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Awards, Industry News

Writers Guild of Canada announces 2015 Award finalists

From a media release:

The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) is pleased to announce the finalists for the 19th annual WGC Screenwriting Awards. The WGC Screenwriting Awards celebrate the excellence of Canada’s screenwriters with a gala event on April 27, 2015, at Toronto’s Koerner Hall.

This year more than 150 scripts were nominated for awards in seven categories, with 29 scripts chosen as finalists. In total, 53 screenwriters are up for awards. Several special awards, including the WGC Showrunner Award, the Jim Burt Screenwriting Prize, and the Sondra Kelly Award, will also be presented.

The WGC Awards cover all genres of screenwriting in Canada, and include TV drama favourites such as 19-2, Orphan Black and Lost Girl, and noted web series Out With Dad, and Ruby Skye P.I. The award categories also cover the best in animation, children and youth, movies and miniseries, documentary, and TV comedy.

The WGC Awards honour the talented people who start with a blank page and go on to create an entire universe: screenwriters.

The winners will be announced at the 19th annual WGC Screenwriting Awards on Monday, April 27, 2015, at the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning’s Koerner Hall.

The WGC is very pleased to welcome writer, actor and comedian Ryan Belleville back to host the awards. The show will be written by stand-up/sketch comedian and writer Jeremy Woodcock, in collaboration with Ryan Belleville.

ANIMATION
The Day My Butt Went Psycho, Season 1 “Everybooty Loves the Great White Butt”
Written by Craig Martin

Fangbone, Season 1 “The Warbrute of Friendship”
Written by Simon Racioppa & Richard Elliott

Johnny Test, Season 6 “Johnny’s Junky Trunk”
Written by Sean Jara

Nerds and Monsters, Season 1 “Kaboom With a View”
Written by Greg Sullivan

CHILDREN & YOUTH
Annedroids, Season 1 “New Pals”
Written by J.J. Johnson

R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour, Season 4 “Goodwill Toward Men”
Written by Dan Angel & Billy Brown

R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour, Season 4 “Mrs. Worthington”
Written by Melody Fox

Some Assembly Required, Season 1 “Dance Crew Evolution”
Written by Cole Bastedo & Jenny Siddle

You & Me, Season 1 “Ninja Squirrel”
Written by Katherine Sandford

DOCUMENTARY
The Cholesterol Question
Written by Michael McNamara

Norman McLaren: Animated Musician
Written by Donald McWilliams

Shameless Propaganda
Written by Robert Lower

MOVIES & MINISERIES
The Best Laid Plans “You Had An Option, Sir”
Written by Jason Sherman and Susan Coyne

Elephant Song
Written by Nicolas Billon

Sex and Violence, Season 1 “Surface Scars”
Written by Thom Fitzgerald

SHORTS & WEBSERIES
Bill & Sons Towing, Season 2 “Cleaning House”
Written by Mark De Angelis

Darknet “Episode 3”
Written by Doug Taylor

Darknet “Episode 5”
Written by Randall Cole

Out With Dad, Season 3 “Outed”
Written by Jason Leaver

Ruby Skye P.I.: The Maltese Puppy “Everyone’s a Suspect”
Written by Jill Golick & Julie Strassman

TV COMEDY
Mr. D, Season 3 “Old School”
Written by Andrew De Angelis

Sensitive Skin, Season 1 “Not the Haitian Corpse”
Written by Bob Martin

This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Season XXI “Episode 16”
Written by Mark Critch, Shaun Majumder, Mike Allison, Bob Kerr, Susan Kent, Greg Thomey, Jon Blair, Sonya Bell, Abdul Butt, Tim Polley, Heidi Brander, Adam Christie, Kevin Shustack, Jeremy Woodcock
Contributing Writers: Dean Jenkinson, Ron Sparks

Trailer Park Boys, Season 8 “Episode 4”
Written by Mike Smith & JP Tremblay & Robb Wells

TV DRAMA
19-2, Season 1 “Partners”
Adapted by Bruce M. Smith

Lost Girl, Season 4 “La Fae Époque”
Written by Michael Grassi

Orphan Black, Season 2 “Ipsa Scientia Potestas Est”
Written by Tony Elliott

Saving Hope, Season 3 “The Way We Were”
Written by John Krizanc

Strange Empire, Season 1 “The Oath”
Written by Jackie May

 

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Awards, Featured

He Said/She Said: Do the Canadian Screen Awards matter?

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Join Greg and Diane on Mondays as we debate a TV-related issue that’s on our minds. This week: with the Canadian Screen Awards broadcast coming up on March 1, we ponder whether they matter.

Diane said:

“Matter” is such a big word. Every profession has awards, and they tend to matter a lot to the people receiving them. I remember the pride I felt as a young teen for winning Harvey’s Employee of the Month award (less so when I realized it was because I’d done such a good job of the terrible assignment to scrub the insides of the giant garbage cans). The difference with TV and film awards is they’re televised, and the audience cares more about them than hamburger customers do.

I rarely see a show or actor trumpeted for the rest of their career as a Gemini or Canadian Screen Award winner, as you see with Oscars and Emmys, but the size of our country — and therefore the size of our industry and audiences — help explain why the cachet isn’t the same.

It’s nice for people to be recognized for the quality of their work rather than the audience reaction, which can be two very different things. Though the CSAs – come on, can’t they come up with their own official nickname — have a fan award and ratings award too. Not content with being Canada’s answer to the Oscars and Emmys rolled into one, they have to be the People’s Choice and Nielsens, too.

Above all, the awards provide the opportunity for promotion, and the Canadian TV industry needs more of that. Debating winners, snubs, whether the awards matter — it’s a vehicle to get us talking. Do the most worthy shows and people always get nominated and win? Of course not, and it’s too subjective to say anyway, as with all awards. I’m sure there was a Harvey’s employee seething that they lost to someone who scrubbed garbage cans.

Greg said:

First of all, belated congratulations to Diane on her Harvey’s Employee of the Month award. I’ve never gotten any awards outside of those Canadian Fitness Awards they gave out in elementary school and mine read “Participant.”

Like Diane said, “matter” is a subjective word but I think the Canadian Screen Awards matter. A lot. The Brits have their BAFTA Awards and the U.S. have copious awards to pat themselves on the back about, so why not us? Except the CSAs represent something that I think is very important: an acknowledgment that we know how to make great television and feature films. It’s true that we don’t have a funky, cool pet name for the trophy given out, but that’s not a big deal to me. What isa big deal is broadcasting to the country that there are passionate people working in the Canadian television industry that fight incredible odds just to get shows on the air in the first place.

Are the CSAs perfect? No. Sometimes the nomination list comes off like a popularity contest (something any award show is accused of) and the three-night event is often scoffed at for being too bloated. But I’d much rather there be too many than not enough trophies. It’s time for Canadians to stop complaining about the dearth of good television (those baby steps are being taken), and check out the CSAs on March 1. See who wins, make a note of the show they’re nominated on behalf of and then watch an episode of that show. That’s how I found out about Blackstone and it’s a gateway for others to do the same.

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Awards, Orphan Black

Tatiana Maslany and Gavin Crawford take ACTRA Toronto awards

From a media release:

ACTRA Toronto is proud to announce the winners of the 13th Annual ACTRA Awards in Toronto.

Outstanding Performance – Female
Tatiana Maslany (Various in Orphan Black)

Outstanding Performance – Male
Gavin Crawford (Adam in Two 4 One)

Outstanding Performance – Voice
Cory Doran (Multiple Personality Mike in Total Drama, “The Final Wreck-ening”)

Tina Keeper presented ACTRA Toronto’s 2015 Award of Excellence to Tantoo Cardinal and Marco Biancopresented the ACTRA Toronto Stunt Award to Jamie Jones.

The annual ACTRA Awards in Toronto were presented at The Carlu on February 20, 2015. The gala evening was hosted by Arisa Cox with live music by God Made Me Funky.

The 13th Annual ACTRA Awards in Toronto was sponsored by: DIAMOND SPONSOR: Actra Fraternal Benefit Society PLATINUM SPONSORS: ACTRA National and Performers’ Rights Society, Bell Media GOLD SPONSORS: CBC, CMPA, Film & Entertainment Industries (City of Toronto), Deluxe, In Your Ear Productions, IATSE 873, Rhombus Media, Shaftesbury, United Steelworkers SILVER SPONSORS: Cavalluzzo, RBC Royal Bank BRONZE SPONSORS: Addenda Capital, Corus Entertainment and Nelvana, Creative Arts Savings & Credit Union, Directors Guild of Canada(Ontario), Don Carmody Productions, Entertainment One, Grant Thornton, HUB International, New Real Films, Take 5 Productions, William F. White, Writers Guild of Canada. Music sponsored by: Recording Artists’ Collecting Society

ACTRA Toronto is the largest organization within ACTRA, representing more than 15,000 of Canada’s 22,000 professional performers working in the English-language recorded media in Canada. As an advocate for Canadian culture since 1943, ACTRA is a member-driven union that continues to secure rights and respect for the work of professional performers.

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Awards

Presenters announced for 2015 Canadian Screen Awards

Cbc-logo

From a media release:

The Academy of Canadian Cinema &Television (ACCT) and CBC Television today announced the first group of celebrity presenters for the upcoming 2015 CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS. This year’s gala will be hosted by Emmy-award winning comedy legend Andrea Martin at Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts and broadcast on CBC-TV on Sunday, March 1st at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT).

Presenters for the evening represent some of Canada’s best and brightest stars of film and television, including CBC’s Eugene Levy (Best in Show, Schitt’s Creek) and Daniel Levy (Schitt’s Creek, The After Show), as well as Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), Megan Follows (Reign, Anne of Green Gables), Patrick J. Adams (Suits) and Arisa Cox (Big Brother Canada). This group joins Kiefer Sutherland (Pompeii, 24), announced previously, as the first group of presenters for this year’s gala broadcast. Additional presenters will be announced in the coming weeks.

Canadians can watch these stars and more at the 2015 Canadian Screen Awards, airing Sunday, March 1st at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT). For a full list of Canadian Screen Awards nominees, visit academy.ca.

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Amazing Race Canada, Awards, Big Brother Canada, Dragons' Den, Masterchef Canada, Motive, Murdoch Mysteries, Ratings, Rookie Blue, Saving Hope, The Listener

Golden Screen Awards recognize most-watched TV

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From a media release:

Academy Announces First-ever Golden Screen Awards, Recognizing Canada’s Most-Watched TV Series

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announces the creation of two new television awards: the Golden Screen Award for the most-watched Canadian Drama/Comedy Series and one for the country’s highest-rated Reality Series.

The Golden Screen Award for TV Drama / Comedy and the Golden Screen Award for TV Reality Show are Academy Special Awards which will be presented alongside the Golden Screen Award for Feature Film during the LIVE broadcast of the Canadian Screen Awards on CBC, March 1, 8pm nationwide (8:30 NT).

Based on data provided by Numeris (BBM Canada), these are the Top-Rated 5 programs in each genre for the 2013-2014 broadcast year. *

Golden Screen Award for TV Drama / Comedy Finalists
(in alpha order):

THE LISTENER | CTV (Bell Media) (Shaftesbury)
Using his intuitive powers and enhanced policing skills, telepath Toby Logan (Craig Olejnik) faces new professional and personal challenges as he helps solve crimes with the Integrated Investigative Bureau (IIB).

MOTIVE | CTV (Bell Media) (Foundation Features and Lark Productions)
Each episode of MOTIVE begins by revealing not only the victim, but the killer as well. It’s not a “whodunit,” it’s a “whydunit,”a question faced by spirited female Vancouver homicide detective Angie Flynn as she begins to piece together the clues from the crime.

MURDOCH MYSTERIES | CBC (CBC) (Shaftesbury)
Set in Toronto at the dawn of the 20th century during the age of invention, Murdoch Mysteries is a one-hour drama centred on Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), the methodical and dashing detective who pioneers innovative forensic techniques to solve gruesome murders.

ROOKIE BLUE | Global (Shaw Media) (Entertainment One Television International)
After the bullet wounds and trauma of last season, life at 15 Division goes on for young cops, Andy, Sam. Chloe and Nick. Andy and Sam reunite and she’s tasked with training a challenging new rookie, under the watchful eye of a tough inspector.

SAVING HOPE | CTV (Bell Media) (ICF Films and Entertainment One)
Pulse-pounding surgeries, adrenaline-fueled breakthroughs and sultry romances force the doctors of Hope Zion to navigate unchartered waters. Alex faces doubts over her abilities as a surgeon and the men in her life. Charlie discovers mind-challenging medical miracles and Joel battles his inner demons as he treats patients on the streets.

Golden Screen Award for TV Reality Show Finalists
(in alpha order):

THE AMAZING RACE CANADA | CTV (Bell Media) (Insight Production Company Ltd.)
THE AMAZING RACE CANADA is a skills-based competition show in which two-person teams, who have a pre-existing personal relationship, race against other teams. Competitors strive to arrive first at “pit stops” at the end of each leg. The first team to the final pit stop wins the grand prize.

BATTLE OF THE BLADES | CBC (CBC) (Insight Production Company Ltd.)
Battle of the Blades is an original Canadian series that pairs NHL hockey greats with elite female figure skaters for an elimination style weekly competition. The pairs compete in figure skating performances judged by an expert panel that offer comments and marks for each performance. These marks are combined with the television audience votes to determine the winner.

BIG BROTHER CANADA | Slice (Shaw Media) (Insight Production Company Ltd.)
BIG BROTHER CANADA follows a group of strangers who live together in a house that records their every move, 24 hours a day. Each week they compete in challenges and one by one, vote each other out. Last house guest that remains wins the grand prize as voted by a jury.

DRAGON’S DEN | CBC (CBC) (CBC)
Launching a business is no small task. No matter how big an idea you think you have, it still takes a lot of work and a ton of cash. Enter the Dragons’ Den, where aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business concepts and products to a panel of Canadian business moguls who have the cash and the know-how to make it happen.

MASTERCHEF CANADA | CTV (Bell Media) (Proper Television)
Canada’s Top 50 home cooks begin their quest to become the first ever MASTERCHEF CANADA and win a $100,000.00 prize. The home cooks will have to show off their cooking skills in intense culinary challenges in order to impress the judges Michael Bonacini, Claudio Aprile, and Alvin Leung.

*Audience estimates provided by Numeris based on a list of all Canadian television programming provided by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. Analysis based on Total Canada, P2+, Average Minute Audience during the period of August 26, 2013-August 31, 2014, original airings (“live plus 7 days”) with 50% or more of the airings occurring during the 2013-14 broadcast season.

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