Photo: Still from North of North, which earned four nominations and three wins at the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards, tying for the most wins among alum-associated projects. Courtesy of Netflix.

The National Screen Institute is proud to celebrate alum whose work was recognized at the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.

Held over three days from May 29 to 31, the awards recognize excellence in Canadian film, television and digital media.

Across this year’s awards, National Screen Institute alum were associated with 46 nominations and 10 wins. Their work spanned feature film, documentary, scripted and unscripted television, children’s programming and web series, highlighting the range of stories being brought to audiences by the institute’s alum community.

Please join us in congratulating the following alum on their achievements:

Winners

FILM

Best Feature Length Documentary 

• Endless Cookie – Daniel Bekerman (NSI Features First)

TV & DIGITAL MEDIA

Best Biography or Arts Documentary Program or Series

• Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story – Ngardy Conteh George (Access BIPOC Producers), Alison Duke (Elevate)

Best Children’s or Youth Fiction Program or Series

• The Unstoppable Jenny Garcia – Mindy Laxer (NSI Global Marketing)

Best Direction, Comedy

• North of North – Zoe Hopkins (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program)

Best Direction, Documentary Program

• Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story – Alison Duke

Best Direction, TV Movie

• Dying in Plain Sight – Michelle Ouellet (NSI Totally Television)

Best Ensemble Performance, Comedy

• North of North – Zorga Qaunaq (TikTok Accelerator for Indigenous Creators)

Best Picture Editing, Children’s or Youth

• Gangnam Project – Fabiola Caraza (Access BIPOC Producers)

Best Pre-School Program or Series

• Mittens & Pants – Norma Mendoza (NSI Drama Prize)

Best Writing, Documentary

• Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story – Alison Duke

Congratulations as well to the following alum whose work was nominated at the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards:

Nominees

FILM

Best Motion Picture

• 40 Acres – Jennifer Holness (NSI Drama Prize, NSI Global Marketing, Telefilm Canada Spark Plug)
• Blue Heron – Ryan Bobkin (Telefilm Talent to Watch), Sarah Wylie (Telefilm Talent to Watch), Sophy Romvari (Telefilm Talent to Watch)

Achievement in Direction

• Blue Heron – Sophy Romvari

Original Screenplay

• Blue Heron – Sophy Romvari

John Dunning Best First Feature Film Award

• Blue Heron – Ryan Bobkin, Sarah Wylie, Sophy Romvari
• 100 Sunset – Kunsang Kyirong (Telefilm Talent to Watch)

TV & DIGITAL MEDIA

Best Animated Short

• Ibuka Justice – Mylène Augustin (Access BIPOC Producers)

Best Achievement in Casting

• The Great Canadian Baking Show – Meredith Veats (NSI Lifestyle & Reality Series Producer)

Best Biography or Arts Documentary Program or Series

• Beethoven’s Nine: Ode to Humanity – Jason Charters (NSI Drama Prize, NSI Global Marketing)

Best Children’s or Youth Fiction Program or Series

• Gangnam Project – Anthony Leo (NSI Totally Television, NSI Global Marketing)
• Collar of Duty Kids – Raj Panikkar (NSI Features First, NSI Global Marketing, Access BIPOC Producers)
• Green Squad – Mindy Laxer

Best Direction, Documentary Series

• Mafia: Most Wanted – Behind The Bosses – Trish Dolman (NSI Features First)
• Michelle Ross: Unknown Icon – Alison Duke

Best Direction, Drama Series

• Allegiance – Daddy Issues – Nimisha Mukerji (NSI Totally Television)

Best Direction, Factual

• Transplant Stories – The Life You Give – Sheona McDonald (NSI Global Marketing)

Best Direction, Lifestyle or Information

• Not Your Butter Chicken – Food is Sewa – Priyanka Desai (NSI Business for Producers, Access BIPOC Producers)
• Wild Rose Vets – Emergency Room – Frederick Kroetsch (NSI Business for Producers)

Best Direction, Web Program or Series

• FreeUp! Emancipation Day 2025 – Jokes, Jokes, Jokes – Chris Robinson – Ngozi Paul (Telefilm Canada Spark Plug Program, NSI Global Marketing)

Best Drama Series

• Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent – Erin Haskett (NSI Drama Prize)
• Wild Cards – Virginia Rankin (NSI Global Marketing)

Best Ensemble Performance, Comedy

• The Trades – Susan Kent (Telefilm Talent to Watch)

Best Guest Performance, Comedy

• Son of a Critch – The Last Stop – Susan Kent

Best History Documentary Program or Series

• The Christine Jessop Story – James Hyslop (NSI Features First)
• Mafia: Most Wanted – Trish Dolman

Best Lifestyle Program or Series

• Pamela’s Cooking with Love – Robert Hardy (NSI Totally Television), Trevor Hodgson (NSI Features First)

Best Live Entertainment Special

• Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 2025 – Stephanie Scott (NSI Storytellers), Vanessa Loewen (NSI Global Marketing), Adam Garnet Jones (NSI Storytellers, Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program, NSI Diverse TV Director)

Best Pre-School Program or Series

• Bestest Day Ever with My Best Friend – Georgina López (NSI Drama Prize, Access BIPOC Producers)

Best Sound, Fiction

• North of North – Top of the World – Peter Murphy (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program)

Best TV Movie

• Dateless to Dangerous: My Son’s Secret Life – Jordana Aarons (NSI Totally Television, NSI Features First)

Best Web Program or Series, Fiction

• You’re My Hero – Colette Jeffs (NSI Features First)

Best Writing, Comedy

• Children Ruin Everything – Sex – Andrew De Angelis (NSI Totally Television)

Best Writing, Documentary

• Michelle Ross: Unknown Icon – Alison Duke

Spotlight Award for Best Direction

• The Way Home – I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song – Michelle Latimer (NSI Drama Prize, NSI Storytellers)

If you have a project or event at this year’s Canadian Screen Awards that is not listed here, we’d love to hear from you. Please email ashna.sharma@nsi-canada.