Canadian Screen Awards 2026: North of North, Heated Rivalry and 40 Acres Lead Nominees
The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announced nominees for the canadian screen awards 2026, with television series North of North leading overall with 20 nominations and the film 40 Acres topping film with 10. The 14th annual awards will be presented over four days in Toronto during Canadian Screen Week 2026, culminating in a televised awards ceremony hosted by Andrew Phung on Sunday, May 31 at 8: 00 PM ET. The slate covers 146 categories across film, television and digital media to recognize creative achievement across the Canadian screen sector.
Canadian Screen Awards 2026: Nomination leaders
The nomination list places North of North at the head of the television field with 20 nods, including Best Comedy Series and a Best Lead Performer, Comedy nomination for Anna Lambe. Heated Rivalry follows with 18 nominations, including Best Drama Series and multiple lead-performance nominations, while Small Achievable Goals collected 12 nominations. On the film side, 40 Acres leads with 10 nominations including Best Motion Picture and directing recognition for R. T. Thorne; Follies, Honey Bunch, and Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie each earned eight nominations, and Blue Heron and Mile End Kicks each received seven. In digital media, Settle Down topped the category with nine nominations, followed by several titles with smaller tallies. The announcement frames the canadian screen awards 2026 as a broad celebration of film, television and digital creators across the country.
Immediate reactions
“Canada’s creative community has experienced an extraordinary year, with bold storytelling and world-class talent capturing attention at home and around the globe, ” said Tammy Frick, CEO of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. The Academy noted the introduction of new Spotlight Award categories for Canadians working on non-Canadian certified television series, with Wayward leading those inaugural nominations with seven.
Quick context
The Academy announced the nominees on March 25, 2026 and said the awards will be staged across four days in Toronto during Canadian Screen Week from Wednesday, May 27 to Sunday, May 31. The 2026 nomination process also included an internal review and appeal mechanism that determined eligibility for certain series ahead of this year’s ballots.
What’s next
Voting members of the Academy will cast their ballots between Thursday, March 26, 2026 and Monday, April 13, 2026 to determine winners, with results unveiled during Canadian Screen Week and the finale ceremony on May 31 at 8: 00 PM ET. Expect further updates on nominees’ campaigning and special award recipients as the canadian screen awards 2026 build toward the live presentations in Toronto this spring.
