Top-tier talent from The Creative School represented at the Canadian Screen Awards

Thanks to a growing talent pool of Canadian creators and innovators, the Canadian film and entertainment industry has seen remarkable growth. The Creative School community is rich with top-tier Canadian talent that includes accomplished directors, producers, actors, animators, and writers, all recognized on a local and global stage. At this year's Canadian Screen Awards (external link, opens in new window) , faculty, alum, and students from The Creative School have been nominated for dozens of awards across numerous categories proving Canada is a cultural force to be reckoned with.

The film Scarborough is just one example of brilliant Canadian filmmaking talent, with 11 nominations including Best Motion Picture. The film is based on Performance alum Catherine Hernandez’s (‘99) book Scarborough (external link, opens in new window)  and Hernandez also wrote the script for the film.  Co-directed by Journalism alum Sasha Nakhai (‘09) and Image Arts alum Rich Williamson (‘08), the film garnered much praise, receiving an official selection for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) for the 2021 year. The feature-length film follows the lives of three kids living in a low-income neighbourhood as they navigate their way through a broken system that has set them up for failure.

Read on to view the roundup of all faculty, alum and student nominated at the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards. 

Image Arts

Achievement in Cinematography - Rich Williamson (‘08), Director, Scarborough

Achievement in Direction - Rich Williamson (‘08) & Shasha Nakhai (Journalism ‘09), Scarborough

Achievement in Casting - Achievement in Direction - Rich Williamson (‘08) & Shasha Nakhai (Journalism ‘09), Scarborough

John Dunning Best First Feature Film Award - Rich Williamson (‘08) & Shasha Nakhai (Journalism ‘09), Scarborough

Best Direction, Web Program or Series - Alicia K. Harris ('16), Next Stop

Journalism

Best Motion Picture - Shasha Nakhai (‘09), Scarborough 

2022 Ted Rogers Best Feature Length Documentary - Yasmine Mathurin (‘16), One of Ours

RTA - Sport Media

Best Live Social Media - Sarah Jenkins (‘18), The Extra Hour (Tokyo Olympics) 

Best Sports Program or Series - Karen Sebesta and Joel Darling - Glen MacDonald (‘92), Tokyo Olympics coverage

Best Direction, Live Sports - Dawn Landis (‘92), Women's World Championship Hockey Gold medal game

Best Direction, Reality/Competition - Harbinder Singh (‘04), Family Feud

Best Variety/Sketch category - Harbinder Singh (‘04), Family Feud

Best Live Sports Event - Brian Spear (‘93), 2021 Stanley Cup Final Game 4

RTA Media Production 

Best host, talk show or entertainment news - Deepa Prashad (‘18), The Bachelor after Show: After Paradise Canada with co-host Daryn Jones 

Best Leading Performance in a Web Series - Jessica Holmes (‘98), The Communist's Daughter @commiesdaughter! 

Best Factual Series - Courtney Dobbins (‘16), Heaven’s Sake

Best Preschool Program or Series - RTA Wall of Famer and co-founder of Headspinner Productions, Michelle Melanson (‘90), Happy House of Frightenstein

Best Writing, Animation - RTA Wall of Famer and co-founder of Headspinner Productions, Michelle Melanson (‘90), Happy House of Frightenstein

Best Original Music, Animation  - RTA Wall of Famer and co-founder of Headspinner Productions, Michelle Melanson (‘90), Happy House of Frightenstein

Best Direction: Reality/Competition - Harbinder Singh (‘04), Family Feud Canada

Best Direction: Variety/Sketch Comedy - Harbinder Singh (‘04), From Ontario With Love: A Celebration of Hope

Best Local News Anchor -  Dwight Drummond (‘91), CBCTorontoNews at 6

Best TV Movie -  Kim Bondi (‘96),  I Was Lorena Bobbitt

Best Lifestyle Program or Series - Kim Bondi (‘96), Property Brothers: Forever Home

Best Performance, Sketch Comedy - RTA Wall of Famer @SabrinaJalees (‘07), Roast Battle Canada

Best Drama Series - President, Canada - eOne Television, Jocelyn Hamilton (‘90), Moonshine @MoonshineSeries

Matt Bishop (RTA ‘02), J.J Johnson (RTA ‘02) and Blair Powers (RTA ‘02) co-founders and RTA alum Christin Simms of @SinkingShipEnt were nominated for 18 Canadian Screen Awards nominations

Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series (3) - Endlings (CBC), Lockdown (Family Channel), Odd Squad Mobile Unit TVOKids (TVO)

Best Production, Interactive - Fossil Hunt

Best Direction, Children's or Youth (3) - Endlings, The Beginning is the End is the Beginning, CBC (CBC), Lockdown - The Confession, Family Channel (WildBrain), Odd Squad Mobile Unit - H2 Oh No / In Your Dreams, TVOKids (TVO)

Best Writing, Children's or Youth (3) - Lockdown - The Confession, Family Channel (WildBrain), Lockdown - Guilty Until Proven Innocent, Family Channel (WildBrain), Odd Squad Mobile Unit - Mission O Possible / Nature of the Sandbeast, TVOKids (TVO)

Best Visual Effects - Endlings - One World One Family, CBC (CBC)

Best Performance, Children's or Youth (5) - all nominees in this category included sinking ship.

Best Immersive Experience, Non-Fiction - Fossil Hunt - (Sinking Ship Entertainment)

Mark J.W. Bishop (‘98) and Matthew Hornburg (‘98) Co-founders of Marble Media had a record-breaking year with 10 Canadian Screen Awards nominations

Best Reality/Competition Program or Series - Blown Away, Netflix (Netflix)

Best Children's or Youth Non-Fiction Program or Series - All-Round Champion, TVOKids (TVO)

Best Direction, Children's or Youth - All-Round Champion - Boxing, TVOKids (TVO)

Best Direction, Reality/Competition - Blown Away - Center of Attention, Netflix (Netflix)

Race Against the Tide - Things That Go Bump in the Night, CBC (CBC)

Best Photography, Lifestyle or Reality/Competition - Blown Away - Runway Walk, Netflix (Netflix)

Best Production Design or Art Direction, Non-Fiction - Blown Away - Mirror, Mirror, Netflix (Netflix)

Best Visual Effects -  Evan Churchill (‘14), Overlord and the Underwoods - Game Over  

Best Lead Actor, Comedy - Overlord and the Underwoods, CBC Gem (CBC)

Best Supporting Actress, Comedy - Overlord and the Underwoods, CBC Gem (CBC)

Best Comedy Series - Jordy Randall (‘96), Jann

Best Live Entertainment Special - Ryan Thompson (‘06), etalk Live at the Oscars

Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary Program - Kristine Yanoff (RTA ‘06), No Responders Left Behind

Best Talk Program or Series - Steven Banks (‘08) @steven_banks1, Shreya Khanna (‘15) @shreyakhanna_, Craig Macrae (‘06), Will Reid (‘15) @wreid, Artists & Icons: Indigenous Entertainers in Canada (external link, opens in new window)  - Global (Corus Entertainment) - Watch here: 

Best Talk Program or Series - Susan Treen (‘98) and Randy Potash (‘99), Rosemary Barton Live (CBC)

Best Animated Program or Series - Virginia Thompson (‘89), Corner Gas Animated @CornerGas, CTV Comedy (Bell Media)

Best Variety or Entertainment Special - Virginia Thompson (‘89), The 2021 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards (CBC)

Best Animated Program or Series - Jennifer Bradley (‘09), Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood Family Channel (WildBrain)

Best Animated Program or Series - Jennifer Pratt (‘02) - Fire Masters, Food Network Canada

Best Reality/Competition Program or Series - Mark Lysakowski (‘98), Top Chef Canada, (Food Network Canada)

Best Lifestyle Program or Series - Annelies McConnachie-Howarth (‘09), Island of Bryan, HGTV (Corus Entertainment)

Best Lifestyle Program or Series - Robert Scott (‘90), Scott's Vacation House Rules, HGTV (Corus Entertainment)

Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary Program - Kristine Yanoff (‘06), No Responders Left Behind

Best Writing, Drama Series (2) - Emily Andras (‘02), Wynonna Earp and Old Souls, (CTV) Sci Fi Channel

Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series - Alejandro Alcoba (‘07), Holly Hobbie - “The Puzzled Peacemaker,"  Family Channel (WildBrain)

Best Children's or Youth Non-Fiction Program or Series (4) - Marney Malabar (‘81), All-Round Champion, TVOKids (TVO), Gabby's Farm, TVOKids (TVO), How Do You Feel?, TVOKids (TVO), My Home, My Life!, TVOKids (TVO)

Best Variety or Entertainment Special - Rose Marra (‘93), Canada’s New Year’s Eve Countdown to 2021, CBC (CBC)

Best Live Production, Social Media - Randall Thorne R.T. Thorne (‘00), The 24th Annual Toronto Film Critics Association Awards (C'mon Mort Productions)

Best Live Production, Social Media - Katie Colley (‘19) and Mikael Melo (‘18), ET Canada Live, (Entertainment Tonight Canada)

Best Video Game Narrative - David Evans (‘90), The Vale: Shadow of the Crown, (Falling Squirrel Inc.)

Best Direction, Variety or Sketch Comedy - Allison Johnston (‘09), This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Focus, Canada (CBC)

Best Picture Editing, Reality/Competition - Peter Topalovic (’05), Canada's Drag Race - Under the Big Top, Crave (Bell Media) (Saloon Media / Blue Ant Studios Canada)

Best Picture Editing, Comedy - Marianna Khoury (‘09), Workin' Moms - FACK, (CBC) (Wolf + Rabbit Entertainment)

Best Sound, Fiction - David McCallum (‘96), Vikings - The Last Act, History (Corus Entertainment) (Take 5 Productions Inc.)

Best Sound, Animation (2) - Mike Mancuso (‘02), Let's Go Luna! - Leo the Viking, TVOKids (TVO), Ranger Rob - Fossil Finders Keepers in Big Sky Park, Treehouse TV (Corus Entertainment) (Nelvana Limited)

Best Sound, Non-Fiction - Sara Labadie (‘09), Canada's Drag Race - Under the Big Top, Crave (Bell Media)

Best Production Design or Art Direction, Fiction - Bob Sher (’58), Murdoch Mysteries - Murdoch and the Tramp, CBC (Shaftesbury)

The Creative School at Ryerson University

The Creative School is a dynamic faculty that is making a difference in new, unexplored ways. Made up of Canada’s top professional schools and transdisciplinary hubs in media, communication, design and cultural industries, The Creative School offers students an unparalleled global experience in the heart of downtown Toronto.