Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has named the 10 new writers selected for the WBD Access x Canadian Academy Writers Program.

Now in its fourth year, the program is a collaboration between WBD, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (Canadian Academy) and Telefilm Canada. First launched in 2020, the program is a multi-year initiative aimed at supporting screenwriters from underrepresented communities across Canada. The inaugural program featured a field of 18 writers, but was changed to 10 in subsequent years.

The 2024 WBD Access x Canadian Academy Writers Program once again centres on episodic content, giving the chosen writers the opportunity to develop and workshop an idea for a series through mentorship and education by TV creators and executives. There are also opportunities to workshop scripts in both English and French.

The selection process for this year’s participants involved internal, peer and juried evaluations from WBD Access Canada and the Canadian Academy to identify the 10 talented individuals who will participate in this program.

This year’s cohorts include the Ontario-based writers Aaron Yeung, Brandon Hackett (Shelved) and Vincent Lui (Future Chicken), all from Toronto, and Pickering, Ont.’s Carleen Nimrod (Fricken’ Spielberg).

Three writers hail from Vancouver, including Andrea Bang (Idols Never Die), Jessie Anthony (Brother, I Cry) and Norman Yi Li (Deep Take)

Montreal’s Aïcha Morin-Baldé (Afro Canada), Saskatoon’s Moniquea Marion and Iqaluit’s Ashley Qilavaq-Savard (Reclaim) round out the cohort.

“Supporting the creative voices of today is crucial as the television industry evolves and diversifies,” said Canadian Academy CEO Tammy Frick in a statement. “We are thrilled to once again work alongside WBD Access Canada to foster the growth of these talented writers. Their diverse perspectives and fresh storytelling approaches will undoubtedly enrich the Canadian screen landscape and resonate with audiences around the world.”

Pictured (L-R): (Top) Aaron Yeung (photo by lindsey addawoo), Aïcha Morin-Baldé (photo by Laurie Vigneault), Andrea Bang (photo by Crystal Sing), Ashley Qilavaq-Savard (photo by Ashley Qilavaq-Savard) Brandon Hackett (photo courtesy of Whistler Film Festival, (Bottom) Carleen Nimrod (photo by Jaymie Harris), Jessie Anthony (photo by Veronica Bonderud), Moniquea Marion (photo by Tyra Sweet), Norman Yi Li (photo by Efrat Gal-Or) and Vincent Lui (photo by Janice Reid).