The Canadian Screen Awards have been postponed to May, with the annual awards broadcast on CBC and CBC Gem now taking place on Friday, May 31.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (Canadian Academy) announced Thursday (Feb. 8) that Canadian Screen Week has changed its dates due to “venue availability in Toronto,” and will now run from May 26 to June 1. The original dates for Canadian Screen Week were April 7 to 14.

The Canadian Screen Awards will be broken up into six awards presentations between May 28 to 31, culminating in the Canadian Screen Awards Gala at the CBC Broadcast Centre.

The News, Entertainment, and Sports Awards will take place on May 28; The Television Craft Awards and the Television Program and Performance Awards on May 29; and The Documentary, Factual, Lifestyle, and Reality Awards, and The Cinematic Arts Awards on May 30.

The nomination announcement has also been delayed, and will be announced on March 6 instead of Feb. 22, with the voting period running from March 7 to 25.

Canadian Academy CEO Tammy Frick tells Playback Daily that changing the dates “wasn’t an easy decision,” but it came down to wanting to elevate the experience of the awards, and increase efficiencies. Among the changes is a reduction from seven ceremonies to six, with categories from the Children’s & Animation Awards moved to other ceremonies.

Frick says previous venue Meridian Hall was considered as an option, but they were looking for a “feeling of intimacy,” in addition to a venue that provided space for a stage, red carpet arrivals, a portrait studio, green rooms, and other hospitality needs.

“When we happened upon the CBC Broadcast Centre… it really met all of those needs,” she says. “And, of course, we’re all dealing with different financial landscapes at the moment, so we’re being very cautious and efficient with our physical resources.”

Frick says the Canadian Screen Awards are largely funded by sponsors, in addition to government support through the Canada Media Fund and Telefilm Canada, and their partners continue to give “generous support.”

“[Partners] also understand how important Canadian Screen Awards are to the industry. I mean, these awards change career trajectories. They’re important,” she says. “But are we always looking to be more efficient and to be very complementary to the current financial landscape? Absolutely, we have to be, I think everyone is in that same situation.”

While details about the Friday night broadcast will be announced in the coming weeks, Frick says the broadcast will remain at the one-hour length, and will include a host.

When asked about why the awards broadcast was moved to a Friday night, Frick says the Canadian Academy initiated the conversation with CBC with the hopes that airing on Friday would reduce the timeframe between the live gala and the broadcast to keep the “heightened energy” around the awards. The live gala will begin at 4 p.m. ET, with the broadcast beginning at 8 p.m. ET, roughly an hour after the live ceremony ends.

The Canadian Academy has also announced the Members Forum, a revamped version of the Canadian Academy’s annual Canadian Screen Week programming, which will run from May 26 to 28.

Frick says the revamp was sparked from feedback the Canadian Academy received from members about the need for more networking and one-on-one opportunities. The three-day forum is also largely separate from the ceremonies in order to not overwhelm members with attending industry programming and awards shows on the same day.

Additional details on the Members Forum will be announced at a later date.

Photo by George Pimentel