#CDNSCREENAWARDS: “LITTLE BIRD” AND “BLACKBERRY” AMONG BIG WINNERS AT 2024 CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television celebrated the final award show of Canadian Screen Week 2024 tonight at the CBC Broadcast Centre in Toronto, marking the end of four days that celebrated the achievements of Canadian talent in film, television, and digital media.

Crave/APTN’s Little Bird led television honours at the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards, winning 13 awards including: Best Drama Series; Best Direction, Drama Series, presented by Playback; Best Supporting Performer, Drama for Braeden Clarke; and Best Lead Performer, Drama Series, presented by the Canada Media Fund, for Darla Contois.

CTV’s Children Ruin Everything was honoured with awards for Best Lead Performer, Comedy for Meaghan Rath and Best Supporting Performer, Comedy for Ennis Esmer, while Crave’s Letterkenny and the final season of CBC’s Sort Of received Best Ensemble Performance, Comedy and Best Direction, Comedy, presented by Cinespace Studios for Fab Filippo, respectively. The first season of Crave’s Bria Mack Gets A Life took home the award for Best Comedy Series, and the Best Reality/Competition Program or Series went to Crave’s Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs. The World.

Film honours were led by Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry which received a record 14 Canadian Screen Awards, including: Best Motion Picture; Achievement in Direction for Matt Johnson; Performance in a Leading Role, Comedy for Jay Baruchel; and Performance in a Supporting Role, Comedy for Glenn Howerton.

The Queen Of My Dreams secured the win for Performance in a Leading Role, Drama for Amrit Kaur, while the award for Original Screenplay went to Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person | Vampire humaniste cherche suicidaire consentant. The John Dunning Best First Feature Film Award went to Zarrar Kahn for In Flames.

“Within our ever-evolving screen-based industries, we find endless wells of creativity and dedication. I stand in awe of the remarkable individuals who push the boundaries of storytelling both in front of and behind the camera. Their passion and talent are the driving forces behind the magic we witness on screen,” expressed Tammy Frick, CEO of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. “To our dedicated team who brought Canadian Screen Week to life, and the visionary winners of the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards, your commitment to excellence is not only recognized but celebrated as the cornerstone of our industry’s success. Here’s to another year of innovation, inspiration, and storytelling that captivates audiences around the world.”

Additional highlights from the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards include the wins for The Drop, which secured both the Best Lead Performance, Web Program or Series and Best Supporting Performance, Web Program or Series for Aisha Evelyna and Aurora Browne, respectively; How to Fail as a Popstar, which was crowned Best Web Program or Series, Fiction and Best Writing, Web Program or Series for Vivek Shraya; YTV’s The Hardy Boys, which took home Best Children’s or Youth Fiction Program or Series, presented by Spin Master Entertainment and CBC Indigenous: Time to Eat for Best Lifestyle Program or Series.

Canadian Screen Week 2024 also welcomed several of this year’s Special Award recipients, who took to the stage to be honoured in front of their peers. At The 2024 Canadian Screen Awards Gala, the Academy Icon Award was presented to Academy Award®-nominated director, screenwriter and producer Denis Villeneuve (photographed above), who accepted the award with a moving speech following a video package featuring an extraordinary moment from Hans Zimmer who performed alongside award-winning flutist Pedro Eustache and a full symphony orchestra in his honour, while accomplished executive producer and writer Marsha Greene took to the stage to present award-winning actress, producer and activist Tonya Williams with the Changemaker Award, presented by Insight Productions. The evening also honoured Lamar Johnson and Devery Jacobs with the Radius Award, presented by MADE | NOUS with a special presentation.

At The News, Entertainment, and Sports Awards, presented by CTV, journalist Paul Workman accepted the Gordon Sinclair Award for Broadcast Journalism. The Documentary, Factual, Lifestyle, and Reality Awards, presented by CTV, celebrated Marilyn Denis, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award; and Brenda Tremblay, accepting the Sustainable Production Award, presented by CBC alongside David Lickley on behalf of Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope by Science North. The Cinematic Arts Awards, presented by Telefilm Canada, supported by Cineplex, featured special presentations for the late Jeff Barnaby, who was posthumously awarded the Academy Board of Directors’ Tribute Award, and Patrick Huard, who was honoured with the Earle Grey Award.

The 2024 Canadian Screen Awards, which just aired on CBC and CBC Gem, invited viewers into The 2024 Canadian Screen Awards Gala that took place earlier this evening. Award-winning Canadian comedian, actor, writer, and producer Mae Martin was the host of the one-hour broadcast, which was full of joyous award acceptances and spirited on-stage moments with presenters including Jay Baruchel, Mark Critch, Hamza Haq, Matt Johnson, Laurence Leboeuf, and Catherine Reitman. The evening also featured a moving performance from actor and musician Noah Reid, who performed a stunning rendition of “If It Be Your Will” to commemorate those from our community who are no longer with us.

All of the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards were handed out over a series of genre-based presentations which featured several pillars of Canada’s entertainment industry serving as hosts, including Mae Martin, Sarah Davis, Andrew Phung, Keshia Chanté, Anne-Marie Mediwake, and Sabine Daniel.

You can view The 2024 Canadian Screen Awards on-demand on CBC Gem and the additional genre-based presentations at CanadianScreenAwards.ca.

Canadian Screen Week 2024 comes to a close on Saturday, June 1, 2024 with the Board Tribute Dinner, the Canadian Academy’s annual fundraising event, supported by Patron Partners Bell Media and Cineplex. The event will honour the esteemed 2024 Special Award recipients, where this year’s Industry Leadership Award honouree, Michael MacMillan, will be presented with his award.

The full list of 2024 Canadian Screen Award winners can be viewed here.

#FIRSTLOOK: “LITTLE BIRD” AND “BLACKBERRY” LEAD NOMINATIONS AT 2024 CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS

Today, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (the Canadian Academy) announced the nominees for the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards in 156 television, film, and digital media categories. The annual awards celebrating excellence on-screen will be presented over four days during Canadian Screen Week 2024, including The 2024 Canadian Screen Awards broadcast show, hosted by Mae Martin, airing on Friday, May 31 at 8 PM (9 AT, 9:30 NT) on CBC and CBC Gem.

Crave Original limited series Little Bird leads both television and overall 2024 Canadian Screen Award nominations with 19, including Best Drama Series and Best Lead Performer, Drama Series, presented by the Canada Media Fund, nominations for Darla Contois and Ellyn Jade. The final seasons of CBC comedies Sort Of and Workin’ Moms follow with 18 and 12 nominations, respectively.

In film, Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry tops nominations with 17, making it the most nominated film in the history of the Canadian Screen Awards. Honours include Best Motion Picture, Achievement in Direction, and Performance in a Leading Role, Comedy for Jay Baruchel. Ariane Louis-Seize’s Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person | Vampire humaniste cherche suicidaire consentant follows with 12, while Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool secures 11.

The Drop and How to Fail as a Popstar lead digital media nominations with five, including Best Web Program or Series, Fiction; followed by I Hate People, People Hate Me and Streams Flow From A River with four.

“In a landscape as diverse and dynamic as ours, the 2024 Canadian Screen Award nominees highlight the breadth of talent our nation proudly nurtures,” said Tammy Frick, CEO, The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. “My sincere congratulations to all the nominees, and I eagerly await gathering together to celebrate their achievements in May.”

“My heartfelt congratulations to all of the 2024 Canadian Screen Award nominees,” said Thomas Santram, Chair, Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. “As we continue to champion and uplift these storytellers, we’re honoured to recognize the vital role they play in shaping our cultural identity through these nominations.”

The 2024 Canadian Screen Awards will be handed out in a series of award shows at the CBC Broadcast Centre in Toronto all culminating with The 2024 Canadian Screen Awards broadcast show, hosted by Mae Martin, where viewers at home can tune in to be a part of all the excitement. The full schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, May 28, 2024
7:00 PM ET: The News, Entertainment, and Sports Awards, presented by CTV

Wednesday, May 29, 2024
12:30 PM ET: The Television Craft Awards
7:00 PM ET: The Television Program and Performance Awards

Thursday, May 30, 2024
12:30 PM ET: The Documentary, Factual, Lifestyle, and Reality Awards, presented by CTV
7:00 PM ET: The Cinematic Arts Awards, presented by Telefilm Canada, supported by Cineplex

Friday, May 31, 2024
4:00 PM ET: The 2024 Canadian Screen Awards Gala
8:00 PM (9 AT, 9:30 NT): The 2024 Canadian Screen Awards (broadcast show on CBC and CBC Gem)

The 2024 Canadian Screen Awards Box Office opens today, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Each of the award presentations from May 28 to May 31 will include cocktail receptions for attendees, taking place before and after the shows. Canadian Screen Award nominees and guests can book their tickets online at academy.ca/boxoffice.

The nominees for the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards were chosen by voting members of the Canadian Academy and by nominating juries, conducted virtually with representatives from the film, television, and digital media industries. The membership will now cast their votes between Thursday, March 7 and Monday, March 25 to determine the winners.

For the full list of 2024 Canadian Screen Award nominees, please visit academy.ca/nominees; view the full schedule for Canadian Screen Week 2024 at CanadianScreenWeek.ca.