Documentaries To kill a tiger we’ll all die (even Jay Baruchel) And BLK: An Origin Story emerged with three, four and five awards respectively at the Canadian Screen Awards on Tuesday. That made them the main winners on the first night of the ceremony, which honors news, documentary and factual programming – while a perhaps surprising omission saw Lisa Laflamme pass.
These awards, along with more than 30 others, were the first to be presented this year at the annual event recognizing Canadian film, television and digital media. The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television is hosting the week-long event. Two categories of awards will be presented each day until Friday, when honors for comedy and drama will take center stage.
Although he did not have the most victories, Nisha Pahuja’s kill a tiger (previously a winner of the Palm Springs International Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival and named one of the top ten in Canada by the National Film Board of Canada) received the Ted Rogers Best Documentary Feature Award. It also won Best Original Score and Best Editing in a Documentary Feature.
Crave’s six-part original series We’re all gonna die (even Jay Baruchel)which had its world premiere at Hot Docs last year, won Best Directing and Editing for a Factual Series, as well as Best Factual Series and the Barbara Sears Award for Editorial Research.
The series itself examines different ways life on earth could end in a humorous, yet science-based way – tackling possibilities ranging from planet-ending asteroids to alien invasions.
And the documentary mini-series BLK: an origin story, created by husband-wife duo Sudz Sutherland and Jennifer Holness, won three of its four episodes. The series, which focused on black history outside of the often-covered — but relatively short — period of the Underground Railroad, won Best Picture Editing, Music and Writing for a documentary; Best Direction for a Documentary Series and Best Cinematography for a Documentary or Factual Program.
Although the other winners of the day did not receive more than two awards, they did so in competitive categories. Sex with Sue (a Corus Entertainment documentary directed by Sue Johanson’s daughter, Jane) won Best Documentary Program.
This film followed Johanson’s startling stratospheric rise from Winnipeg nurse to one of the most iconic sex educators in recent memory, as well as the social media pundits who followed her lead.
Meanwhile, CBC The pretenders won the Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary Program and the Broadcaster Award Patty versus Patty won the award for Best Documentary Short.
The first examines an apparent wave of high-profile Canadians who have been accused of faking Indigenous heritage (or being “pretenders”) and why anyone would attempt to do so. The latter tells the story of Jamaican Canadians’ battle with the federal government in 1985 over the definition of a true beef patty.
Reporter, presenter, news coverage awards
For news, APTN: Investigates won best news or information program for its multi-part program In full view, which examined the exploitation of Aboriginal women in Kenora, Ontario. Among other victories, CBC News won Best Live News Special for its coverage of the Ottawa occupation and the Freedom Convoy protest, The fifth state won best news or information series and The National‘s Juanita Taylor won the award for best national journalist.
Global News won honors for Best National Newscast and Best Local Newscast (for World News Time at 6 a.m.).
Global’s Dawna Friesen won the Top National News Anchor award, an honor she also received in 2019, as well as a 2011 Canada’s Top News Anchor trophy. Lisa Laflamme, who – after finding herself at the center of a media storm when CTV News canceled her contract late last year – played a role in her own nomination.
After the The Toronto Star reported earlier this year that she nominated herself for the award after CTV News retroactively scrubbed her name from the submissions, Laflamme had a little clarification.
Laflamme said The National‘s Adrienne Arsenualt that she submitted her work for consideration by the judges, who themselves then nominated her. Laflamme has already won five times in this category, including in 2021 and 2022. Earlier this year, organizers announced that Laflamme would receive the Gordon Sinclair Award for Broadcast Journalism, which she officially received at CSA on Tuesday to a standing ovation. upright.
Lisa LaFlamme wasn’t put forward for a Canadian Screen Award after her controversial CTV exit — so she did it herself. pic.twitter.com/Lz5Q4zfg7t
—@CBCTheNational
Earlier Tuesday, organizers announced the sports programming winners. CBC won the CSA award for Best Sports Program or Series for its coverage of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, and Andi Petrillo won the award for Best Sports Host. TSN, meanwhile, won Best Live Sports Event for its broadcast of the IIHF World Junior Gold Medal Game, while Gord Miller was named Best Play-by-Play Sports Announcer.
TSN also won Best Sports Feature Segment for Left overwhich tells the story of the family of former Maple Leaf Ian White who became addicted to painkillers, while TSN’s broadcast of the Toronto Raptors’ season opener received the CSA for Best Sports Opener.
The Canadian Screen Awards will continue every night this week until Friday. Wednesday’s awards will include honors for Children’s Entertainment and Animation, as well as Lifestyle and Reality awards later in the day. Thursday will see the winners for digital and immersive media, as well as cinematic arts.
Other notable winners announced on Tuesday include:
- Best Local Reporter: Caroline Barghout (CBC Winnipeg News at 6 a.m.)
- Best News or Information Segment: W5: The Humboldt Pilot (CTV)
- Barbara Sears Award for Best Visual Search: World War II Black Liberators (Story with Corus Entertainment)
- Best Writing, Factual: Still awake (Radio Canada)
- Best Direction, Documentary Program: Buffy Sainte Marie, Continue (To really want to)
- Best Photography, News or Information: Journalist’s Notebook: Paul Workman in Afghanistan (CTV)
- Best Cinematography in a Feature Documentary: Nicolas de Pencier (ink color)
- Life Achievement Award: Pierre Bruneau
- Best Historical Documentary Program or Series: Underground Railroad: The Secret History (Discovery Channel with Bell Media)
- Rob Stewart Award for Best Science or Nature Documentary Program or Series: Ice and Fire: Tracking the Climate Crisis in Canada (Radio Canada)
- Best Biographical or Artistic Documentary Program or Series: Comedy Punks: Kids in the Hallway (Makeful with Blue Ant Media)
- Best News Anchor, Local: Anita Bain (CBC Vancouver News at 6 a.m.)
- Best Host or Interviewer, News or Information: Avery Haines (W5)
- Best Sports Analyst: Hockey Night in Canada (Sportsnet with Rogers Sports & Media)
- Best Achievement, Live Sporting Event: 2022 Stanley Cup Final Game 6 (Sportsnet with Rogers Sports & Media)