Transplant and Schitt’s Creek claimed the Canadian Screen Awards for best drama and comedy, respectively, as the 2021 edition of the event wrapped on Thursday.

Season one of Sphere Media-produced Transplant (CTV) won the category ahead of Burden of Truth (CBC), Vikings (HISTORY), Cardinal (CTV) and Departure (Global), while the final season of Schitt’s Creek, produced by Dan and Eugene Levy’s Not A Real Company Productions, bested a competitive comedy field featuring three other CBC comedies, Baroness Von Sketch Show, Kim’s Convenience and Workin’ Moms, and Crave original Letterkenny. 

The shows each won best performance prizes too, with Hamza Haq claiming the prize for best lead actor in a drama and Catherine O’Hara winning best lead actress in a comedy.

In his acceptance speech, Haq said: “A scene I really appreciated filming was where Bashir was seen praying. Normally when we see Muslims [praying] on camera it’s usually followed by a mis-represented act of violence so it was nice to be part of something that offers the truth.”

The wins cap stunning runs for both series. For Schitt’s Creek, the show has become a cultural phenomenon, sweeping the Emmys in January and continuing to be one of the most-talked-about shows globally more than a year after its finale episode aired. For Transplant, the show’s debut season became a sizeable hit in Canada, as well as the U.S. where it became the first network series to feature a Muslim actor (Haq) playing a Muslim character in a lead role. During Wednesday night’s awards, Transplant showrunner Joseph Kay won Best Writing, Drama Series and Holly Dale won Best Direction, Drama Series.

Elsewhere on the night, Kim’s Convenience star Paul Sun-Hyung Lee took home the prize for best lead actor in a comedy. The series, which was cancelled earlier this year after its creators left the show, also won a trio of awards the prior evening, including a Best Supporting Actor, Comedy win for Andrew Phung.

In his acceptance speech, Lee said his character Appa was “an homage to my dad and all the stubborn Korean men that I grew up around. He was my uncle, by grandfathers, all these really strong-willed men who thought it was their way or the highway, and it was such an honour to be able to represent, in a sense, these men who I rarely got to see on screens when I was younger.”

Trickster‘s Crystle Lightning won best lead actress in a drama series. The series, produced by Sienna Films and Streel Films, also won Best Achievement in Make-Up and Best Production Design earlier in the week.

With the wins, Schitt’s Creek exits Canadian Screen Week 2021 as the most-awarded scripted series with eight, while Transplant has four, Baroness Von Sketch Show four, Kim’s Convenience four, Trickster three and Cardinal three.

The Canadian Academy’s Margaret Collier Award went to David Shore, Lifetime Achievement Award to David Suzuki, Earle Grey Award to Tina Keeper, Radius Award to Dan Levy and the Academy Icon Award was presented posthumously to Alex Trebek.

In the awards voted on by fans, Wynonna Earp star Melanie Scrofano won the Cogeco Fund Audience Choice Award and Wild Kratts won the Shaw Rocker Fund Kids’ Choice Award.