Canadian Screen Awards 2016: CBC wins big in drama, comedy

The Book of Negroes, a six-part miniseries co-produced by the CBC, took home nine trophies at the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards, and the CBC comedy hit Schitt's Creek was not far behind with six.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television unveiled winners in some 50 CSA categories at a non-televised gala Wednesday night in Toronto — the second of three ceremonies to honour the best of Canadian film and TV.

• 7 reasons you should care about the Canadian Screen Awards this year

Competing in the Dramatic Program or Limited Series category, The Book of Negroes, based on the novel of the same name by Canadian author Lawrence Hill, also garnered awards for its leading cast, actor Lyriq Bent and actress Aunjanue Ellis, as well as director Clement Virgo.

Schitt's Creek features Canadian comedy icons Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara as the heads of a formerly rich family trying to pick up the pieces after the collapse of their video empire, in the town they once bought as a joke.

Another big winner was Orphan Black, the popular sci-fi series about the moral and ethical questions surrounding cloning, produced by Temple Street Productions in association with BBC America and Bell Media's Space. The series, which brought home five trophies, has recently received the go-ahead for a fourth season.

Among CBC's awards:

• Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role or Guest Role in a Comedic Series: Chris Elliott / Schitt's Creek – Honeymoon / Surprise Party.
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Limited Series: The Book of Negroes / CBC / Lyriq Bent.
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Series: Shailyn Pierre-Dixon / The Book of Negroes / CBC.
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role or Guest Role in a Comedic Series: Emily Hampshire / Schitt's Creek – Our Cup Runneth Over / Carl's Funeral / CBC.
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Limited Series: Aunjanue Ellis / The Book of Negroes / CBC.
• Best Direction in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program or Series: 2015 Pan Am Games Opening Ceremony, Shelagh O'Brien / CBC.
• Best Costume Design: Kate Carin / The Book of Negroes / CBC / Entertainment One.
• Best Cross-Platform Project – Fiction: The Book of Negroes Interactive / Secret Location, Conquerling Lion, Entertainment One, CBC / James Milward, Ryan Andal, Kathryn Rawson, Allen Martin, Damon D'Oliveira.
• Best Original Music Score for a Program: Philip Miller / The Book of Negroes / CBC, Entertainment One.
• Best Variety or Sketch Comedy Program or Series: Rick Mercer Report / CBC (Island Edge Inc.) / Gerald Lunz, Rick Mercer, Tom Stanley.
• Best Writing in a Comedy Program of Series: Schitt's Creek — Honeymoon, Daniel Levy.

Other winners included:

• Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Series: Torben Liebrecht / Walk With the Devil and Into the Fire / X Company.
• Best Performing Arts Program: King Lear / Melbar Entertainment Group / Barry Avrich, Susan Edwards, Anita Gaffney, Michael Levine.
• Best Achievement in Make-Up: Stephen Lynch, Sandy Sokolowski / Orphan Black – Ruthless in Purpose and Insidious in Method / Space (Bell Media).
• Best Animated Program or Series: Rocket Monkeys, Teletoon (Corus Entertainment) / Ira Levy, Peter Williamson, Joan Lambur, Mark Evestaff, Dan Abdo, Michael Feder, Jason Patterson, Mauro Casalese.
• Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series: Degrassi / Family Channel / Bell Media /Epitome Pictures Inc. / Linda Schuyler, Stephen Stohn, Sarah Glinski, Matt Huether, Stephanie Williams, Stefan Brogren.
• Best Children's or Youth Non-Fiction Program or Series: Finding Stuff Out / TVO  / Apartment 11 Productions Inc. / Jonathan Finkelstein, Jean-Louis Coté.
• Best Cross-Platform Project – Children's and Youth: Gaming Show Interactive / Secret Location, Banger Films, DHX Media / Pietro Gagliano, Ryan Andal, Kathryn Rawson, Todd Feaver, Jesse Shamata.
• Best Host in a Pre-school, Children's or Youth Program or Series: Harrison Houde / Finding Stuff Out – Poop / TVO.
• Best Host in a Variety, Lifestyle, Reality/Competition, or Talk Program or Series:  Jon Montgomery / The Amazing Race Canada – Man I've Got a Big Butt / CTV (Bell Media).
• Best Music Program or Series: We Day 2014 / MTV (Bell Media) / Sheila Sullivan, John Kampilis, Ken Katigbak.
• Best Original Program or Series Produced for Digital Media – Fiction: Carmilla / Shaftesbury / Smokebomb / Jay Bennett, Steph Ouaknine, Kaaren Whitney-Vernon, Christina Jennings, Denise Darroch, Carrie Hayden / Presented with the participation of the Independent Production Fund.
• Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series: Degrassi – Give Me One Reason / MTV (Bell Media) / Aislinn Paul.
• Best Performance in a Guest Role, Dramatic Series: Christine Horn / Remedy – Playing Doctor Conner / Global (Shaw Media).
• Best Performance in a Program or Series Produced for Digital Media: Michelle Nolden / Saving Hope: Psychic Healing / Entertainment One, ICF Films.
• Best Performance in an Animated Program or Series: Julie Lemieux / Numb Chucks – From Dusk Till Dawn / YTV (Corus Entertainment).

CBC also earned awards in 15 categories at Tuesday's ceremony. The televised finale awards show, hosted by Norm Macdonald, will be broadcast on CBC Television on Sunday night, starting at 8 p.m. ET, when top prizes in the acting categories and for best movie and TV shows will be handed out.