Predictably, it was a nearly all-CBC affair at the first round of this year’s Gemini Awards, which on Monday presented 29 industry prizes in the documentary, news and sports categories.

With chief competitor CTV still absent in news categories, CBC took the lion’s share of the hardware at the Toronto event, though Global managed wins in high-profile categories including best documentary series for Global Currents, and best newscast for Global National with Kevin Newman. Global beat out CBC News: The National and CityNews at Six on Citytv Toronto for its first win in the newscast category. Newman is also up for best anchor, to be awarded in Regina.

Global National‘s senior executive producer Kenton Boston told Playback Daily after the event that the Gemini news categories are still legit, even though CTV News is absent from voter ballots, the organization having withdrawn amid accusations that the awards setup is biased toward CBC.

‘If you look at the other organizations that were nominated, we still have a cross-spectrum of privates and independents… it’s too bad that CTV is not here, that was their choice,’ Boston said.

CBC’s the fifth estate nabbed three prizes overall, including best news information series, picture editing for Tania White, and host for Gillian Findlay for the episode ‘Luck of the Draw,’ the news magazine’s noted lottery expose.

In other news categories, veteran CBC correspondent Susan Ormiston was named the winner in the reportage category for Reports from Afghanistan, while The National won best news magazine segment for ‘The Enemy Within.’

Over in sports, CTV sister TSN won hardware in two categories for its NHL on TSN show, which nabbed sports commentary program and game analyst prizes for Pierre McGuire.

Meanwhile, Hockey Night in Canada‘s coverage of the 2006 Stanley Cup final series between the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes garnered three prizes for CBC, including best live sporting event, direction in a sporting event for Ron Forsythe, and play-by-play for veteran sportscaster Bob Cole.

A surprised Cole told the audience it’s still hard to believe he’s doing something he’s always wanted to do. ‘I’m humbled indeed,’ said the first-time winner and six-time nominee. HNIC also won studio analyst for Kelly Hrudey.

The event honored former CBC News chief Tony Burman with the prestigious Gordon Sinclair award for broadcast journalism. Burman, who left his post in July, was recently replaced by former Chicago Sun-Times publisher John Cruickshank.

Burman reflected on some of the higlights during his career, and said a photograph taken in South Africa with Nelson Mandela, shortly after he was released from prison in the early 1990s, was his ‘proudest piece of memorabilia.’

On Tuesday, the annual TV awards will present prizes in the lifestyle, children’s and youth categories, followed by drama, variety and comedy on Wednesday. The Gemini Awards’ main gala will be held Oct. 28 in Regina.