Cbc is in the lead in the first leg of the ninth annual Gemini Awards marathon.

Of the 21 Geminis presented in the technical, craft, design and journalism categories at the Opening Night Gala Feb. 23 in Toronto, 10 went to the cbc, including three for Kurt Browning: You Must Remember This. In second place is Rhombus Media with four statues to add to its mantle.

The annual celebration of excellence in Canadian television continues Saturday, March 4 with the Industry Gala at the Toronto Sheraton Centre, and wraps Sunday, March 5 with the Broadcast Gala, to be telecast live on cbc from the Metro Toronto Convention Centre at 8 p.m.

Night one was hosted by CBC Evening News anchor Bill Cameron. Patrick McKenna, star of The New Red Green Show, hosts night two, and Due South’s Paul Gross and North of 60’s Tina Keeper host night three.

Producer of this year’s Geminis, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, is Eric Wiegand Productions.

Following are the opening-night winners:

Best sound in a dramatic program or series: Leon Johnson, Jaqueline Cristiani, Paul A. Sharpe, Dean Giammarco, Bill ‘Otis’ Sheppard – Heads (Credo Group/Sojourn Pictures/Atlantis Films)

Best sound in a comedy, variety or performing arts program or series: Onno Scholtze – Concierto de Aranjuez (Rhombus Media in coproduction with ZDF – German Television)

Best sound in an information/documentary program or series: Onno Scholtze, Shadows and Light: Joaquin Rodrigo at 90 (Rhombus Media)

Best picture editing in a dramatic program or series: Jeff Warren, The Diary of Evelyn Lau (cbc)

Best picture editing in a comedy, variety or performing arts program or series: Lisa Regnier, Kurt Browning: You Must Remember This (cbc)

Best picture editing in an information/documentary program or series: Mark Hajek, Elvis: Airborne (Silent ‘J’ Entertainment/Baton Broadcasting)

Best photography in a dramatic program or series: Rene Ohashi, Race To Freedom: The Underground Railroad (Atlantis Films)

Best photography in a comedy, variety or performing arts program or series: Maris Jansons, Kurt Browning: You Must Remember This (cbc)

Best photography in an information/documentary program or series: Janet Foster, John Foster, The Global Family ‘Clayoquot: The Sound of Wonder’ (tvontario)

Best direction in an information/documentary program or series: Larry Weinstein, Shadows and Light: Joaquin Rodrigo at 90 (Rhombus Media)

Best writing in an information/ documentary program or series: Michael Ignatieff, Blood and Belonging ‘Yugoslavia – The Road To Nowhere’ (tvontario)

Best costume design: Dinorah Iorio, The Sorceress: Kiri Te Kanawa (Rhombus Media/NOS – Dutch Television)

Best production design or art direction: Russell Chick, Kurt Browning: You Must Remember This (cbc)

Best lifestyle information series: On The Road Again – Producer: Paul Harrington (cbc)

Best documentary series: Witness – Producer: Mark Starowicz (cbc)

Best local news program: CBC Evening News – Producers: Jill Troyer, Jamie Purdon (cbc)

Best special event coverage: Election Night ’93 – Producer: Denise Donlan (MuchMusic)

Best information segment: The Health Show ‘Scatology,’ Chris Mullington, Edmund Egan (cbc)

Best reportage: Anna Maria Tremonti, CBC Prime Time News ‘War in Bosnia’ (cbc)

Best overall broadcast journalist (Gordon Sinclair Award): Linden MacIntyre, the 5th estate (cbc)

Outstanding Technical Achievement Award: Computer Animated Stage and Television Lighting, creators of the wysiwyg lighting and design system