John Brunton (producer)

Last updated

John Brunton is a Canadian film and television producer, most noted as the longtime chief executive officer of Insight Productions. [1] He first joined the company in 1976 as a carpenter and production assistant, until buying out founders Pen Densham and John Watson a few years later; under Brunton, the company was transformed into one of Canada's leading producers of reality and special events programming, including Canadian Idol , [2] The Amazing Race Canada , [3] Big Brother Canada , [4] Battle of the Blades [5] and the annual Juno Awards ceremony. [6]

He has been nominated for 58 Gemini Awards and Canadian Screen Awards in his career as a producer, winning 17 times.

His sister, Barbara Bowlby, was also a senior executive with Insight until her retirement in 2018. [7]

In 2024, he was named as a recipient of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television's Board of Directors Tribute Award at the 12th Canadian Screen Awards. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tonya Williams</span> Canadian actress and director

Tonya Williams is a Canadian actress, producer, and activist. Sometimes credited as Tonya Lee Williams, she is best known for her role as Dr. Olivia Barber Winters on the American daytime drama The Young and the Restless from 1990 to 2005 and 2007 to 2012. She is the founder and executive director of Reelworld Film Festival.

Michael Cohl is a Canadian concert promoter, theatrical producer and touring impresario. He is the former Chairman of Live Nation. Cohl now runs S2BN Entertainment, with offices in New York and Toronto. Having been named the Howard Hughes of rock ‘n’ roll by Fortune magazine, Cohl is most famous for having overseen the tours and related ancillary businesses for more than 150 artists, including Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Pink Floyd, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and U2. He has also been credited with developing the concept of "package" touring. Eliminating the middleman, Cohl worked directly with the artist to strategize and route the tour, promote the dates, and assist in the development and exploitation of the lucrative aftermarket – books, films, DVDs, television specials, and merchandising. He was the lead producer of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, the most expensive musical flop in Broadway history, with music by Bono and The Edge of U2.

The Golden Screen Award, formerly known as the Golden Reel Award, is a Canadian film award, presented to the Canadian film with the biggest box office gross of the year. The Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association introduced this award in 1976 as part of the Canadian Film Awards until 1979. The Golden Reel became part of the Genie Awards ceremonies in 1980, and is currently part of the Canadian Screen Awards. It was renamed from Golden Reel to Golden Screen as of the 3rd Canadian Screen Awards in 2015.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television's 21st Gemini Awards were held on November 4, 2006, to honour achievements in Canadian television. The awards show, which was co-hosted by several celebrities, took place at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond, British Columbia and was broadcast on Global.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television's 23rd Gemini Awards were held on November 28, 2008, to honour achievements in Canadian television. The awards show, which was hosted by Jason Priestley, took place at the John Bassett Theatre in Toronto and was broadcast on Showcase and E!.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television's 14th Gemini Awards were held on November 7, 1999, to honour achievements in Canadian television. The awards show, which was hosted by Rick Mercer, took place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and was broadcast on CBC Television.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television's 9th Gemini Awards were held on March 6, 1994, to honour achievements in Canadian television. The awards show, which was hosted by Albert Schultz and Valerie Pringle, took place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and was broadcast on CBC Television.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television's 9th Gemini Awards were held on March 5, 1995 to honour achievements in Canadian television. The awards show, which was hosted by Paul Gross and Tina Keeper, took place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and was broadcast on CBC Television.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television's 24th Gemini Awards were held on November 14, 2009, to honour achievements in Canadian television. The awards show, which was hosted by Ron James, took place at the Stampede Corral in Calgary and was broadcast on Showcase and Global.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television's 12th Gemini Awards were held on March 1, 1998, to honour achievements in Canadian television. There were two awards ceremonies in 1998; the 13th was held on October 4, 1998. The 12th awards ceremony was hosted by Cathy Jones and Steve Smith. It took place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and was broadcast on CBC Television.

Reelworld Film Festival, founded in 2001 by Tonya Williams, is held annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The festival screens film and provides professional development for Canadian racially diverse and indigenous filmmakers and media artists.


The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television's 25th Gemini Awards were held on November 15, 2010, to honour achievements in Canadian television. The awards show, which was hosted by Cory Monteith, took place at Toronto’s Winter Garden Theatre and was broadcast on Showcase and Global.

The 26th Gemini Awards was held on September 7, 2011 to honour achievements in Canadian television. The ceremony was broadcast live from the Canadian Broadcasting Centre in Toronto, and aired on CBC Television. The show was hosted by Russell Peters, and included live musical performances by Jim Cuddy, Deborah Cox and City and Colour.

Teddy Wilson is a Canadian television personality, actor and producer originally from Ottawa, Ontario, best known as host of the interactive real estate show Hot Property on CP24, and the documentary series Mighty Trains on Smithsonian Channel, Discovery Canada, and over 100 other international broadcasters; host of the factual entertainment series Never Ever Do This At Home (2013–2014) on Discovery Channel in Canada and Spike in the United States, and host/producer on the Canadian daily entertainment talk-show InnerSpace on Space (2008–2018). He was also an actor on the internationally syndicated series You Can't Do That On Television, and a senior producer on the Gemini Award-winning series MTV Live.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Lennox</span> Canadian music and media executive

Randy Lennox is a Canadian music and media executive.

The 7th annual Canadian Screen Awards were held on March 31, 2019, to honour achievements in Canadian film, television, and digital media production in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insight Productions</span> Canadian media company

Insight Productions is a Canadian television production company based in Toronto, Ontario. It was established in 1970. Insight is led by CEO John Brunton.

Kayla Grey is a Canadian television sportscaster, currently working as an anchor for SportsCentre on TSN.

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.

The 12th Canadian Screen Awards is an upcoming ceremony, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, to honour achievements in Canadian film, television and digital media production in 2023. They are scheduled to be held at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre in Toronto from 28–31 May 2024, as part of Canadian Screen Week, with highlights of the final gala ceremony to be broadcast in a CBC Television special on 31 May 2024. Nominations were announced on March 6.

References