Change has become the norm for the Gemini Awards, and that’s a good thing, according to Sara Morton, CEO of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, which organizes the annual celebration of Canadian TV.

‘Our priority is to be reactive and continue to change and evolve along with the industry,’ she says.

Change is the buzzword, what with revolving broadcasters – a Canwest combo on E! and Showcase this year (see story, p. 14) – a move away from and then back to Toronto for the broadcast gala, and new award categories introduced for this edition.

The 23rd Geminis will again see statues handed out over four nights, with the industry awards taking place at the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex on Oct. 20, 21 and 22, followed by the broadcast gala at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Nov. 28.

The return to Toronto comes after two years of taking the broadcast show on the road. With much fanfare, the Academy decided in 2006 to hold the Gemini broadcast gala in Richmond, BC, followed by Regina last year, recognizing that production of Canadian television takes place in centers outside Toronto. It was also an attempt to breathe new life into the awards show and broaden its appeal among the public and industry outside of Toronto – which proved successful.

The Gemini gala in Regina was not only attended by an enthusiastic packed house, but the show, airing on CBC, was the highest-rated Gemini broadcast recorded over the past six years.

However, Morton says the arrangement with CBC to broadcast the show was a one-year-only deal. It took time to find and negotiate with a new broadcaster – in this case Canwest – and they did not have the lead time required to take the show to another city.

‘So this year’s return to Toronto was a result of timing and our necessity to confirm a broadcaster before determining where the awards would be,’ explains Morton.

In future years, the road show will continue, she adds.

‘We are still intending to travel the show around the country, and there is interest from other Canadian cities to host.’

Over the past decade, CBC has broadcast the Gemini gala seven times, while Canwest’s Global Television has aired the show on three previous occasions.

‘I view it as a strength that different broadcasters are supportive of the Gemini Awards – it is an industry-wide celebration, after all,’ Morton points out. ‘My preference would be for the show to continue to move among different broadcasters. That is the model the Emmys follow.’

The Gemini show will be carried by E! – which operates only in Victoria, Kelowna, BC, Red Deer, AB, Hamilton, ON and Montreal and their surrounding areas – limiting the over-the-air reach, so cable specialty channel Showcase will also broadcast the gala.

‘E! is a really good fit in terms of the nature of that channel and our show,’ says Morton. ‘And the few limited areas where E! doesn’t reach we have Showcase to offer that completely national scope.’

However, one legacy from the Regina show will be carried on this year. For the 2007 broadcast gala, the Academy introduced the idea of inviting the general public to the awards show, making about 600 tickets available.

‘We felt this really added a level of excitement that was quite palpable in the hall and on screen,’ says Morton. This year public tickets will be given away through contesting.

‘Our mandate is multi-faceted, in that part of the reason we have the broadcast show is to bring the fabulous talent and programs to the attention of the viewing public,’ Morton adds. ‘So if we can actually get the public in the house to generate excitement and interest in the awards, all the better.’

A total of 96 Gemini Awards will be handed out, with five new categories introduced this year. Best direction awards have been added for reality and animated programs, as well as new prizes for best music in a lifestyle/practical information series, best individual or ensemble performance in an animated program or series, and best host in a preschool, children’s or youth program or series.

‘We update categories in response to changes in the industry itself,’ says Morton. ‘For example, there is so much more reality programming and we didn’t have a specific category for directing.’

Academy members and nominating juries submit proposals for new award categories to the Academy’s rules and regulations committee, which annually reviews the submissions and makes its decision.

In terms of most-nominated programs, Shaftesbury Films’ period crime drama Murdoch Mysteries (Citytv) leads the pack with 14 nominations, followed closely by Back Alley Films/Muse Entertainment’s dark suburban police drama Durham County (The Movie Network/Movie Central) with 13 nods.

Tied with 12 nominations each are Peace Arch Entertainment’s Henry VIII copro series The Tudors (CBC/Showtime) and Minds Eye Entertainment’s miniseries adaptation of Guy Vanderhaeghe’s The Englishman’s Boy (CBC).

There has been quite a bit of head-scratching, and some criticism regarding the acting nods, due to the fact that leads in two of the top nominated shows were snubbed. Murdoch Mysteries star Yannick Bisson was not nominated, although the show’s 14 nods included eight in the performance categories. In the case of The Tudors, lead Jonathan Rhys Meyers was left out of the race.

‘Quite honestly, some of the results are surprising even to me,’ says Morton. ‘But you have to look at the process. We ensure we have industry experts on the juries and we look to them to bring their expertise to bear on the category before them. It is an evaluation of the art and craft as reflected on screen, and it is subjective. They meet as a group and they place their vote by secret ballet.’

Morton also hopes more Academy members will cast their votes this year, and to facilitate this the Academy has partnered with zip.ca (a collaboration which began for the last Genie Awards), so that entries in the program category can be viewed on the Internet. This will save the hassle of having to call the Academy and ask for DVDs to be sent out.

‘Our goal is to make it easier to see programs so that members make more educated choices and more of them will decide to vote,’ says Morton.

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