Orphan Black, Schitt's Creek, Kim's Convenience up for Canadian Screen Awards

Attention CloneClubbers, SchittHeads and fans of that Jungchee bromance: your favourites are headed for the red carpet.

Hit sci-fi thriller Orphan Black, popular TV comedies Schitt's Creek and Kim's Convenience, along with arty family drama It's Only the End of the World and uplifting sports tale Race lead the nominations for the 2017 Canadian Screen Awards.

Actors Maxim Roy, Amanda Brugel and Simu Liu were in Toronto on Tuesday to unveil the wide-ranging nominees for the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television's annual awards celebrating film, television and digital media productions. 

• CBC News nabs dozens of Canadian Screen Awards nominations

Orphan Black, heading into its fifth and final season, has a leading 14 nominations — including best TV drama series and best actress in a continuing drama series for star Tatiana Maslany, who appears as a host of cloned characters on the hit show. She earned an Emmy for the role in September.

Schitt's Creek and Kim's Convenience aren't far behind, with 13 and 11 nominations, respectively. The two CBC series are rivals for the best comedy series trophy.

Both will also see onscreen parents and kids vying in the same category: the Schitt's Creek's duo of Eugene and Dan Levy, who are also dad and son in real life, as well as Kim's Convenience co-stars Jean Yoon and Andrea Bang, who portray mother and daughter on the newbie show.

"It feels incredible. It's really affirming," Yoon told CBC News after the announcement.

"We're finally catching up — as an industry — with the demographics and the stories that are available, so those stories are starting to be told thorough film and television. That's really exciting, as an audience member, as a Canadian, but also as an actor."

According to Adrian Holmes, nominated for his leading role in the police drama 19-2, storytellers are making more efforts to reflect today's multi-faceted world.

"When you look out the window, what do you see? You see all the colours — it's a spectrum, so people are trying to create that in their work. They're trying to make projects that are a reflection of what they see when they look out their window," he said.

"It's great to hear our stories, you know? ... It's a good time to be in the business."

Best drama series

• 19-2. 
• Blood & Water.
• Orphan Black.
• This Life.
• Vikings.

Best comedy series

• Kim's Convenience.
• Letterkenny.
• Mohawk Girls.
• Mr. D.
• Schitt's Creek.

Best reality/competition series

• The Amazing Race Canada.
• Big Brother Canada.
• Canada's Smartest Person.
• Knock Knock Ghost.
• Masterchef Canada.

Television nominees also include the live broadcast of the final concert of The Tragically Hip's Man Machine Poem tour, the 2015 Grey Cup and the Oscar-nominated documentary Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah. 

Xavier Dolan's dysfunctional family drama It's Only the End of the World, winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes and Canada's official submission to the Oscars, leads this year's movie contenders with nine nominations, including for best motion picture.

On its heels is the dramatic sports biopic Race, which earned eight CSA nominations. The film tells the story of track star Jesse Owens as he delivered his astounding, record-breaking performance at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Best motion picture

• Bad Seeds.
• Before the Streets.
• Hello Destroyer.
• It's Only the End of the World.
• Old Stone.
• Operation Avalanche.
• Race.
• Searchers (Maliglutit).
• Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves.
• Weirdos.

The diversity of this latest batch of CSA nominees — both in the projects themselves as well as in the storytellers — is "amazing," according to producer and academy chair Martin Katz.

"Every year I say this is the most diverse show on the planet and, this year, I think I counted four movies in the English language, three movies in French, one in Inuktitut, one in Atikamekw and one in Mandarin, so there's no award show in the world that has that kind of diversity."

The National Film Board of Canada, Vice Media, content studio Secret Location and digital production company LaRue Entertainment are among the leading creators in the digital categories.

Best immersive experience

• Cardboard Crash (NFB).
• Cut-Off (Vice Media).
• Nomads (Felix & Paul Studios).
• The Unknown Photographer (Turbulent).

Best original interactive production 

• The Deeper They Bury Me (NFB).
• I Love Potatoes (NFB).
• The Incredible Tales of Weirdwood Manor (All Play, No Work).
• Seances (NFB).
• Sons of Gallipoli (Jam3).

The Canadian Screen Awards, which celebrate production for the past year, will be presented at several ceremonies during Canadian Screen Week 2017 from March 9 to 12 in Toronto.

The festivities conclude with a televised awards show on March 12. It will be hosted by Howie Mandel and broadcast on CBC-TV, and Christopher Plummer is set to receive a special lifetime achievement honour during the ceremony.

Selected nominees for the 2017 Canadian Screen Awards (the complete list is available at academy.ca):

Film: Best actor in a leading role

• Jared Abrahamson, Hello Destroyer.
• Gang Chen, Old Stone.
• Stephan James, Race.
• Lawrence Barry, Riverhead.
• Andrew Gillis, Werewolf.

Film: Best actor in a supporting role

• Jacques Newashish, Before the Streets (Avant les rues).
• Vincent Cassel, It's Only the End of the World (Juste la fin du monde).
• Michael Reventar, Kidnap Capital.
• Henry Czerny, The Other Half.
• Evan Mercer,  Riverhead.

Film: Best actress in a leading role

• Carmen Ejogo, Born to be Blue.
• Nathalie Doummar, Boundaries (Pays).
• Sasha K. Gordon, Natasha.
• Tatiana Maslany, The Other Half.
• Bhreagh MacNeil, Werewolf.

Film: Best actress in a supporting role

• Kwena Bellemare Boivin, Before the Streets (Avant les rues).
• Nathalie Baye, It's Only the End of the World (Juste la fin du monde).
• Sherri Shepherd, Jean of the Joneses.
• Gabrielle Tremblay, Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves (Ceux qui font les revolutions à moitié n'ont fait que se creuser un tombeau).
• Molly Parker, Weirdos.

Digital: Best cross-platform project, children's and youth

• Backstage: Too Much Keaton.
• Fangbone: The Billbarians.
• Look Kool Online.
• Science Max Interactive.
• Total Drama Presents: Donculous Dash.

Digital: Best cross-platform project, fiction

• Ride Along With Nick & Ben.
• Wynonna Earp Interactive.
• X-Company: Animated.

Digital: Best cross-platform project, non-fiction

• Bugs on the Menu.
• Canada's Smartest Person.
• CBC News: British Columbia – Finding Refuge.
• Home to Win Integrated Digital Strategy.
• My Millennial Life.

TV: Best live entertainment special

• 2016 Canadian Screen Awards.
• etalk @ the Oscars.
• The Tragically Hip – A National Celebration.

TV: Best live sports event

• 2015 Grey Cup.
• Game 6, Stanley Cup Final.
• NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 4.
• Rio 2016.

TV: Best local newscast

• CBC News:  Here & Now.
• CBC Toronto News.
• CTV News Toronto at 6.
• Global News Hour at 6.

TV: Best music program or series

• iHeartRADIO Much Music Video Awards.
• The Juno Awards 2016.
• WE Day.

TV: Best national newscast

• CBC News Network with Ian Hanomansing.
• CBC News:  The National.
• CTV National News with Lisa LaFlamme.  
• Global National.

TV: Best news or information series

• CBC News:  Marketplace.
• Daily Planet.
• the fifth estate.
• W5.

TV: Best pre-school program or series

• The Adventures of Napkin Man.
• Kids' CBC Training Day.
• PAW Patrol.
• Peg + Cat.
• Scout & The Gumboot Kids.

TV: Best TV movie or limited series

• Murdoch Mysteries – A Merry Murdoch Christmas.
• Odd Squad:  The Movie.
• Slasher.
• Unclaimed.

TV: Best variety or sketch comedy program or series

• Baroness Von Sketch Show.
• The Beaverton.
• Canada's Walk of Fame 2015.
• This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

TV: Donald Brittain Award for best social/political documentary program

• After the Last River.
• I, Pedophile.
• Guantanamo's Child: Omar Khadr.
• The War at Home.

TV: Best host or interviewer in a news or information program or series

• Adrian Harewood, CBC News Ottawa.
• Rosemary Barton, CBC News:  Power & Politics.
• Wendy Mesley, CBC News:  The National.
• Peter Mansbridge, Mansbridge One on One.
• Kevin Newman, W5.

TV: Best news anchor, local

• Debbie Cooper, Jonathan Crowe, Ryan Snoddon; CBC News: Here & Now.
• Tom Murphy, Amy Smith; CBC Nova Scotia News.
• Andrew Chang; CBC Vancouver News at Six.
• Daryl McIntyre; CTV News Edmonton.
• Sophie Lui, Chris Gailus; Global BC.

TV: Best news anchor, national

• Heather Hiscox, CBC News Network with Heather Hiscox.
• Ian Hanomansing, CBC News Network with Ian Hanomansing.
• Lisa LaFlamme, CTV National News with Lisa LaFlamme.

TV: Best performance by an actor in a continuing leading comedy role

• Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Kim's Convenience.
• Jared Keeso, Letterkenny.
• Gerry Dee, Mr. D.
• Daniel Levy, Schitt's Creek.
• Eugene Levy, Schitt's Creek.

TV: Best performance by an actor in a continuing leading drama role

• Adrian Holmes, 19-2.
• Eric Schweig, Blackstone.
• Landon Liboiron, Frontier.
• Jason Momoa, Frontier.
• Louis Ferreira, Motive.

TV: Best performance by an actor in a featured supporting role in a drama

• Dan Petronijevic, 19-2.
• Simu Liu, Blood & Water.
• Kevin Hanchard, Orphan Black.
• Evan Williams, Versailles.
• Torben Liebrecht, X-Company.

TV: Best performance by an actor in a featured supporting or guest role in a comedy

• Andrew Phung, Kim's Convenience.
• Nathan Dales, Letterkenny.
• Jonathan Torrens, Mr. D.
• John Hemphill, Schitt's Creek.
• Ryan McDonald, What Would Sal Do?

TV: Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a drama

• Evan Buliung, The Adventures of Pericles.
• Geraint Wyn Davies, Hamlet.
• Steve Byers, Slasher.
• Ben Carlson, The Taming of the Shrew.

TV: Best performance by an actress in a continuing leading comedy role

• Andrea Bang, Kim's Convenience.
• Jean Yoon, Kim's Convenience.
• Kim Cattrall, Sensitive Skin.
• Catherine O'Hara, Schitt's Creek.
• Jennifer Dale, What Would Sal Do?

TV: Best performance by an actress in a continuing leading drama

• Carmen Moore, Blackstone.
• Kristin Lehman, Motive.
• Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black.
• Megan Follows, Reign.
• Erica Durance, Saving Hope.

TV: Best performance by an actress in a featured supporting role in a drama

• Shailyn Pierre-Dixon, Between.
• Michelle Nolden, Saving Hope.
• Wendy Crewson, Slasher.
• Lauren Lee Smith, This Life.
• Lara Jean Chorostecki, X-Company.

TV: Best performance by an actress in a featured supporting or guest role in a comedy

• Kathleen Phillips, Mr. D.
• Naomi Snieckus, Mr. D.
• Emily Hampshire, Schitt's Creek.
• Mary Walsh, Sensitive Skin.
• Laine MacNeil, You Me Her – Sweet Home Colorado.

TV: Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a drama

• Sara Botsford, L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables.
• Hélène Joy, Murdoch Mysteries - A Merry Murdoch Christmas.
• Millie Davis, Odd Squad:  The Movie.
• Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Unclaimed.

TV: Best performance in a children's or youth program or series

• Addison Holley, Annedroids.
• Jordan Lockhart, Hi Opie!
• Jeni Ross, Lost & Found Music Studios.
• Brittany Raymond, The Next Step.
• Sean Michael Kyer, Odd Squad.

TV: Best performance in a guest role, drama

• Julian Black Antelope, Blackstone.
• Edward Asner, Forgive Me.
• William Shatner, Murdoch Mysteries.
• Gord Rand, Orphan Black.  
• Christine Horne, Saving Hope.

TV: Best performance in a variety or sketch comedy program or series

• Carolyn Taylor, Meredith MacNeill, Aurora Browne, Jennifer Whalen; Baroness Von Sketch Show.
• Alessia Cara; The Juno Awards 2016.
• White Horse; The Juno Awards 2016.
• Mark Critch, Cathy Jones, Susan Kent, Shaun Majumder, Meredith MacNeill; This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
• Gord Downie, Rob Baker, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair; The Tragically Hip - A National Celebration.

TV: Best sports host in a sports program or series

• James Duthie, Free Agent Frenzy.
• Ron Maclean, Hometown Hockey.
• Brian Williams, Queen's Plate.
• Scott Russell, Rio 2016.

TV: Best sports play-by-play announcer

• Chris Cuthbert, 2015 Grey Cup.
• Gord Miller, 2016 IIHF World Hockey Championship Gold Medal Game.
• Buck Martinez, Blue Jays Baseball.
• Jim Hughson, Hockey Night In Canada.
• Mark Lee, Rio 2016.