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Awards, Featured

Nominations announced for the 2026 WGC Screenwriting Awards

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From a media release:

The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) is pleased to announce the nominations for the 30th annual WGC Screenwriting Awards, marking three decades of recognizing the writers behind Canada’s most engaging and powerful series, films, and shorts. The Awards will take place at Koerner Hall in Toronto on Monday, April 27, hosted by Ali Hassan, and written by Kurt Smeaton.

Nominated for the 2026 Awards are scripts from North of North (Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, Garry Campbell, Aviaq Johnston, JP Larocque, Stacey Aglok Macdonald, Linsey Stewart), Bet (Simon Barry, Amanda Fahey, Laura Good, Tabia Lau, Kurt Mungal, Chris Roberts), Lana Longbeard (Emer Connon, Alex Ganetakos, Lienne Sawatsky), Mittens & Pants (Phil McCordic, Katherine Sandford), 18 to 35 (Rahul Chaturvedi, Kaveh Mohebbi), and many others.

Please see the complete list of categories and nominees below.

In addition to the nine featured screenwriting categories, the 30th anniversary awards will also present several special honours. One WGC member will be awarded the prestigious Showrunner Award, a special prize honouring a recognized showrunner who has demonstrated great writing and leadership skills. Other special awards include the Alex Barris Mentorship Award, the McGrath Service Award, and the Margaret Collier Award, presented with supporting partner the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (the Canadian Academy).

CHILDREN’S

  • Dino Dex, “Dino Discovery” | Written by J.J. Johnson
  • Jane, “Pan troglodytes” | Written by J.J. Johnson
  • Lana Longbeard, “Going Overboard” | Written by Alex Ganetakos
  • Lana Longbeard, “It Takes Two to Durango Tango” | Written by Lienne Sawatsky
  • Lana Longbeard, “Lana the Something Super Great and Totally Awesome” | Written by Emer Connon

COMEDY SERIES

  • North of North, “Bad Influences” | Story by Aviaq Johnston & JP Larocque, Teleplay by Aviaq Johnston & Garry Campbell
  • North of North, “Dumpcano” | Written by Garry Campbell
  • North of North, “Joy to the Effing World” | Written by Alethea Arnaquq-Baril & Linsey Stewart
  • North of North, “Top of the World” | Written by Stacey Aglok Macdonald & Aletha Arnaquq-Baril
  • North of North, “Walrus D*ck Baseball” | Written by Moriah Sallaffie & Garry Campbell

DRAMA SERIES

  • Family Law, “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” | Written by Ken Craw
  • Family Law, “Play It Straight” | Written by Corey Liu
  • Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, “Tango Romeo” | Written by Tassie Cameron
  • Murdoch Mysteries, “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” | Written by Jenny Lee
  • Sight Unseen, “Family Matters” | Written by Lisa Codrington & Kay Shioma Metchie
  • Surrealestate, “Night Terrors” | Written by Justin Rawana

DOCUMENTARIES

  • Beavers From Above | Written by Michael McNamara
  • In the Room | Written by Brishkay Ahmed

FEATURE FILMS

  • Blueberry Grunt | Written by Sherry White
  • Dinner With Friends | Written by Tania Thompson & Sasha Leigh Henry
  • Honey Bunch | Written by Madeleine Sims-Fewer & Dusty Mancinelli
  • Nika & Madison | Written by Eva Thomas and Michael McGowan
  • Paige Darcy: Reluctant Detective | Written by Alice Moran

PRESCHOOL

  • Hop, “Benny’s Book Scare” | Written by Renae J. Ruddock
  • Mittens & Pants, “Mittens & Pants Christmas Special” | Written by Phil McCordic
  • Mittens & Pants, “Pants in the Box” | Written by Katherine Sandford
  • Paw Patrol, “Pups Save the Sea Sponges” | Written by Jeff Sager
  • Woolly Woolly, “Big BeeBee” | Written by Naomi Jardine

SHORT FILMS (UNDER 60 MINUTES)

  • I am Pleased | Written by Vanessa Magic
  • Now, I Am A Bear | Written by Jason Filiatrault

SHORT SERIES (EPISODES UNDER 15 MINUTES)

  • 18 to 35, “Bed Math and Beyond” | Written by Rahul Chaturvedi
  • 18 to 35, “Buck Mustang” | Written by Kaveh Mohebbi
  • Dying Seconds, “Have I Told You About This Hockey Card” | Written by Brendan Halloran
  • Fugget About It: Fan Favourites, “Gina’s Eleven… Minus Eight” | Written by Willem Wennekers
  • One Man’s Treasure – A Fool’s Fortune, “The Beginning” | Written by Thomas Conway

TWEENS & TEENS

  • Bet, “First Blood” | Written by: Tabia Lau
  • Bet, “Ice Breaker” | Written by: Amanda Fahey
  • Bet, “Meet the Parents” | Written by Chris Roberts
  • Bet, “The Hunt” | Written by Laura Good
  • Bet, “The Recital” | Written by Simon Barry & Kurt Mungal
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Awards, Featured

Academy CEO Tammy Frick previews The 2025 Canadian Screen Awards

This weekend marks the most important in Canadian TV and film. The celebration of homegrown media by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, spotlights the best in front of and behind the camera with glitzy events in Toronto and online, culminating in the Canadian Screen Awards, hosted by Lisa Gilroy, this Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBC and CBC Gem.

Academy CEO Tammy Frick (pictured above) says things have kicked into hyper drive as she and the team head into the weekend. And, with Friday’s News, Entertainment, Sports, Documentary, Factual, Lifestyle and Reality awards; Saturday’s Cinematic Arts and Scripted Television awards; and Sunday’s gala, we’re not surprised things are moving fast.

Frick shared her thoughts on this year’s categories, the importance of celebrating Canadian content, and more.

How has the awards preparation gone so far?
Tammy Frick: Really well. Behind the scenes is just so incredible to watch all of this come together. I think people would be totally amazed. We should just run around with GoPros and create a little documentary at some point to show people the complexity of how this all comes together. But I’ll say emotionally, it’s so heartfelt at the end of it, when you see it all come together and you see people in the room and the beautiful speeches, the acceptance speeches, and just the moments that happen. So it’s so incredibly worth it, but it’s a lot of work. I have to give so much credit to our Academy internal team and our external producers. The patience, the level of professionalism that they bring to this is really impressive.

Is there an unofficial or official theme to this year’s awards?
TF: Last year we were really moving towards this feeling that, of course, the insiders partake in the show and want to watch the show and are so incredibly interested. So we’re just elevating that entertainment value. We want insiders to be engaged, and we also want the broader audience to be fully entertained. Our host, Lisa Gilroy, she’s so incredibly talented, witty, energetic, and just really knows how to connect with an audience. We’re excited to have her on stage, and we truly feel that a great awards program needs a lot of humour built in, and that’s the direction we’re taking with the show.

Canadian Screen Awards host Lisa Gilroy

What are your thoughts on the proposed tariffs on U.S. productions being filmed outside of America?
TF: It’s a big conversation that’s taking place right now, and there are a lot of different viewpoints and there’s a lot of uncertainty. I think the Academy’s position we believe in unequivocally, is that Canadian talent is amazing, and it resonates not just here in Canada, but it is a global, it’s content that’s taken in globally and is equally as successful in a broader world. I think we just really need to remind people that we’re resilient and we need to stay united, and that our creative talent out there are our true storytellers and their level of authentic storytelling resonates not just here in Canada, but abroad.

This week is really a celebration of Canadian television and film. How do you feel about the state of the industry and the content?
TF: The world has evolved in how the public takes in content. We now have the introduction of streamers, and everything’s just so accessible. And when we look at the nominees, this isn’t just an opportunity for the Academy to celebrate this wonderful talent, a peer group that comes together to truly spotlight what’s happening in the industry. And then we take it a little step further, and there’s still that discoverability piece. We’re completely aware that the moment is homegrown. Canadians are really paying attention across various industries, and we’re taking advantage of that moment. We truly feel that this awards program will even further spotlight our domestic talent because people are just paying attention in a much bigger way, which is a great thing.

Looking at the TV drama and comedy categories, I’m impressed with the breadth of storytelling being represented.
TF: What a way to truly celebrate Canada because the selection is so incredibly diverse. We’re telling these authentic stories that are resonating, and that’s why we see them on these lists.

Can you tell me a little bit about Sunday’s live Canadian Screen Awards?
TF: We have some pretty incredible presenters that’ll be up there on stage. Some special moments that we have built in as well. We have our Special Award winners. We have a wonderful tribute to Donald Sutherland planned. It’ll be a moment for everyone to just take a moment to remember and to pay their respects. The full In Memoriam piece will have a live performance by Murray Lightburn, who’s also nominated for Best Music in a Feature Documentary.

Are there any TV shows that you’ve been addicted to?
TF: I’m a huge Andrew Phung fan, I just love Run the Burbs. At the end of my day when I feel I just need some silliness, that’s the kind of stuff I watch. Children Ruin Everything, I’ve got a couple of kids, so it’s like PTSD. I tend to really lean into those comedy moments, and that keeps me going.

Stream or watch the Canadian Screen Awards this weekend and Sunday.

Images courtesy of George Pimentel Photography

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Awards, Featured

2025 WGC Screenwriting Awards Winners Announced

From a media release:

The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) announced the winners of the 29th annual WGC Screenwriting Awards tonight at Koerner Hall in Toronto. The gala brought together hundreds of screenwriters, industry professionals, and fans—all in celebration of excellence in screenwriting for Canadian film, television, and digital media.

This year’s winners include Jagjiwan Sohal for Comedy Series (Late Bloomer, “The Turban”), Michael Konyves for Drama Series (Wild Cards, “The Infinity Thief”), Jason Buxton for Feature Film (Sharp Corner), Evany Rosen for Tweens & Teens (Davey & Jonesie’s Locker, “Orange is the New Snack”), and many more across 10 categories.

Special honours were also presented:

  • Leah Johnston received the Sondra Kelly Award, generously sponsored by AFBS.
  • Faisal Lutchmedial was awarded the Jim Burt Screenwriting Prize for Through the Eyes of an Ibis.
  • With supporting partner, the Canadian Academy, the Margaret Collier Award was presented to Andrew Wreggitt.
  • The prestigious Showrunner Award was awarded to Matt Schiller for his outstanding work in the kids and teen space.

Hosted by Andrew Phung (Kim’s Convenience, Run the Burbs) and Jonathan Langdon (Run the Burbs, Open Season: Call of Nature), the gala featured lively moments, and presentations by well-known industry professionals and creators, including maxine bailey (Executive Director, Canadian Film Centre), Joan Digba (Jane, Beyond Black Beauty), Mark Ellis (Allegiance, Flashpoint), Jason Filiatrault (The Order, Entanglement), Allan Hawko (Saint-Pierre, Republic of Doyle), Jamie Thomas King (The Tudors, The Light Before the Sun), Meg MacKay (This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Don’t Even), Thomas Santram (Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Cineplex Entertainment, and Chair of the Canadian Academy’s Board of Directors), Robina Lord-Stafford (Saint-Pierre, Wild Cards), Supinder Wraich (Allegiance, Sort Of), and Sugith Varughese (Kim’s Convenience, Transplant).

The WGC also unveiled the new award statue. Like screenwriting itself, the abstract design is open to interpretation. Each viewer may see something different — a folded script, a wing, a hand, or a torch. The artist, Luisé Cisneros Alavez, was inspired by the themes of creativity, freedom, unity, and diversity.

2025 WGC SCREENWRITING AWARDS WINNERS

CHILDREN’S
Open Season: Call of Nature, “Cash Camp Pt 1 & 2” | Written by Mike Girard

COMEDY SERIES
Late Bloomer, “The Turban” | Written by Jagjiwan Sohal

DRAMA SERIES
Wild Cards, “The Infinity Thief” | Written by Michael Konyves

DOCUMENTARY
Altona | Written by The Affolter Brothers (Heath Affolter, Nathan Affolter, Thomas Affolter, and Jon Affolter)

FEATURE FILM
Sharp Corner | Written by Jason Buxton

MOW & MINISERIES
Gilded Newport Mysteries: Murder at the Breakers | Written by Keri Ferencz

PRESCHOOL
Luna, Chip & Inkie Adventure Rangers Go, “Lights, Camera, Save Eagle Creek!” | Written by Shelley Hoffman & Robert Pincombe

SHORT FILMS (UNDER 60 MINUTES)
Let Me In | Written by Joel Buxton

SHORT SERIES (EPISODES UNDER 15 MINUTES)
Space Janitors, “Clones War” | Written by Brendan Halloran

TWEENS & TEENS
Davey & Jonesie’s Locker, “Orange is the New Snack” | Written by Evany Rosen

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Allegiance, Awards, Featured

Banff World Media Festival unites Gala Awards & Rockie Awards in landmark event

From a media release:

The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) is thrilled to announce that for the first time, the prestigious Banff Gala Awards and the Rockie Awards International Program Competition will unite in a single, must-attend event—creating an unparalleled celebration of industry excellence. This milestone event will honor both the entertainment industry’s most influential talent and business leaders and the most exceptional content from around the world. The highly anticipated in-person awards show will take place on Monday, June 9th at 5:30pm MT (4:30pm PT/ 7:30pm ET) during the Festival, bringing together industry leaders, talent, and creators for an unforgettable night of recognition and celebration.

The Banff Gala Honours recognize visionary executives, creatives, and changemakers shaping the global media landscape. Gala Honours recipients will be announced at a later date. Meanwhile, the Rockie Awards International Program Competition celebrates the best in television and digital media, with this year’s competition featuring 152 nominees from 22 countries across 30 categories, selected from entries submitted by 45 countries.

The Rockie Awards Grand Jury chooses the coveted Grand Jury Prize, selected from the top-scoring programs across the entire field of nominees. This year’s esteemed Grand Jury includes:

Hojin Kwon
Senior Executive Director
SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System)

Adam Lewinson
Chief Content Officer
Tubi

Meghan Lyvers
Executive Director, Original Scripted UK & Ireland
Sky

Sitarah Pendelton-Eaglin
EVP, Head of Unscripted Series
SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks

Christian Vesper
CEO, Global Drama and Film
Fremantle

“For the first time ever, we’re bringing together the prestigious Gala Awards and the Rockies into one incredible event. This will be a spectacular night celebrating the industry’s most influential leaders alongside the world’s top creative talent — all in one room, under one roof. With so many groundbreaking creators and executives in attendance, this year’s show promises to be an unforgettable, must-see celebration of excellence in global entertainment,” said Jenn Kuzmyk, Executive Director.

In addition to the Grand Jury Prize, the $25,000 Rogers Prize for Excellence in Canadian Content, awarded to the top Canadian production and the Prix Francophone for the top French language production will also be awarded as well as other special awards including the Carrie Hunter Emerging Talent Prize. In total, 30 awards will be bestowed in the category streams of Documentary & Factual, Arts & Entertainment, Children & Youth, Scripted, and Podcast. This year’s lineup also introduces two new categories – Best Performance in a Drama and Best Performance in a Comedy – which recognize outstanding recurring performances in a scripted comedic and dramatic series.

Leading nominations by company are:
● BBC – 28 nominations
● National Geographic – 7 nominations
● Hulu – 7 nominations
● Disney Television Studios – 5 nominations
● Audible – 5 nominations

Leading nominations by country are:
● USA – 54 nominations
● UK – 52 nominations
● CANADA – 35 nominations
● AUSTRALIA – 7 nominations
● BELGIUM – 5 nominations
● FRANCE – 5 nominations
● SOUTH KOREA – 5 nominations

Additional countries represented in the nominations are:
● CHINA
● FINLAND
● GERMANY
● INDIA
● IRELAND
● ISRAEL
● ITALY
● JAPAN
● MEXICO
● NEW ZEALAND
● NORWAY
● SINGAPORE
● SPAIN
● SWEDEN
● TAIWAN

See all the nominees here, including one for Allegiance‘s Supinder Wraich (pictured above).

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Awards, Featured

Nominations for the 2025 WGC Screenwriting Awards announced

From a media release:

Recognizing the talent behind the most engaging and powerful Canadian-made series, films, and shorts, the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) is pleased to announce the nominations for the 29th annual WGC Screenwriting Awards. The Awards will take place at Koerner Hall in Toronto on Monday, April 28, co-hosted by Andrew Phung and Jonathan Langdon, and written by Anthony Q. Farrell.

In contention for the 2025 awards are scripts from Late Bloomer (Lakna Edirisinghe, Jagjiwan Sohal, Shebli Zarghami), Allegiance (Anar Ali, Sarah Dodd, Mark Ellis, Penny Gummerson, Stephanie Morgenstern), Open Season: Call of Nature (Mike Girard, Joel Buxton, Tom Berger), Popularity Papers (Kyah Green, JP Larocque, Vivian Lin), Wilfred Buck (Lisa Jackson), Sharp Corner (Jason Buxton), and many others.

Please see the complete list of categories and nominees below.

In addition to the 10 featured screenwriting categories, one WGC member will be awarded the prestigious Showrunner Award, a special prize honouring a recognized showrunner who has demonstrated great writing and leadership skills. Other special prizes will be awarded, including the Jim Burt Screenwriting Prize, and the Sondra Kelly Award, which is generously supported by AFBS.

New this year, the Margaret Collier Award will be presented as part of the WGC Screenwriting Awards, with supporting partner, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (the Canadian Academy). Started in 1986 by the Canadian Academy at the annual Gemini Awards, and then as part of the Canadian Screen Awards in 2013, the Margaret Collier Award honours a Canadian writer or team of writers for their outstanding body of work in film or television. This distinguished award is named after Margaret Collier, who began her career at ACTRA in 1964, and played a pivotal role in establishing the Writers Guild of Canada, serving as its first Executive Director from 1991 to 1994.

CHILDREN’S

  • Camp Snoopy, “Sally’s Tooth” | Written by Carly DeNure
  • Hamsters of Hamsterdale, “The Potato King” | Written by Madeleine Patton
  • Open Season: Call of Nature, “Cash Camp Pt 1 & 2” | Written by Mike Girard
  • Open Season: Call of Nature, “Squirrel Down” | Written by Joel Buxton
  • Open Season: Call of Nature, “What a Chinook” | Written by Tom Berger
  • Zokie of Planet Ruby, “Los Muchos Amores de Earl” | Written by Dan Dillabough

COMEDY SERIES

  • Children Ruin Everything, “Bedtime” | Written by Andrew De Angelis
  • Don’t Even, “Skidmark, My Heart” | Written by Eva Thomas
  • Late Bloomer, “Heat Check” | Written by Lakna Edirisinghe
  • Late Bloomer, “The Turban” | Written by Jagjiwan Sohal
  • Late Bloomer, “Turn Down for What” | Written by Shebli Zarghami
  • Sort of, “Sort of Hospital Again” | Written by Tricia Fish

DRAMA SERIES

  • Allegiance, “8 x 6” | Written by Mark Ellis & Stephanie Morgenstern
  • Allegiance, “The Legacy” | Written by Penny Gummerson
  • Allegiance, “Pilot” | Written by Anar Ali
  • Allegiance, “Safe Harbours” | Written by Anar Ali & Sarah Dodd
  • Murdoch Mysteries, “Rhapsody in Blood” | Written by Christina Ray
  • Wild Cards, “The Infinity Thief” | Written by Michael Konyves

DOCUMENTARY

  • Altona | Written by Heath Affolter, Nathan Affolter, Thomas Affolter, and Jon Affolter
  • Botanical Jungle, “Peony Extravaganza” | Written by Thomas Conway & Michael Sykora
  • Wilfred Buck | Written by Lisa Jackson

FEATURE FILM

  • The Invisibles | Story by Andrew Currie/Screenplay by Andrew Currie & Colin Aussant
  • Out Come the Wolves | Story by Joris Jarsky, Adam MacDonald, and Enuka Okuma/Screenplay by Enuka Okuma
  • Sharp Corner | Written by Jason Buxton
  • We Forgot to Break Up | Story by Pat Mills & Zoe Whittall/Screenplay by Noel Baker

MOW & MINISERIES

  • Gilded Newport Mysteries: Murder at the Breakers | Written by Keri Ferencz
  • Guess Who | Written by Matt Wells, Ian Carpenter, and Aaron Martin
  • Legend of the Lost Locket | Written by Michelle Ricci

PRESCHOOL

  • Dylan’s Playtime Adventures, “Dylan the Firefighter” | Written by Emer Connon
  • Go Togo, “Arctic Chill” | Written by Celeste Koon
  • Let’s Go, Bananas!, “Yelloween” | Written by Brandon Hackett
  • Let’s Go, Bananas!, “Papa the Daddy” | Written By Aaron Eves
  • Luna, Chip & Inkie Adventure Rangers Go, “Lights, Camera, Save Eagle Creek!” | Written by Shelley Hoffman & Robert Pincombe
  • Luna, Chip & Inkie Adventure Rangers Go, “Who’s Your Mama?” | Written by Tony Tran
  • Vida the Vet, “Kipp’s Dizzy Mystery” | Written by Gillian Pike

SHORT FILMS (UNDER 60 MINUTES)

  • Jim Henson’s The Storyteller – The Seven Ravens | Written by Simon Racioppa
  • Let Me In | Written by Joel Buxton
  • Memento Mori | Written by Emily Hurson & Andrew Moodie

SHORT SERIES (EPISODES UNDER 15 MINUTES)

  • Get Up Aisha, “Exercise” | Written by Nisha Khan, Rabiya Mansoor, and Marushka Almeida
  • Near or Far, “The Phone Call” | Written by Duana Taha
  • Nesting, “Money” | Written by Rosa Laborde
  • Space Janitors, “Clones War” | Written by Brendan Halloran
  • Stories from my Gay Grandparents, “Dodging Balls” | Written by Perrie Voss & Scott Farley

TWEEN & TEENS

  • Davey & Jonesie’s Locker, “Orange is the New Snack” | Written by Evany Rosen
  • Media Stamped, “What’s in a Frame?” | Written by Nicole Stamp
  • Popularity Papers, “Let’s Sick Together” | Written by JP Larocque & Vivian Lin
  • Popularity Papers, “Odds Squads” | Written by Kyah Green & Vivian Lin
  • Popularity Papers, “The Wonderful Wizard of Mapleview Part 2” | Written by Vivian Lin
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