WRAL Documentary ‘Diagnosis Young’ earns award for spotlighting rising cancer rates in young adults

The WRAL Documentary team has won the 2026 AACR June L. Biedler Prize for Cancer Journalism.

WRAL documentary and investigative producer/reporter Cristin Severance and WRAL documentary photographer Dwayne Myers won in the American Association for Cancer Research’s television/radio/podcast category for producing the WRAL Documentary “Diagnosis Young: The New Face of Cancer in NC.”

The AACR will recognize Severance and Myers on Sunday during the American Association for Cancer Research® (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026 in San Diego, California. The meeting, which is not affiliated with or endorsed by the AACR, brings together thousands of researchers, clinicians, survivors, patients and advocates to share the latest advances in cancer science and medicine.

The AACR June L. Biedler Prize for Cancer Journalism was established in 2015. It raises awareness of the critical role that the media play in educating the public about cancer and cancer research. The prize showcases outstanding examples of cancer journalism and recognizes individual professional journalists who have produced accurate, informative and compelling stories that enhance the public’s understanding of cancer, cancer research, cancer advocacy or cancer policy. 

“Diagnosis Young: The New Face of Cancer in NC” explores the alarming trend of cancer striking younger adults in North Carolina and across the nation. The WRAL documentary follows three North Carolinians in their 20s and 30s who never expected a cancer diagnosis so early in life.