When the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television calls to tell producers, talent and technical people they really should attend the press conference announcing Gemini nominations – people take the hint.

This year’s press conference at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre was packed with the who’s who of the industry.

Atlantis Films and Alliance Communications are running neck-and-neck with 20 nominations each. Paragon Entertainment, another top Canadian production company, is nominated in eight categories.

cbc raked in 92 nominations for its news, current affairs, in-house drama and coproductions including Kids in the Hall and Royal Canadian Air Farce. The CTV Television Network, which works exclusively with independent producers, received 15 nominations.

The show with the most nominations, 10, is CBC Prime Time News. Director John N. Smith’s The Boys of St. Vincent, produced by Les Productions Tele-Action in coproduction with the National Film Board, tied with Alliance’s North of 60 and CTV News at nine nominations apiece. Atlantis’ mow The Diviners received eight nominations.

Moses Znaimer of City-tv/ MuchMusic lifted his boycott of the Geminis and allowed Media Television to be put forward for nomination. The show has been nominated under best lifestyle information series. However, neither City nor MuchMusic entered any shows in the new music or local news categories.

The Academy introduced three new categories this year: best music program or series, best performance in a children’s or youth program or series, and under its special awards, best local news programming.

acct jurors plowed through 1,700 entries this year. Although perennial drama favorites Street Legal and e.n.g. nailed down a number of nominations, shows like Beyond Reality, Forever Knight and North of 60, which are nominated in the best dramatic series category, and Catwalk, which received a couple of nominations for best direction in a dramatic series, are getting more recognition from jury members. Sullivan Films’ Road to Avonlea, which has cleaned up in the past, received a mere five nominations this year, three of which are in the performance categories.

The Academy will still be handing out five special awards: the Canada Award, John Drainie Award, Earle Grey Award, Margaret Collier Award and Outstanding Technical Achievement Award.

The galas will be held over three nights, March 3, 5, and 6. The third gala will be broadcast live on cbc with hosts Valerie Pringle of Canada AM and Albert Schultz, star of cbc’s Street Legal.

Jonathan Welsh will host the opening night gala on March 3 and Karl Pruner will host the industry gala March 5.

On Friday, March 4, the Academy plays host to TV94, the annual television industry conference.