The 2025 Canadian Screen Awards, held Sunday night in Toronto, spotlighted the nation’s finest in film, television, and digital media.
Hosted by comedian Lisa Gilroy and broadcast live on CBC, the gala celebrated a diverse array of Canadian talent and storytelling across the industry.
Here’s who won big at the Screen Awards.
Best Lead Performer, Comedy
Run the Burbs star Andrew Phung was crowned Best Lead Performer in Comedy on Sunday. The series is one of CBC’s 42 Screen Awards from last night, and follows Vietnamese family The Phams, as they navigate family values and the challenges of suburban life.
Best Reality/Competition Program or Series
Rising above the nation’s best in reality TV like Canada’s Ultimate Challenge, Top Chef Canada, and Dragon’s Den, Crave’s drag queen competition series Canada’s Drag Race won Best Reality/Competition Program, bringing its award total count to eight, the most overall. The series took home several wins over the weekend, including Best Achievement in Make-Up, Best Achievement in Hair, and Best Host in Reality/Competition for Brooke Lynn Hytes, Brad Goreski, and Traci Melchor.
Cogeco Fund Audience Choice Award
The Cogeco Fund Audience Choice Award, allows audiences to vote for their favourite Canadian series in television or digital media, went to The Way Home. The drama series follows the lives of three generations of women who embark on a journey to find their way back to each other while also learning important lessons about their family’s past.
Radius Award presented by MADE | NOUS
Actor Manny Jacinto is the winner of the Radius Award, a prestigious achievement given to a Canadian whose work is making waves globally. Jacinto is a prominent figure in the entertainment industry, known for his roles in Star Wars: The Acolyte, The Good Place, and Top Gun: Maverick.
Best Comedy Series
Kurt Smeaton’s CTV sitcom Children Ruin Everything took home the Best Comedy Series trophy, beating out other nominees like Late Bloomer and The Office Movers. Starring Meaghan Ruth and Aaron Abrams, the series follows a couple navigating the challenges of parenthood and the struggle to hold on to the pre-kid lifestyle.
Best Feature Length Documentary
With four nominations overall, Yintah was the recipient of the Best Feature Length Documentary. The powerful story follows the Wet’suwet’en people’s decade-long battle of reoccupying their territory and resisting the construction of multiple pipelines. The film also took home the award for Best Cinematography.
Achievement in Direction
Winnipeg filmmaker Matthew Rankin’s 2024 feature film Universal Language won the Achievement in Direction Award. With 13 nominations overall, the film took home a total of six trophies, including Original Screenplay, Achievement in Editing, and Achievement in Costume Design.
Changemaker Award, presented by Insight Productions
Writer and showrunner of The Porter and Mary Kills People Marsha Green is the recipient of the Changemaker Award, an honour that recognizes those in the media community in Canada who are using their voice or platform to call out systemic racism and discrimination.
Canada Media Fund Kids’ Choice Award
Young Canadians had their vote for their favourite kids television program, and Warrior Up! took the trophy for the Canada Media Fund Kids’ Choice Award. The documentary series follows Indigenous youth on Turtle Island making positive changes within their communities.
Best Motion Picture
Daniel Bekerman’s 2024 Donald Trump biopic The Apprentice took top film award Best Motion Picture, winning a total of five overall. Starring Sebastian Stan, who also won in the Performance in a Leading Role in Drama category retells the story of how a young Trump got his start in the real estate business back in 1980s New York City.
Performance in a Leading Role, Comedy
Actress Cate Blanchett beat out fellow nominees Seeds’ Kaniehtiio Horn and Look At Me’s Taylor Olson for the Performance in a Leading Role in Comedy award. With four nominations overall, this comedy horror film filmed in Winnipeg tells the tale of world leaders who get lost in the woods whilst trying to compose a joint statement on a global crisis.
Best Drama Series
Citytv’s Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, which led with 20 nominations, won Best Drama Series. The show took home three awards in total, including Best Writing in a Drama Series and Best Sound in Fiction.
