The Amazing Race was the big winner on night one of the Canadian Screen Awards, taking home five trophies at the gala celebrating the best in Canadian non-fiction programming.
The Insight Productions and CTV fan-favourite is no stranger to the awards podium – it also picked up the most awards of any series at last year’s non-fiction gala. This year, in addition to winning the best reality/competition series award, the show also took home best direction, photography, picture editing and writing for a lifestyle, reality or competition series. The competition series, which sees Canadians travel across the country and the world competing in elimination challenges, is also up for a Golden Screen Award for most-watched Canadian reality show, the winner of which will be announced during the CSAs live broadcast on March 12.
Following close behind, with three awards, is CBC’s Still Standing, produced by Frantic Films. The series, which follows comedian Jonny Harris as he travels across the country to explore small towns, won best factual program, best writing in a factual series and best host in a lifestyle, talk or entertainment news program.
Also of note were the two awards picked up by both Hip-Hop Evolution and War Story: Afghanistan. Hip-Hop, commissioned by Bell Media and produced in partnership with Banger Films, won best biography/arts documentary program as well as best picture editing for a doc series. War Story: Afghanistan, produced by 52 Media Inc. for Corus Entertainment’s History channel, picked up the award for best history documentary program and its director, Barry Stevens, won for best direction in a doc series.
Guantanamo’s Child: Omar Khadr and The Tragically Hip – A National Celebration also won two awards apiece. The White Pine Pictures’ doc for CBC, directed by Patrick Reed and Michelle Shephard, won for best direction in a doc program as well as best original music for a non-fic program. The Tragically Hip event, produced by Insight Productions, unsurprisingly took home the award for best live event special (it was watched by 11.7 million Canadians), as well as best production design/art direction in a non-fic program.
The full list of winners is as follows:
- Gordon Sinclair Award for Broadcast Journalism: Simcha Jacobovici
- Best Reality / Competition Program or Series: The Amazing Race Canada, CTV (Bell Media) (Insight Production Company Ltd.)
- Best Biography or Arts Documentary Program or Series: Hip-Hop Evolution, HBO Canada (Bell Media) (Banger Films)
- Best Children’s or Youth Non-Fiction Program or Series: Science Max: Experiments at Large, TVO (TVOkids) (Breakthrough Entertainment)
- Best Documentary Program: My Millennial Life, TVO (TVO) (Makin’ Movies Inc.)
- Best Factual Program or Series: Still Standing, CBC (CBC) (Frantic Films)
- Best History Documentary Program or Series: War Story: Afghanistan History (Corus Entertainment) (52 Media Inc.)
- Best Lifestyle Program or Series: You Gotta Eat Here!, Food Network Canada (Corus Entertainment) (Lone Eagle Entertainment)
- Best Live Entertainment Special: The Tragically Hip – A National Celebration, CBC (CBC) (Insight Production Company Ltd.)
- Best Live Sports: Rio 2016, CBC (CBC) (CBC Sports)
- Best Local Newscast CBC News: Here & Now CBC (CBC) (CBC Newfoundland and Labrador)
- Best Music Program or Series: The JUNO Awards 2016, CTV (Bell Media) (Insight Production Company Ltd.)
- Best National Newscast: CBC News: The National, CBC (CBC)
- Best News or Information Program: W5 – Healing Hands, CTV (Bell Media)
- Best News or Information Segment: CBC News: The National – Catching up with the Farwans, CBC (CBC)
- Best News or Information Series: Daily Planet, Discovery Channel (Bell Media) (Exploration Production Inc.)
- Best News Special: Fort McMurray Wildfire Evacuation, Global Edmonton (Corus Entertainment)
- Best Reportage, Local: Global BC – Missing Plane Found Global (Corus Entertainment) (Global News)
- Best Reportage, National: CBC News: The National – Trapped at the Border CBC (CBC)
- Best Science or Nature Documentary Program or Series: Moose: A Year in the Life of a Twig Eater, CBC (CBC) (Twig Eaters Inc.)
- Best Sports Feature Segment: Radical Play, TSN (Bell Media)
- Best Sports Opening/Tease: Raptors Playoff / Marcus Stroman, Sportsnet (Rogers)
- Best Sports Program or Series: Muhammad Ali – The Greatest, Sportsnet (Rogers) (Sportsnet)
- Best Talk Program or Series: The Marilyn Denis Show, CTV (Bell Media) (Bell Media)
- Barbara Sears Award for Best Editorial Research: Nancy Lang, Michael Burtch, Joanie McGuffin, Gary McGuffin, Rebecca Middleton, Emma Hambly; Painted Land: In Search of the Group of Seven, TVO (TVO) (White Pine Pictures)
- Barbara Sears Award for Best Visual Research: Elizabeth Klinck, Liz Etherington; How to Change the World, HBO Canada (Bell Media) (Met Film, Insight Productions, Daniel Film)
- Best Direction in a Documentary or Factual Series: Barry Stevens, War Story: Afghanistan – The Long Way Home, History (Corus Entertainment) (52 Media Inc.)
- Best Direction in a Documentary Program: Patrick Reed, Michelle Shephard, Guantanamo’s Child: Omar Khadr, Documentary Channel (CBC) (White Pine Pictures)
- Best Direction in a Lifestyle or Information Program or Series: Frank Samson, Vikings Season 4 Special, Global (Corus Entertainment) (Entertainment Tonight Canada)
- Best Direction in a Live Sporting Event: Andy Bouyoukos, 2015 Grey Cup, TSN (Bell Media)
- Best Direction in a Reality / Competition Program or Series: Rob Brunner, The Amazing Race Canada – For Those About to Rock, CTV (Bell Media) (Insight Production Company Ltd.)
- Best Original Music for a Non-Fiction Program or Series: Mark Korven, Guantanamo’s Child: Omar Khadr, Documentary Channel (CBC) (White Pine Pictures)
- Best Photography in a Documentary Program or Factual Series: Mark Caswell, Real Vikings: Age of Invasion, History (Corus Entertainment) (Take 5 Productions)
- Best Photography in a Lifestyle or Reality / Competition Program or Series: Ryan Shaw, The Amazing Race Canada – Who’s Ready to Let It All Hang Out?, CTV (Bell Media) (Insight Production Company Ltd.)
- Best Photography in a News or Information Program, Series or Segment: Richard Devey, CBC News: The National – Ethiopia on Edge CBC (CBC)
- Best Picture Editing in a Documentary Program or Series: Steve Taylor, Mark Staunton, Hip-Hop Evolution – From the Underground to the Mainstream, HBO Canada (Bell Media) (Banger Films)
- Best Picture Editing in a Factual Program or Series: Sarah Cruise, This Is High School – Grade 9 is the Worst Year, CBC (CBC) (Paperny Entertainment Inc.)
- Best Picture Editing in a Reality/Competition Program or Series: Mike Tersigni, Ben O’Neil, Burak Ozgan, Jonathan Dowler, Allan Hughes; The Amazing Race Canada – Who’s Ready to Let it All Hang Out?, CTV (Bell Media) (Insight Production Company Ltd.)
- Best Production Design or Art Direction in a Non-Fiction Program or Series: Brent Clark, The Tragically Hip – A National Celebration, CBC (CBC) (Insight Production Company Ltd.)
- Best Sound in a Non-Fiction Program or Series: Jeff Henschel, Ewan Deane, Sonic Magic: The Wonder and Science of Sound, CBC (CBC) (Lightship Entertainment)
- Best Writing in a Documentary Program or Series: Richard O’Regan, The Woman Who Joined The Taliban, CBC (CBC) (Matter of Fact Media Inc.)
- Best Writing in a Factual Program or Series: Jonny Harris, Fraser Young, Steve Dylan; Still Standing – Vanastra, CBC (CBC) (Frantic Films)
- Best Writing in a Lifestyle or Reality / Competition Program or Series: Mark Lysakowski, Rob Brunner, Jennifer Pratt; The Amazing Race Canada – Toads! Are you Kidding Me?, CTV (Bell Media) (Insight Production Company Ltd.)
- Best Host in a Lifestyle, Talk or Entertainment News Program or Series: Jonny Harris, Still Standing, CBC (CBC) (Frantic Films)
- Best Host or Interviewer in a News or Information Program or Series: Wendy Mesley, CBC News: The National CBC (CBC)
- Best News Anchor, Local: Daryl McIntyre, CTV News Edmonton, CTV (Bell Media)
- Best News Anchor, National: Lisa LaFlamme, CTV National News with Lisa LaFlamme, CTV News (Bell Media)
- Best Sports Analyst in a Sports Program or Series: Jack Armstrong, 2016 NBA Playoffs: Heat vs. Raptors Game 7, TSN (Bell Media)
- Best Sports Play-by-Play Announcer: Chris Cuthbert. 2015 Grey Cup, TSN (Bell Media)