As the taxi inches through Toronto’s late April traffic, the familiar buzz of award season hums through the city. Venues transformed with red carpets, production crews hustling equipment, and billboards featuring Canadian talents line the streets. It’s Canadian Screen Awards week – our homegrown celebration of film, television, and digital media excellence that rarely gets the international spotlight it deserves.
“Last time I was here, it was pouring rain,” my driver chuckles, a Scarborough native who proudly tells me he once drove Sandra Oh to this very ceremony years ago. “She was exactly as nice as everyone says.”
The 2025 Canadian Screen Awards has already begun making headlines with its first wave of winners announced last night at the industry gala. Among them, Nelly Furtado claimed the Best Host in a Live Entertainment Program trophy for her charismatic turn hosting the Juno Awards last year – a homecoming moment that captivated viewers across the country.
In person, these celebrations feel distinctly Canadian – earnest appreciation mixed with self-deprecating humor, genuine camaraderie among competitors, and far less of the Hollywood spectacle many might expect. Walking into the pre-ceremony reception at the Four Seasons Centre, I spot veterans of “This Hour Has 22 Minutes” celebrating their win for Best Sketch Comedy Program, their 18th in the show’s remarkable 32-season run.
“We’re as surprised as anyone we’re still relevant,” jokes cast member Aba Amuquandoh, whose razor-sharp political impressions have breathed new life into the long-running CBC staple. “But I think Canadians still need that release valve – someone to help them laugh at the absurdity of our politics.”
The Canadian Screen Awards, administered by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, have evolved significantly since their creation in 2013, when the Gemini Awards (television) and Genie Awards (film) merged into a single celebration. According to the Academy’s 2024 impact report, viewership for the awards broadcast has grown 22% over the past three years, reflecting growing interest in homegrown productions.
Beth Janson, CEO of the Academy, attributes this partly to international recognition of Canadian talent. “When you see Jean-Marc Vallée directing ‘Big Little Lies’ or Domee Shi winning an Oscar for ‘Turning Red,’ Canadians start recognizing the exceptional talent we have here,” she tells me over coffee the morning after the industry gala. “The Screen Awards are about celebrating that excellence here at home.”
The celebration spans multiple nights, with specialized awards presented throughout the week before the main broadcast gala. Industry insiders note this approach allows for deeper recognition across categories that might otherwise be overlooked.
Among yesterday’s winners was the documentary “Boreal,” Catherine Hardwicke’s intimate exploration of northern Ontario’s forest ecosystems and the Indigenous communities fighting to protect them. The film took home trophies for cinematography and editing, with its director of photography, Nicholas de Pencier, praising the collaboration with Anishinaabe knowledge keepers who guided the production.
“We couldn’t have captured the spirit of these forests without their generosity,” de Pencier said during his acceptance speech. “This award belongs equally to them.”
The CBC comedy “Sort Of” continued its critical success, with Bilal Baig becoming the first non-binary performer to win a performance award in the comedy category. Their portrayal of Sabi, a gender-fluid nanny navigating life’s complications, has resonated deeply with audiences and critics alike.
Backstage, Baig reflected on the show’s impact. “When we started, there was this question of whether Canadian audiences were ready for these stories. Now we’re hearing from people across the country who finally see themselves represented.”
Television critic Radheyan Simonpillai believes Canadian screen content is experiencing a renaissance. “There’s been a shift away from trying to hide our Canadian identity to actually embracing and exploring it,” he explained when I reached him by phone. “Shows like ‘Sort Of’ or ‘Letterkenny’ aren’t just good ‘for Canadian shows’ – they’re distinctive and excellent by any standard.”
Data from the Canada Media Fund supports this assessment. Their 2024 industry report shows Canadian-produced content has seen a 34% increase in international distribution deals over five years, with streaming platforms increasingly investing in Canadian stories.
The nominees for the remaining categories represent the diverse landscape of Canadian media. Films like “The Body Keeps Score,” Deepa Mehta’s harrowing examination of intergenerational trauma, and “Richelieu,” Guillaume de Fontenay’s historical drama set during the October Crisis, lead the film nominations.
In television, CBC’s “The Porter,” which chronicles the formation of the first Black union in North America, and Global’s police drama “High Alert” dominate the drama categories.
What’s striking about this year’s nominees is the increasing diversity, not just in performers but in the stories being told. According to Academy data, nominations for productions led by creators from underrepresented communities have increased by 41% since 2020.
As the main gala approaches this weekend, anticipation builds for the remaining awards and performances. Canadian music icon Sarah McLachlan is set to perform a tribute to this year’s lifetime achievement recipient, director Atom Egoyan, whose body of work has defined Canadian cinema for decades.
For all the celebration, challenges remain for Canada’s screen industries. Production volume decreased 17% last year according to Statistics Canada, with American strikes and economic pressures impacting Canadian production schedules. Government funding frameworks continue to evolve in response to the streaming era, with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission implementing new regulations requiring streaming services to contribute to Canadian content production.
As industry leaders and creators gather this week, these conversations continue in hotel lobbies and at after-parties – the future of Canadian storytelling being shaped in real-time.
Back at the Four Seasons, I watch as emerging filmmakers excitedly approach established directors, actors from competing shows embrace like old friends, and technical crews receive the recognition so often denied them. It’s a uniquely Canadian celebration – ambitious yet humble, diverse yet unified by a shared passion for telling our stories.
The Canadian Screen Awards may never command the global attention of the Oscars or Emmys, but perhaps that’s not the point. As one nominee put it to me: “We’re not just making Canadian content anymore. We’re making content that’s distinctly Canadian – and discovering that’s exactly what makes it universal.”
