Andi Petrillo, CBC Sports host, wins Canadian Screen Award
1st woman to win top prize for best sports host after Pan Am Games excellence
CBC Sports host Andi Petrillo won a Canadian Screen Award Tuesday for her work during the 2015 Pan Am Games.
Petrillo was named best host in a sports program or series; namely, the Pan Am Afternoon show that was part of CBC's daily coverage of the 16-day event.
That she won on International Women's Day had particular significance: she is the first woman to win a CSA for best sports host.
What a thrilling night! Thank you for all the congratulations. I worked with an amazing crew… <a href="https://t.co/UFGg1yWc2C">https://t.co/UFGg1yWc2C</a>
—@AndiPetrillo"What a thrilling night!" Petrillo said later on Instagram. "I worked with an amazing crew during the 2015 Pan American Games. It was a monster of an event to tackle, but we did it! Onwards now to Rio!"
She is also the first woman to host a daily sports radio talk show (TSN1050's Leafs Lunch) and was the first woman to be part of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada studio team when she joined the show in 2011.
Petrillo got her start in the broadcast business volunteering with Rogers TV York Region, while earning degrees in English and Mass Communications from York University. She followed up her university experience with a diploma in Broadcast Journalism from Seneca College.
After earning her diploma, Petrillo joined Rogers TV York Region full-time as a sports producer and host in 2004, covering local high school sports as well as golf and weekly Junior 'A' hockey games. In 2006, she joined Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment's Leafs TV where she hosted the pre- and post-game shows as well as Leafs Today and also served as a reporter at Maple Leafs and Marlies games, providing in-game reports and player interviews.
The 2014 Olympic year was another huge triumph for Petrillo as she hosted overnight coverage from the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and later that year was host for FIFA World Cup coverage from Brazil.
Currently, she is a co-host, with Scott Russell, of CBC's Road to the Olympic Games weekend sports show, and will host CBC's Olympic Games Daytime from Rio de Janeiro with David Amber this summer.