This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Slings & Arrows winners in Geminis final gala
Major awards honouring the best in Canadian English television were doled out Saturday night in a live broadcast from a Vancouver-area resort.
The 21st Annual Gemini Awards were held for the first time outside of Toronto at the River Rock Show Theatre in Richmond, B.C.
Comedian Shaun Majumder from CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes got the show rolling, extolling the natural virtues of the West Coast ó namely the fresh air and Vancouver’s nude beach.
Martha Burns captured the first award of the night ó best actress in a continuing leading dramatic role ó for her part in the comedy Slings & Arrows, Season 2.
“Everyone on that show was either very, very funny or very patient,” Burns said in her speech, adding that she would thank her “leading man” at home. Husband Paul Gross also starred in the series as the main character, eccentric theatrical artistic director Geoffrey Tennant.
Mark McKinney made it a stellar night for Slings & Arrows: He was awarded best actor in a continuing drama.
The former Kid in the Hall read off a list of producers, actors and directors in his speedy acceptance speech, while declaring that “I am so glad to be a Canadian actor.”
McKinney was also a writer on the show, which garnered three other Geminis prior to the Vancouver gala: best direction in a drama, best writing in a drama and best supporting actress for Susan Coyne.
It then grabbed best drama, beating out Moccasin Flats, ReGenesis and CBC’s This Is Wonderland.
Majumder thanks ‘the people of Canada’ for Gemini
Majumder and fellow comedian Mark Critch took the stage to accept the Gemini for best comedy ensemble for their work on This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
The pair effusively thanked their producers “who could fire us at any moment.”
Human Trafficking, about the modern-day slave trade, nabbed the best miniseries honour.
Kevin Newman captured the top award for Best News Anchor, his second Gemini, beating out the CBC’s Peter Mansbridge and Norma Lee McCleod.
Meanwhile, the CBC’s Ron MacLean was honoured as best sports host for Hockey Day in Canada.
Actress Evangeline Lilly, of ABCís Lost, handed Marilyn Denis the award for best lifestyle host. Denis hosts the local Toronto daytime show Cityline.
Other awards given out include:
– Best comedy program or series: Corner Gas.
– Best social/political documentary: House Calls.
– Best direction in a dramatic program or miniseries: Tim Southam ñ One Dead Indian.
– Best writing in a dramatic program or miniseries: Andrew Wreggitt, Hugh Graham ñ One Dead Indian.
– Best writing in a comedy or variety program or series: Mary Walsh, Ed MacDonald ñ Hatching, Matching & Dispatching, Episode 5.
– Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a dramatic program or miniseries: Tom McCamus ñ Waking Up Wally: The Walter Gretzky Story.
– Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a dramatic program or miniseries: Wendy Crewson ñ The Man Who Lost Himself.
Winners are voted by members of The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, a professional association of 4,000 industry professionals.
Saturday night’s gala marked the fourth night of awards for the Geminis.
Awards were also given out in Toronto on Oct. 16, 17 and 18 in various categories, including acting, directing, writing, editing as well as news, documentary, lifestyle and youth programming.
The winners of documentary, news and sports awards are:
– Best history documentary program: Breaking Point ñ CBC Television, Jacqueline Corkery.
– Best biography documentary program: Braindamadj’d, Take II ñ Apartment 11 Productions, CBC Newsworld; Jonathan Finkelstein, Allan Joli-Cur.
– Best science, technology, nature, environment or adventure documentary program: Being Caribou ñ National Film Board of Canada; Tracey Friesen, Rina Fraticelli.
– Best performing arts program or series or arts documentary program or series: Prisoners of Age ñ the Eyes Project Development Corp.; Stan Feingold.
– Best sports program or series: Hockey Brawl: Battle on Thin Ice ñ Ocular Productions Inc., Behind the Brawl Inc., Numan Films, Ocular Productions; Jeff Newman, Robert Sauvey, Shawn Watson.
– Best live sporting event: 2006 World Junior Hockey Championship: Gold Medal Game ñ TSN; Mark Milliere, Jon Hynes.
– Best news special event coverage: CBC News: 60th Anniversary of V-E Day ñ Mark Bulgutch, Tom Dinsmore, Fred Parker.
– Best direction in a news information program or series: Michael Gruzuk, CBC News: Marketplace,for Chasing the Cancer Answer.
– Best direction in a documentary program: Paul Nadler ñ Braindamadj’d, Take II.
– Best direction in a documentary series: David Rabinovitch ñ Secret Files of the Inquisition ó Tears of Spain.
– Best direction in a live sporting event: Paul Hemming, 2006 World Junior Hockey Championship: Gold Medal Game.
– Best photography in an information program or series: J. P. Locherer C.S.C., Damir Chytil C.S.C. ñ Forensic Factor, Betrayed.
– Best photography in a documentary program or series: FranÁois Dagenais C.S.C. ñ No More Tears Sister.
– Best picture editing in an information program or series: Aileen McBride ñ CBC News: Marketplace, for Chasing the Cancer Answer.
– Best picture editing in a documentary program or series: Howard Goldberg ñ How William Shatner Changed the World.
– Best sound in an information/documentary program or series: Steve Cupani ñ Extreme Weather: Wind and Water.
– Best original music score for a documentary program or series: Bertrand Chenie, Perreault Dancer.
– Best news magazine segment: CBC News: The National for Suzanne ñ Paul Kennedy, Eric Foss, Catherine McIsaac, Alex Shprintsen.
– Best sports play-by-play or analyst: Chris Cuthbert, Glen Suitor ñ CFL on TSN: Wendy’s CFL Live: Calgary at Saskatchewan.
– Outstanding technical achievement: OpenGear Multi-Definition/Multi-Function Terminal Equipment Platform.
The winners of lifestyle, children’s and youth awards are as follows:
– Best General/Human Interest Series: Stuntdawgs ñ Omni Film Productions Limited, David Gullason, Gabriela Schonbach.
– Best Lifestyle/Practical Information Series: Til Debt Do Us Part ñ Money Test Productions Inc., Jamie Brown.
– Best Animated Program or Series: Bromwell High ñ Decode Entertainment Inc., Hat Trick Productions Ltd., Steven DeNure, Neil Court, Anil Gupta, Jimmy Mullville, Beth Stevenson, Mario Stylianides, Cheryl Taylor.
– Best Pre-School Program or Series: GisËle’s Big Backyard: Here, There and Everywhere ñ TVOntario, Marie McCann, GisËle Corinthios, Pat Ellingson, Ericka Evans.
– Best Children’s or Youth Fiction Program or Series: The Morgan Waters Show ñ CBC Television, Martin Markle, Rachel Bartels, Jonathan Farber.
– Best Cross Platform Project: www.regenesistv.com, Xenophile Media Inc., Patrick Crowe, Keith Clarkson, Evan Jones, Shane Kinnear, Thomas Wallner.
– Best Direction in a Lifestyle/Practical Information Program or Series: Trevor Grant ñ Chef At Home – Hors d’Oeuvres Party.
– Best Direction in a Children’s or Youth Program or Series: Paolo Barzman ñ 15/Love – Volley of the Dolls.
– Best Writing in a Children’s or Youth Program or Series: Jordan Wheeler, renegadepress.com – The Rez.
– Best Production Design or Art Direction in a Non-Dramatic Program or Series: Andrew Kinsella ñ Canadian Country Music Awards.
– Best Original Music Score for an Animated Program or Series: Jeff Danna, Steve Sullivan ñ Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends: The Prince, the Princess and the Bee.
– Best Lifestyle/Practical Information Segment: On The Road Again – Film Club, CBC Television, Malcolm Hamilton, Louisa Battistelli, Aldo Columpsi, Roger Lefebvre.
– Best Performance in a Childrens’ or Youth Program or Series: Ksenia Solo, renegadepress.com – Fear.
– Best Host in a Lifestyle/Practical Information, or Performing Arts Program or Series: Sean Cullen ñ What Were They Thinking? Big Breakfast.
Award winners for acting, directing and technical categories include:
– Best Direction in a Variety Program or Series: Mario Rouleau ñ Voices of Soul.
– Best Direction in a Performing Arts Program or Series: Tim Southam ñ Perreault Dancer.
– Best Direction in a Comedy Program or Series: James Allodi ñ Naked Josh II: Fake It Till You Make It.
– Best Photography in a Dramatic Program or Series: Danny Nowak, CSC ñ The Love Crimes of Gillian Guess.
– Best Photography in a Comedy, Variety or Performing Arts Program or Series: David Franco ñBurnt Toast.
– Best Picture Editing in a Dramatic Program or Series: Dean Soltys ñ Canada Russia ’72.
– Best Picture Editing in a Comedy, Variety or Performing Arts Program or Series: Allan MacLean, Miles Davren ñ The Rick Mercer Report: Episode 13.
– Best Sound in a Dramatic Program: Lou Solakofski, Yvon Benoit, Garrett Kerr, Martin Lee, Sid Lieberman, David McCallum ñ One Dead Indian.
– Best Sound in a Dramatic Series: Sylvain Bourgault, Eric Ladouceur, Charlie Jade ñ Spin.
– Best Sound in a Comedy, Variety or Performing Arts Program or Series: Dave Rose, Michael Lacroix, Kirk Lynds, Donna Powell, Lou Solakofski ñ Burnt Toast.
– Best Production Design or Art Direction in a Dramatic Program or Series: Guy Lalande ñ Human Trafficking.
– Best Costume Design: Mariane Carter ñ Human Trafficking.
– Best Achievement in Makeup: Donald J. Mowat, Paula Fleet, Jane Meade ñ Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story.
– Best Visual Effects: Tom Turnbull, Ian Britton, Robert Crowther, Graham Cunningham, Matthew Hansen, Mary Holding, Ariel Joson ñ Terry.
– Best Original Music Score for a Program or Miniseries: Jonathan Goldsmith ñ Trudeau II: Maverick in the Making.
– Best Original Music Score for a Dramatic Series: Jim McGrath ñ Degrassi: The Next Generation 5, Our Lips Are Sealed, Part I.
– Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Miniseries: Judah Katz ñ Canada Russia ’72.
– Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Miniseries: Lushin Dubey ñ Murder Unveiled.
– Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series: Paul Soles ñ Terminal City: Episode 6.
– Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series: Susan Coyne ñ Slings and Arrows Season 2: Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair.
– Best Individual Performance in a Comedy Program or Series: Mark McKinney, Robson Arms Season 1: Material Breach.
– Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series: k.d. lang, Words to Music: The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
– Best Performance in a Performing Arts Program or Series: Johnny Wright, Tara Birtwhistle, Jesus Corrales, Dmitri Dovgoselets, Amanda Green, Vanessa Lawson, Chelsey Lindsay, Sarah Murphy-Dyson, Janet Sartore-De Luca, CindyMarie Small, Jo-Ann Sundermeier, Zhang Wei-Qiang ñThe Tale of the Magic Flute.
– Best Achievement in Casting: Jenny Lewis, Sara Kay ñ Heyday!
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