The 12th Canadian Screen Awards were presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television to honour achievements in Canadian film, television and digital media production in 2023. They were held at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre in Toronto from 28–31 May 2024, as part of Canadian Screen Week, with highlights of the final gala ceremony broadcast in a CBC Television special on 31 May 2024.[1]
| 12th Canadian Screen Awards | |
|---|---|
| Date | 26–31 May 2024 |
| Location | Canadian Broadcasting Centre |
| Hosted by | Mae Martin |
| Highlights | |
| Most awards | BlackBerry (film, 14), Little Bird (TV, 13) |
| Most nominations | BlackBerry (film, 17), Little Bird (TV, 19) |
| Best Motion Picture | BlackBerry |
| Best Dramatic Series | Little Bird |
| Best Comedy Series | Bria Mack Gets a Life |
Nominations were announced on 6 March;[2] television drama Little Bird led in overall nominations with 19, while Matt Johnson's film BlackBerry received 17 nominations—becoming the most-nominated film in the history of the ceremony.[3]
Ceremony information
editDue to venue availability issues in Toronto, the ceremony was delayed from a provisional April scheduling to May 2024. In addition, the ceremonies were held at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre rather than Meridian Hall as in past years.[4] To streamline the event, the ceremony for children's and animated programming was discontinued, with its awards dispersed into the six remaining ceremonies.[4]
In response to criticism over the format of CBC Television's presentation of the 11th Canadian Screen Awards, the Academy announced that a television special focusing upon the final gala would air 31 May. As with the previous year's ceremony, the special was tape delayed and condensed into a one-hour format. Academy CEO Tammy Frick stated that broadcasting the special on the same day as the final gala (as opposed to the Sunday afterward) would help preserve its "energy" and immediacy, while still allowing time to edit out "industry-heavy elements" that may not be interesting to television audiences.[5][4]
The main gala was hosted by comedian Mae Martin.[6] The Canadian Screen Week events were hosted by Sarah Davis (news, entertainment and sports), Andrew Phung (television craft), Keshia Chanté (television program and performance), Anne-Marie Mediwake (documentary, factual, lifestyle, and reality), and Sabine Daniel (cinematic arts).
Category changes
editFilm
editThe Best Lead Performance in a Film and Best Supporting Performance in a Film categories were split into separate categories for comedy and drama films. They were also accompanied by a new award for Best Performance in a Live Action Short Drama. The number of nominees in each acting category remain at eight.[7] The categories for best director, best original and adapted screenplay and the John Dunning Award for best first film are now allowed to name six nominees instead of five if the number of eligible submissions reaches or exceeds nine. A new category was also introduced for Best Sound Design in a Documentary.[7]
Television
editThe award for Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series were split into separate new lead and supporting awards, and new awards were introduced for best ensemble performance in comedy and drama.[7]
The former category for Best Talk Program or Series, which considered talk and interview programming regardless of its topic and format, was split into distinct new categories: Best Talk Series for entertainment and cultural talk series, and Best Political News Program or Series for news-oriented shows. One-off entertainment talk specials which may formerly have been considered under the old category are now restricted to Best Entertainment News Program or Series. The former category for Best News Special was also split into two separate categories, distinguishing planned news specials about prescheduled events, such as election coverage, from breaking news specials about unforeseen news events.[7]
A new category for Best Comedy Special was introduced, with stand-up comedy specials becoming ineligible for Best Variety or Entertainment Special and Best Performing Arts Program as a result.[7]
Adult animation productions became eligible for Best Comedy Series.[7]
A new category was introduced for Best Picture Editing in Animation.[7]
Digital media
editThe awards for Best Virtual Reality Game and Best Children's Video Game, which existed as distinct submission categories but had not consistently been presented in recent years due to high variability in the number of eligible submissions, were discontinued. All games in those categories will remain eligible for the main Best Video Game category.[7]
A new category was introduced for Best Picture Editing in a Web Program or Series.[7]
Special awards
editThe first special award recipients were announced in March 2024:[8] Several further special awards were announced in early April,[9] with a third round of honorees announced on May 1.[10]
- Lifetime Achievement: Marilyn Denis[8]
- Board of Directors Tribute: John Brunton, Jeff Barnaby[8]
- Changemaker Award: Tonya Williams[8]
- Radius Award: Devery Jacobs, Lamar Johnson[9]
- Gordon Sinclair Award: Paul Workman[10]
- Sustainable Production Award: Science North, Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope[9]
- Academy Icon Award: Denis Villeneuve[10]
- Industry Leadership Award: Michael MacMillan[10]
- Earle Grey Award: Patrick Huard[10]
Film
editTelevision
editPrograms
edit| Best Drama Series | Best Comedy Series |
|---|---|
| Animated program or series | Documentary program |
| Children's or youth fiction | Children's or youth non-fiction |
| TV Movie | History Documentary Program or Series |
| |
| Biography or Arts Documentary Program or Series | Lifestyle Program or Series |
| Factual series | Reality/Competition Program or Series |
| Pre-School program or series | Sketch comedy program or series |
| Science or Nature Documentary Program or Series (Rob Stewart Award) | Social/Political Documentary Program (Donald Brittain Award) |
|
|
| Comedy special | Variety or entertainment special |
|
|
| Talk series | Live entertainment special |
|
Actors
editNews and information
editSports
edit| Live sporting event coverage | Sports analysis or commentary |
|---|---|
|
|
| Sports host | Sports play-by-play |
|
|
| Sports feature segment | Sports opening |
|
|
| Sports program or series | |
|
Craft awards
edit| Editorial research | Visual research |
|---|---|
|
|
| Make-Up | Costume Design |
|
|
| Casting, Fiction | Casting, Non-Fiction |
| |
| Production design/art direction in a fiction program or series | Production design/art direction in a non-fiction program or series |
|
|
| Visual effects | Hair |
|
|
Photography
edit| Photography in a comedy series | Photography in a documentary program or factual series |
|---|---|
|
|
| Photography in a drama program or series | Photography in a lifestyle or reality program or series |
|
|
| Photography in a news or information program, series or segment | |
|
Editing
editSound
edit| Sound in a fiction program or series | Sound in a documentary or factual program or series |
|---|---|
|
|
| Sound in a lifestyle, reality or entertainment program or series | Sound in an animated program or series |
|
|
Directing
edit| Children's or youth | Comedy |
|---|---|
|
|
| Documentary or factual series | Documentary program |
|
|
| TV Movie | Dramatic series |
| |
| Lifestyle or information program or mini–series | Live sporting event |
|
|
| Reality or competition program or series | Variety or sketch comedy program or series |
|
|
| Animated program or series | Factual |
|
|
Music
editWriting
editAll-platform awards
editOne major category is currently presented without regard to the distinction between film, television or web media content.
| Stunt Coordination |
|---|
|
Audience awards
edit| Cogeco Fund Audience Choice | Shaw Rocket Fund Kids' Choice |
|---|---|
Digital media
edit| Original Program or Series, Fiction | Original Program or Series, Non-Fiction |
|---|---|
|
|
| Lead Performance in a Web Program or Series | Supporting Performance in a Web Program or Series |
| Direction in a Web Program or Series | Host in a Web Program or Series |
| |
| Picture Editing in a Web Program or Series | Writing in a Web Program or Series |
|
|
| Immersive Experience, Fiction | Immersive Experience, Non-Fiction |
|
|
| Video game | Live Production for Social Media |
|
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| Interactive production | |
|
Reception
editReviewing the television broadcast, Barry Hertz of The Globe and Mail wrote that while it still had significant problems, it had succeeded in being better than the previous year's "utter disaster".[16] He noted a technical snafu which left viewers who were watching the broadcast on the CBC Gem streaming platform unable to hear the sound for the first few minutes, and the fact that the condensed one-hour format had left too many memorable moments from the presentations on the cutting-room floor, but praised Martin as a solid host who "anchored the show with an energetic, sharp mix of self-deprecation and confidence", and noted that the highlights of the broadcast were the heartfelt special award acceptance speeches of Tonya Williams and Denis Villeneuve.[16] While granting that the 2024 awards' scheduling in May was attributable to the last-minute venue change, he also felt that even the typical April scheduling no longer makes sense, and opined that the awards should shift to being presented in February to capitalize on award-season energy, or September to capitalize on the industry activity around the Toronto International Film Festival.[16]
References
edit- ^ Etan Vlessing, "Canadian Screen Awards Gets New Date, Venue Change". The Hollywood Reporter, February 8, 2024.
- ^ Jackson Weaver, "BlackBerry, Sort Of, Little Bird dominate Canadian Screen Award nominations". CBC News, March 6, 2024.
- ^ "Matt Johnson's BlackBerry breaks Canadian Screen Awards record with 17 nominations". The Globe and Mail. March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
- ^ a b c Townsend, Kelly (February 8, 2024). "Canadian Screen Awards move to May 31". Playback Online. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ "Organizers say Canadian Screen Awards will again be a pre-taped ceremony". Canadian Press. February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 23, 2024 – via CityNews Toronto.
- ^ Etan Vlessing, "Mae Martin to Host Canadian Screen Awards Special". The Hollywood Reporter, February 22, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Rules and Regulation Change Highlights". Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, August 2023.
- ^ a b c d Connie Thiessen, "Marilyn Denis, John Brunton among Canadian Academy ‘Special Award’ recipients". Broadcast Dialogue, March 19, 2024.
- ^ a b c Etan Vlessing, "Devery Jacobs, Lamar Johnson to Receive Honorary Canadian Screen Awards". The Hollywood Reporter, April 4, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Connie Thiessen, "Canadian Academy to recognize Blue Ant Media CEO, among others". Broadcast Dialogue, May 1, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab Connie Thiessen, "Canadian Screen Awards winners: Cinematic Arts". Broadcast Dialogue, May 30, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Connie Thiessen, "Canadian Screen Awards winners: TV Program & Performance". Broadcast Dialogue, May 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag Connie Thiessen, "Canadian Screen Awards winners: Documentary, Factual, Lifestyle & Reality". Broadcast Dialogue, May 30, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab Connie Thiessen, "Canadian Screen Awards winners: News, Entertainment & Sports". Broadcast Dialogue, May 28, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag Connie Thiessen, "Canadian Screen Awards winners: Television Craft". Broadcast Dialogue, May 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c Barry Hertz, "The 2024 Canadian Screen Awards rebounded from last year’s disaster – once you could actually hear the show". The Globe and Mail, May 31, 2024.