Toronto, May 5, 2020 - The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, in partnership with CBC and CTV and with the support of Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund, announced today a series of virtual presentations to reveal the winners of the 2020 Canadian Screen Awards, taking place Monday, May 25, 2020 through Thursday, May 28, 2020.

Following the cancellation of all Canadian Screen Week events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Canadian Screen Awards Broadcast Gala, the Canadian Academy has worked to design a creative and sophisticated way to celebrate the nominees and announce the winners of the awards.

Drawing inspiration from documentary films, podcasts, and music videos, the Canadian Screen Award virtual presentations will consist of eight pre-taped, thematically distinct online shows made up entirely of footage from the nominated artists, narrated by a notable Canadian. Narrators will include Eric McCormack, Herbie Kuhn, and Lloyd Robertson among others who will be announced in the lead-up to the virtual presentations. Nominees are encouraged to gather virtually to watch the announcements together, and winners are likewise encouraged to upload footage of their “winning moments” and acceptance speeches onto the social platform of choice with the hashtag #CdnScreenAwardWinner.

The virtual presentations will be live-streamed on the Canadian Academy Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channels, as well as academy.ca.

“As we navigate our new normal, we've had to rethink how we come together as a community,” said Beth Janson, CEO of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. “These presentations will put our homegrown work front and centre and our hope is that teams will gather virtually to watch as we celebrate the best of Canadian talent from the past year.”

“Though almost every facet of our industry has changed over the past several weeks, creativity and innovation have persisted,” said John Young, Chair, Academy of Canadian.

Cinema & Television. “It is more important than ever to show support for our peers, and we look forward to virtually applauding the nominees and winners that contributed to another incredible year of work by Canadian creators.”

“As audiences turn to storytelling more than ever to inform, inspire and entertain during these challenging times, it's important to take a moment to recognize the achievements of our hardworking news, sports and creative communities in Canada,” said Barbara Williams, Executive Vice-President, CBC. “These virtual awards will honour the best of Canadian talent and reinforce the vital role our industry plays at home and around the world.”

“Now more than ever, the hard work and accomplishments of the Canadian media industry deserve to be recognized and applauded for their efforts in informing and entertaining Canadians,” said Randy Lennox, President, Bell Media. “Thank you to the Academy for their dedication in creating and executing this new format for the Canadian Screen Awards.”

“The past year has revealed inspiring talents, and touching and surprising stories that have helped connect and unite Canadians from coast to coast, ” said Christa Dickenson, Executive Director, Telefilm Canada. “Once again this year, we can count on the Canadian Screen Awards to jointly celebrate the successes and excellence of our industry. This is an unmissable event for all of us to demonstrate our pride and our support.”

“The CMF is delighted to support the Canadian Academy as they reinvent the 2020 Canadian Screen Awards during these unprecedented times,” said Valerie Creighton, President and CEO, CMF. “We share with the Academy a common goal of recognizing and celebrating Canada's creative talent and content. We look forward to honouring -- in a virtual way and from a distance -- our extraordinary talent and storytellers. Canada's artists and creators continue to show exceptional creativity and unwavering capacity to adapt when faced with unprecedented disruption. They deserve to hear the heartwarming applause we'll share from homes in Vancouver, St. John's, Iqaluit and everywhere in between.”

Nominations for the 2020 Canadian Screen Awards were announced in February in 144 film, television, and digital media categories. The CBC Comedy Schitt's Creek leads both television and overall nominations with 26 in total, a Canadian Screen Award record. Leading film categories is François Girard's The Song of Names with nine nominations. A full list of all nominees can be found at academy.ca.

The 2020 Canadian Screen Awards virtual presentations are Presented by CBC and CTV and with the support of Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund. The 2020 Canadian Screen Awards for Children's & Youth Programming is Presented by Shaw Rocket Fund.

2020 Canadian Screen Awards, Presented by CBC and CTV, with the support of Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund:

Monday, May 25, 2020
7:00 PM ET: Canadian Screen Awards for Broadcast News
7:30 PM ET: Canadian Screen Awards for Sports Programming
8:00 PM ET: Canadian Screen Awards for Documentary and Factual

Tuesday, May 26, 2020
7:00 PM ET: Canadian Screen Awards for Children's & Youth Programming, Presented by Shaw Rocket Fund
7:30 PM ET: Canadian Screen Awards for Lifestyle and Reality

Wednesday, May 27, 2020
7:00 PM ET: Canadian Screen Awards for Crafts in Scripted Programs
8:00 PM ET: Canadian Screen Awards for Scripted Programs & Performance

Thursday, May 28, 2020
7:00 PM ET: Canadian Screen Awards for Cinematic Arts

About the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television
The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is the largest non-profit professional arts organization in Canada. We are dedicated to recognizing, advocating for, and celebrating Canadian talent in the film, television, and digital media sectors. Our more than 4,500 members encompass industry icons and professionals, emerging artists, and students. Collectively, we deliver professional development programs and networking opportunities that foster industry growth, inclusion, and mentorship.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television proudly acknowledges the support of its Leading Media Partner, CBC; its Premier Partner, Telefilm Canada; Platinum Partner, CTV; Principal Partner, Netflix; and its Lead Partners, the Canada Media Fund, Cineplex, and the Cogeco Fund.

For information on membership and programming visit academy.ca.

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