaningful digital rights could look like in the coming years. Post-event survey responses showed curiosity around global comparisons, public policy, and how individuals can advocate for themselves.  

Key questions included:  

• What protections should exist around personal data?  
• How can people hold institutions accountable?  
• What models from other countries can inform Canadian policy?  
• How do we include communities who are most impacted but often underrepresented in these conversations?  

These questions reveal a desire for more and longer term engagement, not one-off discussions. 

Why These Takeaways Matter for 2026

The Nora and Ted Sterling Prize recognizes work that provokes meaningful controversy and deepens public understanding of complex issues. Throughout its history, the prize has highlighted work that encourages people to question, reflect, and engage thoughtfully with issues that can be difficult to approach.    

These themes reflect the core purpose of the Sterling Prize. This year’s event demonstrated that communities are eager for more opportunities to learn together in this way.        

The feedback from attendees gives a clear sense of what people are thinking about, what they hope for, and what they are consciously navigating in an increasingly complex digital world.  

People told us they want:

• conversations that make challenging or unfamiliar topics easier to understand 
• opportunities to participate and think with others  
• spaces grounded in care, clarity, and curiosity  
• stronger links between technology, ethics, civic life, and everyday experience  

Nominations for the 2026 Nora and Ted Sterling Prize are now open until February 14, 2026. If you know of someone whose work is making a difference, we encourage you to nominate them and help us continue uplifting voices that lead with courage and imagination.  

Thank you to everyone who joined us this year.