Photo: Poster for limited series Little Bird, nominated for 19 Canadian Screen Awards.

The Canadian Screen Awards are being presented this week, beginning on May 28 and wrapping up with the televised broadcast on May 31, hosted by award-winning Canadian comedian Mae Martin.

The 12^th edition of this annual awards show celebrates achievements in content created for film, TV and digital media from coast to coast to coast. We are thrilled to see so many faces from National Screen Institute programs past and present among this year’s list of nominees. Limited series Little Bird leads the list of both TV and overall nominations, led by showrunner and National Screen Institute alum, Jennifer Podemski.

Congratulations to the 35 National Screen Institute alumni and 2024 Canadian Screen Award nominees! You can cheer them on during the awards show on Friday, May 31 at 7 p.m. CT on CBC and CBC Gem.

TV

Best Drama Series

• Little Bird — Jennifer Podemski (NSI Global Marketing), Christina Fon (NSI Global Marketing), Catherine Bainbridge (NSI Global Marketing), Tanya Brunel (NSI Global Marketing), Ernest Webb (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program), Zoe Hopkins (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program) / WINNER

Best Comedy Series

• Bria Mack Gets a Life — Mark Montefiore (NSI Totally Television) / WINNER
• Letterkenny — Mark Montefiore (NSI Totally Television)
• Workin’ Moms — Jessie Gabe (NSI Script to Screen)

Best Reality/Competition Program or Series

• Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs. The World — Michelle Mama (Access BIPOC Producers) / WINNER

Best Live Entertainment Special, presented by Bespoke Audio Visual

• The 2023 Juno Awards — Julie Kim (TELUS STORYHIVE)

Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary Program

• Coming Home | Wanna Icipus Kupi — Jennifer Podemski (NSI Global Marketing), Tanya Brunel (NSI Global Marketing), Catherine Bainbridge (NSI Global Marketing), Ernest Webb (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program) / WINNER

Best Biography or Arts Documentary Program or Series

• Indspire Awards 2023 — Jennifer Podemski (NSI Global Marketing)

Best Documentary Program

• The Cowichan Sweater: Our Knitted Legacy — Mary Galloway (TELUS STORYHIVE)

Best Children’s or Youth Fiction Program or Series Presented by Spin Master Entertainment

• The Hardy Boys — Jason Stone (NSI Features First), Ramona Barckert (NSI Script to Screen) / WINNER
• Home Sweet Home — Alyson Richards (NSI Drama Prize, NSI Features First)

Best Children or Youth Non-Fiction Program or Series

• Dream It To Be It — Georgina López (NSI Drama Prize)
• Green Squad — Mindy Laxer (NSI Global Marketing)
• Sunny’s Quest — Mindy Laxer (NSI Global Marketing)

Best Factual Series, presented by Crave

• Little Big Community — Angie Pepper O’Bomsawin (Art of Business Management – Indigenous Edition)

Best Direction, TV Movie

• Make Me a Match — Heather Hawthorn Doyle (NSI Global Marketing)
• The More Love Grows — Heather Hawthorn Doyle (NSI Global Marketing)

Best Direction, Drama Series

• Little Bird — Zoe Hopkins (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program)
• SurrealEstate — Danishka Esterhazy (NSI Drama Prize, NSI Features First)

Best Direction, Comedy

• Children Ruin Everything — Melanie Orr (Diverse TV Director)

Best Direction, Lifestyle or Information

• Savannah: Wild Rose Vet — Frederick Kroetsch (Business for Producers), Heather Hatch (Access BIPOC Producers)

Best Direction, Documentary Program

• Indspire Awards 2023 — Jennifer Podemski (NSI Global Marketing)

Best Direction, Documentary Series

• Black Community Mixtapes — Alison Duke (Elevate), Ngardy Conteh George (Access BIPOC Producers)

Best Direction, Children’s or Youth

• All-Round Champion — Graeme Lynch (NSI Drama Prize)

Best Direction, Factual

• Still Standing — Eva Thomas (NSI Totally Television)

Best Writing, Drama

• Transplant — Joseph Kay (NSI Totally Television) / WINNER

Best Writing, Lifestyle or Reality/Competition

• The 2023 Juno Awards — Julie Kim (TELUS STORYHIVE)

Best Writing, Documentary

• Black Community Mixtapes — Alison Duke (Elevate)

Barbara Sears Award for Best Visual Research

• Little Bird — Jennifer Podemski (NSI Global Marketing)

Best Picture Editing, Drama

• Moonshine — Kimberlee McTaggart, CCE (NSI Drama Prize)

Best Ensemble Performance, Comedy

• Acting Good — Paul Rabliauskas (CBC New Indigenous Voices)

Best Achievement in Casting, Non-Fiction

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

Digital Media

Best Web Program or Series, Fiction

• The Drop — Aisha Evelyna (Telefilm Talent to Watch)
• How to Fail as a Popstar — Elise Cousineau (NSI Drama Prize), Laura Perlmutter (NSI Drama Prize)/ WINNER
• I Hate People, People Hate Me — Lauren Corber (NSI Totally Television)

Best Direction, Web Program or Series

• The Drop — Aisha Evelyna (Telefilm Talent to Watch)

Best Lead Performance, Web Program or Series

• The Drop — Aisha Evelyna (Telefilm Talent to Watch)/ WINNER

Best Immersive Experience – Non-Fiction

• This Is Not a Ceremony — Ahnahktsipiitaa (Colin Van Loon), (Art of Business Management – Indigenous Edition)