23rd Gemini Awards


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!.

Best Dramatic Series

Best Dramatic Mini-Series

Best TV Movie

Best Comedy Program or Series

Best Music, Variety Program or Series

Best Performing Arts Program or Series, or Arts Documentary Program or Series

Best Talk Series

Best Reality Program or Series

Best General/Human Interest Series

  • X-Weighted - Anaid Productions. Producers: Margaret Mardirossian, David Way, Candice Tipton, Helen Schmidt
  • Forensic Factor - Exploration Production. Producers: Edwina Follows, Jeffrey Hirschfield
  • Pretty Dangerous - Summerhill Entertainment. Producers: Ron Lillie, Bill Johnston, Lee Herberman, Craig Baines, Barbara Shearer
  • MegaWorld - Exploration Production. Producers: Karen McCairley, Anne Marie Varner
  • Fish Out of Water - InterINDigital Entertainment, Joe Media Group. Producers: Katery Legault, Joe Novak, Neil Grahn

[Donald Brittain Award] for Best Social/Political Documentary Program

Best Documentary Series

Best History Documentary Program

Best Biography Documentary Program

  • Confessions of an Innocent Man Paperny Films. Producers: David Paperny, Tracey Friesen, Trevor Hodgson, Terence McKeown, Cal Shumiatcher
  • Captain Cook: Obsession and Discovery - Taking Command - Ferns Productions. Producers: Andrew Ferns, Pat Ferns
  • Citizen Sam - National Film Board of Canada. Producers: Rina Fraticelli, Tracey Friesen
  • Lovable - Primitive Entertainment. Producers: Michael McMahon, Kristina McLaughlin
  • Long John Baldry: In the Shadow of the Blues - Boogie Woogie Productions, BBC, CHUM Television, Knowledge Network, Soapbox Productions. Producers: Corby Coffin, Nick Orchard

Best Science, Technology, Nature, Environment or Adventure Documentary Program

  • Doc Zone - Battle of the Bag - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Producers: Monika Delmos, Ryszard Hunka
  • Four Wings and a Prayer - Celluloid Dreams, Optix Digital Pictures, Primitive Entertainment. Producers: Michael McMahon, Gerry Flahive, Emmanuel Laurent, Kristina McLaughlin
  • The Refugees of the Blue Planet - Les Productions Virage, National Film Board of Canada, Point du Jour. Producers: Monique Simard, Yves Bisaillon, Luc Martin-Gousset, Marcel Simard
  • Hubble’s Canvas - Blue Ant Media. Producers: Ivan Semeniuk, Craig Colby
  • Long Haul Big Hearts - Brilliant Red Media. Producers: Doug Raby, Joan Jenkinson, Joanne P. Jackson

Best News Information Series

Best News Magazine Segment

Best Newscast

Best News Special Event Coverage

Best Lifestyle/Practical Information Series

  • Chef School - Red Apple Entertainment. Producers: Dana Speers, Daniel Gelfant, Rachel Low
  • Holmes on Homes - General Purpose Entertainment. Producers: Michael Quast, Mike Holmes, Pete Kettlewell
  • Til Debt Do Us Part - Frantic Films. Producer: Jamie Brown, Jennifer Horvath
  • At the Table With... - Firvalley Productions. Producers: Joseph Blasioli, Maria Pimentel, Jennifer Scott
  • At the End of My Leash - Purple Dog Media, White Iron Pictures. Producers: Lisa Cichelly, Matthew Kershaw, Jean Merriman

Best Lifestyle/Practical Information Segment

Best Animated Program or Series

Best Pre-School Program or Series

Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series

Best Children's or Youth Non-Fiction Program or Series

Best Sports Analysis or Commentary Program, Series or Segment

  • Hockey Night in Canada - Scotiabank Hockey Tonight - CBC Sports. Producers: Sherali Najak, Brian Spear
  • The Season: 07 Jays - Sportsnet. Producers: Mike English, Kevin Foley
  • TSN The Reporters with Dave Hodge - TSN. Producers: Ken Volden, David Stiff

Best Sports Feature Segment

Best Live Sporting Event

Best Cross-Platform Project

Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

Best Direction in a Dramatic Series

Best Direction in a News Information Program or Series

Best Direction in a Documentary Program

Best Direction in a Documentary Series

Best Direction in a Comedy Program or Series

Best Direction in a Variety Program or Series

Best Direction in a Performing Arts Program or Series

  • Dennis Beauchamp - Blood on the Moon
  • Rosemary House - Christopher House: Ahead of the Curve
  • Pierre Lamoureux, François Lamoureux - Cowboy Junkies: Trinity Revisited
  • Byron McKim - Dancing with Spirit - Here on Earth
  • Byron McKim - ''Dancing with Spirit - Triptych''

Best Direction in a Lifestyle/Practical Information Program or Series

Best Direction in a Reality Program or Series

Best Direction in an Animated Program or Series

Best Direction in a Children's or Youth Program or Series

Best Direction in a Live Sporting Event

Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

Best Writing in a Dramatic Series

Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Program or Series

Best Writing in an Information Program or Series

Best Writing in a Documentary Program or Series

  • John Zaritsky, Terence McKeown - The Suicide Tourist
  • Neil Docherty - Frontline: Darfur: On Our Watch
  • Steve Lucas - The Dark Years, Episode 1
  • Paul Myers - Long John Baldry: In the Shadow of the Blues
  • Denis Blaquière - ''Mars Rising - Search For Life''

Best Writing in a Children's or Youth's Program or Series

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role

Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role

Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role Dramatic Series

Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role Dramatic Series

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

Best Individual Performance in a Comedy Program or Series

Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Program or Series

Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series

Best Performance in a Performing Arts Program or Series

Best Individual or Ensemble Performance in an Animated Program or Series

Best Performance in a Children’s or Youth Program or Series

Best Achievement in Casting

Best News Anchor

Best Reportage

Best Host or Interviewer in a News Information Program or Series

Best Host or Interviewer in a General/Human Interest or Talk Program or Series

Best Host in a Lifestyle/Practical Information, or Performing Arts Program or Series

Best Host in a Pre-School, Children's or Youth Program or Series

Best Host or Interviewer in a Sports Program or Sportscast

Best Sports Play-by-Play Announcer

Best Game Analyst

Best Studio Sports Analyst

Best Photography in a Dramatic Program or Series

Best Photography in a Comedy, Variety, Performing Arts Program or Series

Best Photography in an Information Program or Series

Best Photography in a Documentary Program or Series

  • Mike Sheerin - Bravo Company: Kandahar
  • Étienne Carton de Grammont - Four Wings and a Prayer
  • Bill Metcalfe - Doc Zone - Dubai - Miracle or Mirage?
  • John Collins, John Westheuser - Jetstream - Darkness Falls
  • Stephane Ricard, André Perron - What's That About?
  • Martin Julian, Mike Carling - ''The Protestant Revolution''

Best Visual Effects

  • Bill Halliday, Bo Mosley, Lisa Carr-Harris, Warren J.W. Leathem, Bret Culp, Bob Munroe, Terry Bradley - The Tudors - Episode 110
  • Terry Hutcheson, Dave McGhie, Shawn Tilling, Mark T. Reid - Luna: Spirit of the Whale
  • Megumi Kanazawa, Robert Crowther, Hojin Park, Thomas Turnbull, Andrew Nguyen, David Lamb, Ian Britton, Matt Hansen - Murdoch Mysteries - Power
  • Nik Slotiuk, Mark Savela, Shannon Gurney, Marco Checa Garcia, Aaron Kramer, Ray Van Steenwyk, Paul Hegg, Brandon Hines, Toby Taplin, Sebastian Greese - Stargate Atlantis - Missing
  • Bruce Woloshyn, Simon Ager, Daniel Rubin, Abel Milanes, Christine Petrov, Peter Hunt, Wes Sargent, Chad Lee Fox - ''The Guard - Waheguru''

Best Picture Editing in a Dramatic Program or Series

Best Picture Editing in a Comedy, Variety, Performing Arts Program or Series

Best Picture Editing in an Information Program or Series

Best Picture Editing in a Documentary Program or Series

  • Roderick Deogrades - 100 Films and a Funeral
  • Carmen Pollard - Citizen Sam
  • Gil Tétreault - Doc Zone - Battle of the Bag
  • Howard Wirth - Hunting the Predators
  • Geoff Rayes - Lives That Changed the World: Nelson Mandela
  • Tim Wanlin - ''True Pulp Murder - 99 Bottles of Beer''

Best Production Design or Art Direction in a Non-Fiction Program or Series

Best Production Design or Art Direction in a Fiction Program or Series

Best Costume Design

Best Achievement in Make-Up

Best Sound in a Dramatic Program

Best Sound in a Dramatic Series

  • Mario Auclair, Brad Thornton, Jill Purdy, Keith Elliott, Andrea Higgins, Lee de Lang - What Lies Beneath - Durham County
  • Ron Osiowy, Paul Shubat, Steve Foster, Kevin Howard, Rob Hegedus, Sid Lieberman - Heartland
  • Don Mann, Stephen Cheung, Greg Stewart, Murray Forward, Jeff Jackman, Ken Biehl - jPod
  • Stefan Fraticelli, Herwig Gayer, Ian Rodness, Steve Payne, Alastair Gray, Richard Harkness - The Border - Family Values
  • Kelly Cole, Anke Bakker, Kris Fenske, Bill Mellow, James Fonnyadt, Kevin Townshend - ''The Guard - Waheguru''

Best Sound in a Comedy, Variety, or Performing Arts Program or Series

  • Brian Mercier, Denis Normandeau, François Lamoureux - Cowboy Junkies: Trinity Revisited
  • Steven Budd, Anthony Montano - Ashley MacIsaac: Live at the Rehearsal Hall
  • Wayne Parsons, Shane Hayden, Brian Power, Kenny MacDonald - East Coast Sessions
  • Bob Doble, Francesco Russo, John Iaquinta - My Song is My Gift: A George Canyon Christmas
  • Brian Mercier, Denis Normandeau, François Lamoureux - ''Sharing Christmas with John McDermott and Friends''

Best Sound in an Information/Documentary Program or Series

Best Original Music Score for a Program or Series

Best Original Music for a Dramatic Program, Mini-Series or TV Movie

Best Original Music Score for a Documentary Program or Series

Best Original Music for a Lifestyle/Practical Information or Reality Program or Series

Best Original Music Score for an Animated Program or Series

Special Awards