TORONTO — The Canadian Screen Awards wrap up a week of celebrating the best in homegrown cinema, television and digital media on Sunday night with a gala at Toronto’s Sony Centre for the Performing Arts.
The show, hosted by Martin Short, will be broadcast from 8 to 10 p.m. on CBC. Presenters include Jason Priestley and Jay Baruchel as well as Viggo Mortensen, who will pay tribute to director David Cronenberg.
Dozens of awards were handed out at industry galas on Tuesday and Wednesday — and more will be handed out Sunday before the televised show.
Fans can get up close and personal with their favourite Canadian stars on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Toronto Eaton Centre. They can also do some star-spotting outside the Sony Centre on Sunday — the red carpet procession starts around 4 p.m. and the show is taped from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Here’s a quick guide to some of the nominees in major categories:
Best Dramatic Series
Two of the nominated series in this category are no longer on the air. Flashpoint ended its five-season run in December 2012 and Bomb Girls ended last April after two seasons. (The two-hour Bomb Girls: Facing the Enemy will wrap things up on March 27.)
They are up against Alberta-shot Blackstone, which starts production soon on a fourth season and made-in-Vancouver Motive and Toronto-filmed Orphan Black — both renewed for a second season.
Best Comedy Program or Series
The nominees are Call Me Fitz, Gavin Crawford’s Wild West, Mr. D, Seed and Tiny Plastic Men.
Best Reality / Competition Program or Series
Canada’s Handyman Challenge on HGTV, the Slice series Intervention Canada and Food Network’s Top Chef Canada are vying for this award along with Canada’s Greatest Know-It-All and Dragon’s Den.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role
CBC talent dominates this category, which has Gavin Crawford, Gerry Dee (Mr. D) and Ron James (The Ron James Show) taking on Jason Priestley (Call Me Fitz) and Jesse Camacho (Less Than Kind).
Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role
Nancy Sorel of Less Than Kind is up against co-star Wendel Meldrum as well as Tracy Dawson (Call Me Fitz) and Carrie-Lynn Neales (Seed).
Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role
Ben Bass of Global’s Rookie Blue is being challenged by Sam Huntington (Being Human), Francois Arnaud (The Borgias), David Sutcliffe (Cracked) and Hugh Dillon (Flashpoint).
Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role
Meg Tilly (Bomb Girls) could make it two in a row but Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) is more likely to win this one. Also nominated are Katheryn Winnick of Vikings and Hélène Joy of Murdoch Mysteries.
Best Motion Picture
Enemy, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, and The F Word, starring Daniel Radcliffe are both nominated, along with The Auction, Empire of Dirt, Gabrielle, The Grand Seduction, Maina and Tom at the Farm.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Three of the nominees in this category are not Canadian: Jake Gyllenhaal (Enemy), Daniel Radcliffe (The F Word) and Brendan Gleeson (The Grand Seduction). They are up against Quebec’s Gabriel Arcand (The Auction) and Marc Labreche (Whitewash).
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Tatiana Maslany, nominated in the TV category for Orphan Black, is a nominee here for Cas & Dylan. Also up for the honour are Cara Gee (Empire of Dirt), Gabrielle Marion-Rivard (Gabrielle), Kawennahere Jacobs (Rhymes for Young Ghouls) and Isabelle Guerard (Rouge Sang).
For updates from backstage at the Canadian Screen Awards, follow @GlobalJRK.
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