Nominees Announced for the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards

40 Acres tops film nominations with 10; North of North leads television with 20

TORONTO, March 25, 2026 /CNW/ - The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (the Canadian Academy) announced today the nominees for the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards, recognizing excellence across 146 categories in film, television, and digital media. The 14th annual awards will be presented over four days in Toronto during Canadian Screen Week 2026. The celebrations will culminate in The 2026 Canadian Screen Awards, hosted by Andrew Phung, broadcasting and streaming on Sunday, May 31 at 8:00 PM (9:00 AT, 9:30 NT) on CBC, CBC Gem, Crave, CTV, Global, and STACKTV.

Television series North of North tops both television and overall nominations with 20, including Best Comedy Series, presented by Lionsgate Canada; Best Ensemble Performance, Comedy; and Anna Lambe for Best Lead Performer, Comedy. Heated Rivalry scores 18 nominations, including Best Drama Series, presented by Blink49 Studios, followed by Small Achievable Goals with 12.

In film, 40 Acres leads nominations with 10, including Best Motion Picture; and nods for R.T. Thorne for both Achievement in Direction and the John Dunning Best First Feature Film Award. Following with eight nominations are Follies | Folichonneries, Honey Bunch, and Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, while Blue Heron and Mile End Kicks both receive seven.

Settle Down earns the most digital media nominations with nine, including Alexander Nunez for Best Lead Performance, Web Program or Series; followed by 18 to 35 with five; and Coming Home, Cows Come Home, and Dying Seconds with four each.

"Canada's creative community has experienced an extraordinary year, with bold storytelling and world-class talent capturing attention at home and around the globe," said Tammy Frick, CEO of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. "The momentum we're seeing across film, television, and digital media speaks to the power of our industry, and we're proud to celebrate the innovation and diverse voices that carry Canada's screen sector to new heights."

The 2026 Canadian Screen Awards also features the debut of the Spotlight Award categories, which are presented to eligible Canadians working on non-Canadian certified television series. Wayward leads the inaugural Spotlight Award nominations with seven, including the Spotlight Award for Best Series. The Way Home received four nominations, followed by Jane with three.

For a complete list of 2026 Canadian Screen Award nominees, please visit academy.ca/nominees.

Winners will be unveiled during Canadian Screen Week 2026, taking place from Wednesday, May 27 to Sunday, May 31 at the CBC Broadcast Centre in Toronto. Over the course of six award presentations, nominees and winners will be recognized alongside this year's Special Award recipients, leading up to the finale: The 2026 Canadian Screen Awards. Hosted by Andrew Phung, the ceremony will be broadcast and streamed on Sunday, May 31 at 8:00 PM ET on CBC, CBC Gem, Crave, CTV, Global, and STACKTV. For a full listing of 2026 Canadian Screen Awards and programming, visit CanadianScreenWeek.ca.

Nominees for the Canadian Screen Awards are chosen by voting members of the Canadian Academy and by nominating juries, conducted virtually with representatives from the film, television, and digital media industries. The membership will now cast their votes between Thursday, March 26, 2026 and Monday, April 13, 2026 to determine the winners. For information on how to become a member, visit academy.ca/members.

Tickets for the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards are now on sale. Canadian Screen Award nominees and guests can book their tickets online at academy.ca/boxoffice.

Media accreditation for the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards will open in April. To receive updates on red carpet and press room opportunities, sign up for the Canadian Academy's press list here.

For promotional assets, including a fact sheet about the nominees, please reference our digital toolkit.

About the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is the largest non-profit professional arts organization in Canada with a membership of more than 3,500 emerging and established English and Francophone industry professionals. Founded in 1979, the Canadian Academy is dedicated to recognizing, celebrating, and advocating for Canadian talent in the film, television, and digital media sectors while remaining committed to nurturing all levels of talent through professional development, networking opportunities, and guidance that contribute to industry growth, inclusion, and mentorship. The Canadian Academy annually produces the Canadian Screen Awards, bringing together the screen-based industries to honour and celebrate the country's top talent in Canadian film, digital media, and English-language television, as well as the Gémeaux Awards, which recognize the best in French-language television and digital media productions in Canada.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television proudly acknowledges the support of its Leading Media Partner, CBC; Premier Partner, Telefilm Canada; Platinum Partner, Bell Media; and its Lead Partners, Netflix, the Canada Media Fund, Cineplex, and the Cogeco Fund.

For information on membership and programming visit academy.ca.

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SOURCE Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television

Media Contact: Natalie Grossi | [email protected]