Mark McKinney’s two decades in show business will be recognized at the Banff World Television Festival, which on Wednesday named the actor/comedian as this year’s recipient of its prestigious Sir Peter Ustinov Award.

McKinney says the best part about the prize is the ‘fantastic company’ he finds himself in, which includes previous winners Brent Butt, John Cleese, Bob Newhart, Martin Short and Rick Mercer.

‘Brent is one of my true heroes to do what he did in Canada and give us our first great Canadian sitcom,’ McKinney tells Playback Daily, on the phone from Winnipeg where he is wrapping production on the final episodes of season two of the Citytv comedy Less Than Kind, for which he is producer and showrunner.

Best known for his work on the long-running The Kids in the Hall, McKinney also starred on Saturday Night Live and the acclaimed Canuck series Slings and Arrows. He also wrote and acted on NBC’s Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and starred opposite Isabella Rossellini in Guy Maddin’s The Saddest Music in the World.

After Less Than Kind wraps, he is set to start production in August on Death Comes to Town, an eight-episode serialized comedy featuring fellow Kids in the Hall members. The half-hours will debut on CBC in 2010.

In other Banff news, the fest announced that Toronto’s Shaftesbury Films will be honored with the 2009 Innovative Producer Award.

Shaftesbury CEO Christina Jennings will accept the award — which recognizes ‘entrepreneurial excellence and achievements of an independent producer within the Canadian television industry’ — during the festival gala on June 8.

Shaftesbury’s long list of credits includes TV series The Listener, ReGenesis and Murdoch Mysteries; kids series such as Life with Derek, and the Emmy-nominated The Robber Bride.

‘I’m delighted with this recognition… we look forward to continuing to produce high impact Canadian programming that travels the world,’ commented Jennings in a release.

The Banff festival runs June 7-10.