The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's English-language television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in the United States and the BAFTA Television Awards in the United Kingdom. First held in 1986 to replace the ACTRA Award, the ceremony celebrated Canadian television productions with awards in 87 categories, along with other special awards such as lifetime achievement awards. The Academy had previously presented the one-off Bijou Awards in 1981, inclusive of some television productions.
Kenny vs. Spenny was a Canadian reality comedy television series starring Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice, where they face against each other in competitions. The loser of each episode performs an act of humiliation, usually selected by the winner. Hotz and Rice created the series in addition to serving as executive producers, and it was typically shot in their hometown of Toronto, based mostly out of the house they shared. As of November 2008, the show aired on CBC, Global and Showcase in Canada, Comedy Central in Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands, The Comedy Channel in Australia, Animax and later, Sony MAX, in South Africa, Italia 2 in Italy, FX in Portugal, on Jim in Finland. The series concluded with an hour-long Christmas special that aired on December 23, 2010, at 9 pm ET/PT on Showcase. It aired in Latin America on Sony Spin for a short time.
Derek Kevin Harvie is a Canadian TV and film writer and producer. Harvie grew up in Ottawa and graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in film and literature.
Noah Nicholas Reid is a Canadian-American actor and musician, best known for his work on the television series Franklin and Schitt's Creek. In 2016, he received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Original Song for his work in the feature film People Hold On. In 2019, he received a Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy for his work on Schitt's Creek.
Kenneth Joel Hotz is a Canadian comedy writer, filmmaker, entertainer and television personality. He is best known as the star of the reality comedy show Kenny vs. Spenny alongside Spencer Rice. Hotz is the creator of the FX series Testees, and Kenny Hotz's Triumph of the Will. Between 2004 and 2006, he served as a staff writer for South Park. Hotz has directed a number of films, including Pitch, It Don't Cost Nothin' to Say Good Morning, The Papal Chase and Subscribe. He also co-directed the music video for the song "Monophobia" by Deadmau5. Hotz is a regular contributor for Vice Media and began his career as a war correspondent and photojournalist during the Gulf War.
The Papal Chase is a 2004 Canadian micro-budget feature-length guerrilla-style mockumentary directed by Kenny Hotz of Kenny vs. Spenny fame, and written by Hotz and Paul Johnson. The film features cameo appearances by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood, as well as footage of Toronto mayoral candidate Kevin Clarke. It is also the only comedy feature that has an appearance by Pope John Paul II. Among its awards, the film won the Phillip Borsos Award for Best Canadian Feature Film at the 2004 Whistler Film Festival, and won 'Best Documentary' at the 2005 Canadian Filmmakers' Festival.
Spencer Nolan "Spenny" Rice is a Canadian screenwriter, filmmaker and television personality. He was the co-star of the reality comedy series Kenny vs. Spenny along with Kenny Hotz.
Allan Novak is a Canadian television director and editor.
Back Alley Film Productions is a television production company founded by Janis Lundman and Adrienne Mitchell and based in Toronto, Ontario, and Montreal, Quebec Canada. Founded in 1989, Back Alley is a creator and producer of original content for television with programming available in more than 120 countries worldwide.
The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Comedy Series.
Jonathan Harris is a Canadian actor and comedian from Newfoundland and Labrador. Harris is best known for his roles in the television series Murdoch Mysteries, Still Standing and Hatching, Matching and Dispatching, as well as the films Young Triffie, Moving Day, and Grown Up Movie Star.
The Canadian Screen Awards are awards given for artistic and technical merit in the film industry recognizing excellence in Canadian film, English-language television, and digital media productions. Given annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, the awards recognize excellence in cinematic achievements, as assessed by the Academy's voting membership.
Kenny vs. Spenny vs. Canada was a comedy tour starring Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice, creators of the Canadian comedy television series Kenny vs. Spenny.
Andrew Cividino is a Canadian film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his feature film directorial debut Sleeping Giant, which premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, and for his frequent work as a director on the Emmy winning comedy Schitt's Creek, for which he won a Primetime Emmy at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards.
The Donald Brittain Award is a Canadian television award, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to honour the year's best television documentary on a social or political topic. Formerly presented as part of the Gemini Awards, since 2013 it has been presented as part of the Canadian Screen Awards. The award may be presented to either a standalone broadcast of a documentary film, or to an individual full-length episode of a news or documentary series; documentary films which originally premiered theatrically, but were not already submitted for consideration in a CSA film category before being broadcast on television, are also considered television films for the purposes of the award.
The Rob Stewart Award, formerly known as the Gemini/Canadian Screen Award for Best Science or Nature Documentary Program, is a Canadian television award, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to honour the year's best television documentary on a scientific or nature topic. Formerly presented as part of the Gemini Awards, since 2013 it has been presented as part of the Canadian Screen Awards. The award is open to both standalone documentary films and relevant episodes of television documentary series; in particular, episodes of the CBC Television documentary series The Nature of Things have frequently been nominees for or winners of the award.
Samir Rehem is a Canadian film and television director. He is most noted for his 2007 short film The Answer Key, which was a Genie Award nominee for Best Live Action Short Drama at the 29th Genie Awards in 2009.
The Canadian Screen Award for Best Casting in a Television Series is an annual award, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television as part of its annual Canadian Screen Award program, to honour the year's best casting work in television.
Cheating Hitler: Surviving the Holocaust is a Canadian television documentary film directed by Rebecca Snow, which premiered in 2019 on History. The film focuses on Helen Yermus, Maxwell Smart and Rose Lipsyzc, three Jewish Canadians who survived the Holocaust as children, as they share their stories and explore unresolved questions from their histories in conjunction with historians, genealogists and forensic experts.
The Canadian Screen Award for Best Reality/Competition Series is an annual Canadian television award, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best Canadian reality television series. Previously presented as part of the Gemini Awards, since 2013 it has been presented as part of the Canadian Screen Awards.
