It was a British invasion of sorts at the Gemini Awards on Wednesday night, with Irish copro The Tudors and The Englishman’s Boy leading the night with four prizes each, including a best direction nod for the latter’s John N. Smith and a performance win for Katharine Isabelle.

‘Directors always say it all comes down to the script,’ said Smith upon accepting the prize for the CBC mini. ‘In our case we were extraordinarily lucky to have an extraordinary script,’ he said, nodding to novelist and scriptwriter Guy Vanderhaeghe.

Isabelle took the prize for dramatic supporting role in a miniseries, but was not on hand to accept the prize. The Englishman’s Boy also won best casting for Carmen Kotyk and best costume design for Beverley Wowchuk.

The first season of The Tudors, meanwhile, saw the Gemini for best actress in a supporting role in a series go to Maria Doyle Kennedy, who played Catherine of Aragon, the first ill-fated wife of Henry VIII.

The Reformation-era series also earned a best photography win for DOP Ousama Rawi, a production design win for Tom Conroy and Eliza Solesbury, and best visual effects.

Writing was cheered again via two Geminis for Mayerthorpe, about the slaying of four RCMP officers in Alberta. Andrew Wreggitt took the prize for scripting the CTV MOW — uttering just a few quick thank-yous — and was lauded again just a few minutes later when producer Jon Slan stepped up to take the trophy for best TV movie.

Wreggitt ‘is the writer of all writers,’ Slan told the crowd, flanked by partner Jordy Randall. ‘He is such a writer he even spells his name with a W-R.’

‘He lives in Calgary, and if writing doesn’t work out he’s going to be a wrangler,’ Slan added. Slan and Randall share the win with Tom Cox, who was not present.

Another writing win, for a dramatic series, went to Laurie Finstad Knizhnik for Durham County, which also picked up a Gemini for its six-member sound team.

Peter MacNeils won best supporting actor for the MOW Victor: The Victor Davis Story, which also won a best original score trophy for Robert Carli. Carli was on stage twice that night, also taking the best music in a dramatic series prize for an ep of The Murdoch Mysteries.

Special awards went to David Gardner (Traders, Road to Avonlea), who was presented with the Earle Grey Award for acting, and to the late David Cole for his many years of writing on series including Due South and ENG.

Peter Keleghan delivered the award in Cole’s honor, recalling their early work together at CBC.

‘David Cole made people angry but he always had a good reason for it, which only made them angrier,’ he told the crowd. ‘I only wish he was here now because he would have written this speech better. And faster.’

Other wins of the night included: best direction in a comedy series for T.W. Peacocke on Rent-A-Goalie, and best direction in the performing arts for Dennis Beauchamp on Blood on the Moon. Jonas Chernick won best supporting actor in a drama series for The Border, while Gavin Crawford took best guest actor on a drama for a turn on The Murdoch Mysteries. Best guest actress in a drama went to Pascale Hutton for Intelligence.

‘This is my first Gemini. I’m not prepared,’ she said from the stage. ‘I haven’t even had time to apply lip gloss.’