CBC, APTN pick up major wins on 1st night of Canadian Screen Awards

CBC won 11 awards and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) won four awards — including best news or information series — at the opening night of the Canadian Screen Awards on Monday.

The annual event, which recognizes excellence in Canadian film, television and digital media, began Monday and will wrap on Sunday, April 10. The week-long affair is organized by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, with two different awards categories to be presented each day.

Monday's awards ceremony was dedicated to nominees in the broadcast news and documentary & factual categories. CBC led the categories with 11 wins.

CBC's The Fifth Estate: 13 Deadly Hours received the award for best news or information program. The episode offers a full account of the 2020 mass shootings across Nova Scotia. The rampage killed more than 22 people, making it the deadliest mass shooting event in Canadian history.

Meanwhile, CBC's flagship evening newscast The National won in the best national newscast category, while Vancouver's Belle Puri, a reporter/producer with CBC Vancouver News at 6, won the prize for best local reporter.

Kardeisha Provo, Tyler Simmonds, Dena Williams and Lily Nottage won the best direction, documentary series award for their work on the film and TV series Being Black in Halifax.

APTN wins for best news series, segment

APTN, a national broadcaster that focuses on stories about Indigenous people, won best news or information series for APTN Investigates, its weekly investigative news program. An episode of the same series, called "The Death Report," received the award for best news or information segment.

Tina House, an APTN National News reporter, won the award for best national reporter. House is a video journalist who has worked in the broadcaster's Vancouver bureau since 2007. 

Halifax-based director Stephanie Clattenburg was recognized in the best direction (factual) category for helming an episode of the APTN documentary series, Spirit Talker.

The documentary Oscar Peterson: Black + White, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, had a strong showing as well, picking up wins for best biography or arts documentary program or series. Barry Avrich won the award for best direction, documentary program while producer Mark Selby won the Barbara Sears award for best visual research.

The documentary, which celebrates the legendary Canadian jazz pianist, features appearances from musicians Jon Batiste and Billy Joel and producer Quincy Jones. It is currently streaming on Crave.

For the third year in a row, the Canadian Screen Awards will be presented virtually. A capstone ceremony will air Sunday, April 10 on CBC and CBC Gem.

Other CBC winners in the broadcast news category are:

• Best news anchor, local: Anita Bathe, CBC Vancouver News at 6
• Best writing, factual: Jeff Thrasher, Arctic Vets - Arctic Goodbyes
• Best photography, news or information: Jean-François Bisson, The National - Uganda's Gorillas & The COVID Threat
• Best picture editing, factual: Anna Bigos, Arctic Vets - Polar Bear Heli-Rescue
• Best original music, non-fiction: Erica Procunier, The Covid Cruise
• Best history documentary program or series: Catherine Legge, Tarannum Kamlani, Geoff Turner, Francis Plourde, Anne MacRae, How to Start a Revolution
• Best live news special: CBC News Special: Installation of the 30th Governor General Mary Simon

Some other notable wins from the category:

• Best host or interviewer, news or information: Avery Haines, W5: A Town Divided
• Best local newscast: CTV News Toronto at 6
• Best news anchor, national: Lisa LaFlamme, CTV National News with Lisa LaFlamme
• Best short documentary: Jennie Williams, Latonia Hartery, Kat Baulu, Rohan Fernando, Annette Clarke, Nalujuk Night
• Best documentary program: Carrie Mudd, James Buddy Day, Ryan Valentini, Diana Foley, Catching a Serial Killer: Bruce McArthur

For a complete list of winners, visit academy.ca.