The third night of the Canadian Screen Awards was all about Brother, as the Canadian sitcom dominated the competition with an impressive twelve wins. The ceremony, held virtually due to the ongoing pandemic, celebrated the best in Canadian television and film, with Brother taking home awards for best comedy series, best writing, best directing, and many more. The show’s success is a testament to its talented cast and crew, as well as its ability to reflect the unique Canadian sense of humor. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Brother’s big night and what it means for Canadian television.
Canadian director Clement Virgo’s adaptation of David Chariandy’s novel “Brother” swept the third night of Canadian Screen Awards, winning 12 of its 14 nominations in the cinematic arts categories. This profound portrait of two Jamaican-Canadian siblings growing up in a Toronto suburb during the 1990s received various awards, including the best motion picture, best achievement in direction for Virgo, and performance in a leading role for Lamar Johnson, who has appeared in “The Last of Us” and “Your Honor”. The film explores masculinity and family relationships within Scarborough, Ont’s flourishing hip-hop scene. The film made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022, and its theatrical release began on March 17.
Apart from “Brother,” the only other film to bag multiple awards was David Cronenberg’s dystopian body horror “Crimes of the Future,” with 11 nominations, winning achievement in visual effects and makeup. Chandler Levack’s “I Like Movies” and Anthony Shim’s “Riceboy Sleeps” took home an award each, with “I Like Movies” winning the achievement in editing for Simone Smith’s excellent work while “Riceboy Sleeps” won the prize for original screenplay.
Furthermore, Oscar-nominated “The Flying Sailor” and its veteran Alberta producers Wendy Tilby, Amanda Forbis, and David Christensen won the best-animated short, while Sara Mishara won the achievement in cinematography for her work on Stéphane Lafleur’s sci-fi comedy “Viking.” Torontonian Kate Hewlett received the award for the best original song for writing “The Swearing Song” from the musical drama “The Swearing Jar,” a film adaptation of her play about a couple trying to quit swearing before their baby’s arrival. Lastly, “Falcon Lake” director Charlotte Le Bon took home the John Dunning award for the best first feature film.
The digital and immersive categories’ winners were announced earlier, with CBC Gem’s comedy “Revenge of the Black Best Friend” winning the top prize for the best web program or series, with Olunike Adeliyi honored for best lead performance. The show’s creator, Canadian writer-producer Amanda Parris, portrays a self-help guru endeavoring to dismantle stereotypical depictions of Black people in the entertainment industry.
Moreover, Entertainment Tonight Canada won several awards in the digital categories, with the hosts of the digital talk series “ET Canada Live” – Cheryl Hickey, Roz Weston, Sangita Patel, Carlos Bustamante, Keshia Chanté, and Morgan Hoffman – winning the award for the best host, web program, or series. The same show won the best live production, social media, while LGBTQ-focused digital series “ET Canada Pride” won the prize for the best web program or series, non-fiction.
The awards ceremony for lifestyle, reality television, children’s programming and animation categories took place on Wednesday. “Canada’s Drag Race” and “Paw Patrol” won six and three awards, respectively. The ceremonies will conclude on Friday, where the Comedy and Drama television categories will be honored. The events will culminate with a pre-taped, hour-long special hosted by former late-night personality Samantha Bee at 8 p.m. on CBC TV and CBC Gem.
Other winners announced on Thursday include Rosalie Chicoine Perreault and Aziz Zoromba’s “Simo,” winning the Best Live Action Short Drama award, Guillaume Lespérance’s “Two Days Before Christmas” bagging the Golden Screen Award for a feature film. Paul Pope was presented with the Academy Board of Directors’ tribute award, Sedina Fiati recognized with the Best Supporting Performance, Web Program or Series award for “Tokens,” Sarah Northway won the Best Video Game award for “I Was A Teenage Exocolonist,” and Martine Asselin, Annick Daigneault, Sébastien Gros, and John Hamilton’s “Lou” got the Best Immersive Experience, Non-fiction award. Frances Adair Mckenzie, Jelena Popovic, and Michael Fukushima’s “The Orchid and the Bee” won the Best Immersive Experience, Fiction award, and Kent Staines and Emily Weedon’s “Chateau Laurier – An Unfortunate Turn of Events” received the Best Writing, Web Program or Series award, while Winnifred Jong received the Best Direction, Web Program or Series award for “Tokens – The Goal.”
In conclusion, Brother has proven once again that their dominance in the Canadian television industry is unchallenged. With a remarkable 12 wins on the third night of the Canadian Screen Awards, their exceptional talent and remarkable creativity has truly taken the industry by storm. We can only wait with bated breath to see what they have in store for us in the future. With their passion, dedication, and inspiration, they have undoubtedly secured their place among the legends of Canadian television production. Congratulations to the entire team at Brother for their outstanding achievements and continued success in the years to come.
