26th Gemini Awards


The 26th Gemini Awards was held on September 7, 2011 to honour achievements in Canadian television. The ceremony was broadcast live from the Canadian Broadcasting Centre in Toronto, and aired on CBC Television. The show was hosted by Russell Peters, and included live musical performances by Jim Cuddy, Deborah Cox and City and Colour.
Nominations were announced on August 3. As with most Gemini Awards ceremonies, awards in less prominent categories were presented in a series of advance events over the week leading up to September 7, with only the most prominent categories presented at the televised ceremony.
These were the last Gemini Awards given before the establishment of the Canadian Screen Awards, which replaced the Geminis.

Best Dramatic Series

Best Dramatic Mini-Series or TV Movie

Best Comedy Program or Series

Best Music or Variety Program or Series

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

  • The National Parks Project - FilmCan, Primitive Entertainment, Discovery Channel HD. Producers: Ryan J. Noth, Joel McConvey, Kristina McLaughlin, Kevin McMahon, Michael McMahon, Geoff Morrison
  • 12 Takes - Opus 59 Films, Knowledge Network. Producers: John Bolton, Murray Battle
  • The Instrument Bank - Rotating Planet Productions. Producer: Ari A. Cohen
  • Listen to This - Proximity Films. Producer: Howard Fraiberg
  • Star Portraits - PTV Productions. Producers: Andrea Nemtin, Ian Dunbar

Best Talk Series

Best Reality Program or Series

Best General/Human Interest Series

  • Hell on Hooves - Juxtapose Productions. Producers: Dennis Hrapchak, Douglas Hudema
  • X-Weighted: Families - Anaid Productions. Producers: Margaret Mardirossian, Candice Tipton, Helen Schmidt
  • Forensic Factor - Exploration Production. Producers: Edwina Follows, Sally Karam, Alyse Rosenberg
  • Ice Pilots NWT - Omnifilm Entertainment. Producers: David Gullason, Michael Chechik, Gabriela Schonbach
  • Totally Tracked Down - Planetworks. Producers: Romano D'Andrea, Marshall Jay Kaplan, Carolyn Meland, Jeff Preyra

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

Best Documentary Series

Best History Documentary Program

  • Nazi Hunters: Herbert Cukurs - Cineflix, Terra Vermelha Filmes. Producers: Simon Lloyd, Nick Godwin
  • Chasing the Royals: The Media & the Monarchy - Kaos Productions. Producer: John Curtin
  • Earth: Making of a Planet - Handel Productions, Pioneer Productions. Producers: Alan Handel, Yavar Abbas, Stuart Carter
  • Finding Atlantis - Associated Producers, Discovery Channel. Producers: Simcha Jacobovici, Ric Esther Bienstock, Kathryn Liptrott
  • Queen Elizabeth in 3D - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Producers: Liam O'Rinn, Lesley Cameron

Best Biography Documentary Program

  • Mordecai Richler: The Last of the Wild Jews - Motsjo Film. Producers: Mary Armstrong, David Sherman
  • Gordon Pinsent: Still Rowdy After All These Years - Morag Loves Company. Producer: Barbara Doran
  • When the Devil Knocks - Bountiful Films. Producers: Helen Slinger, Maureen Palmer

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

Best News Information Series

Best News Information Segment

Best Local Newscast, Large Market

Best Local Newscast, Small Market

Best Breaking News Coverage

Best News Special Event Coverage

Best Lifestyle/Practical Information Series

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)

Best Sports Feature Segment

Best Live Sporting Event

Best Original Program or Series produced for Digital Media - Fiction

  • Not awarded.

Best Original Program or Series produced for Digital Media - Non-Fiction

Best Cross-Platform Project - Fiction

Best Cross-Platform Project - Non-Fiction

Best Cross-Platform Project - Children’s and Youth

Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

Best Direction in a Dramatic Series

Best Direction in a News Information Program or Series

  • Oleh Rumak - the fifth estate - Above Suspicion
  • Mike Beley - Oil Change - Team
  • Kathleen Coughlin - ''Marketplace - Clean Water, Dirty Tricks''

Best Direction in a Documentary Program

Best Direction in a Documentary Series

  • P.J. Naworynski - Nazi Hunters: Erich Priebke
  • Michael Allder - Geologic Journey - The Pacific Rim: Americas
  • Michel Philibert - Africa on the Move - The Power of Song
  • Abhish S. Birla - Maamuitaau - Song of the River
  • Joe Wiecha - ''Trashopolis - Rome''

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

  • Gail Gallant - Star Portraits - Gordon Pinsent
  • Ari A. Cohen - The Instrument Bank
  • Eunice Lee - ''Corrie Crazy: Canada Loves Coronation Street''

Best Direction in a Lifestyle/Practical Information Program or Series

  • Grant Greschuk - Village on a Diet - Beyond the Diet
  • Stacey Stewart Curtis, Michael Allcock - Forensic Factor - The Abbotsford Killer
  • Jordan Kawchuk, Erin Redden - Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag - Marguerite Patten's Best British Dishes
  • Scott Clark McNeil - The Heat with Mark McEwan - New York, New York!
  • Brad Quenville, Todd Serotiuk - ''Ice Pilots NWT - Arnie Calls It''

Best Direction in a Reality Program or Series

  • Dwayne Beaver, Karen Duthie - Conviction Kitchen - Episode 5
  • Ihor Macijiwsky - Mantracker - Jason & Clayton
  • D'Arcy Butler - Re-Vamped - Episode 10
  • Nadine Schwartz - ''Enraged''

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 a Children's or Youth's Program or Series

Best Writing in an Information Program or Series

Best Writing in a Documentary Program or Series

  • Terence McKenna - Meltdown: The Secret History of the Global Collapse - A Global Tsunami
  • Francine Pelletier, Charles Foran - Mordecai Richler: The Last of the Wild Jews
  • Jon Cooksey - How to Boil a Frog
  • Christopher Gagosz - Storming Juno
  • Kelly McClughan - X-Cars
  • Brian McKenna - ''Famine and Shipwreck: An Irish Odyssey''

Barbara Sears Award for Best Editorial Research

  • Jane Burgess, Andrew Easterbrook, Jonathan Woodward - The Pig Farm
  • Jackie Carlos, Karine Guillemette, David Wells - Meltdown: The Secret History of the Global Collapse - The Men Who Crashed The World
  • Richard Longley - The Nature of Things - Save My Lake
  • Gil Shochat, Michael Drapack - the fifth estate - Death at the Olympics
  • Rebecca Snow - ''Museum Secrets - Inside the Vatican''

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 Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role

Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role or Guest Role in a Comedic Series

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role or Guest Role in a Comedic Series

Best Performance in a Hosted Stand-Up/Sketch Comedy Program or Series

Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Program or Series

Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series (Individual or Ensemble)

Best Performance in a Performing Arts Program or Series (Individual or Ensemble)

  • Victor Micallef, Clifton Murray, Remigio Pereira, Fraser Walters - Season of Song: The Canadian Tenors and Friends
  • Andrea Menard - Sparkle - An Evening with Andrea Menard
  • Ivars Taurins - ''Sing Along Messiah''

Best 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 Breaking News Reportage, Local

Best Breaking News Reportage, National

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 Sportscaster/Anchor

Best Sports Play-by-Play Announcer

Best Sports Analyst

Best Sports Reporting

Best Photography in a Dramatic Program or Series

Best Photography in a Comedy Program or Series

Best Photography in a Variety or Performing Arts Program or Series

Best Photography in an Information Program or Series

  • Sean Cable, Todd Craddock - Ice Pilots NWT - Under Pressure
  • John Choi, Simon Shohet, Anton Van Rooyen - Weird or What? - Episode 5
  • Michael Grippo, Hans Vanderzande - Make the Politician Work - Peter MacKay
  • Marlon Paul, Scott Wilson - Best. Trip. Ever.
  • Kirk Neff - ''16:9: The Bigger Picture - Field of Dreams''

Best Photography in a Documentary Program or Series

Best Visual Effects

  • Bob Munroe, Bret Culp, Maria Gordon, Luke Groves, Bill Halliday, Ian MacLeod, Martin Tori, Paul Waggoner, Patrik Witzmann - The Tudors, Episode 407
  • Robert Munroe, Doug Campbell, Paddy Eason, Juan Jesus Garcia, Luke Groves, Bill Halliday, Adam Jewett, Seth Martiniuk, Blair Tennessy - The Borgias - The Poisoned Chalice, The Assassin
  • Mario Rachiele, Marie-Ève Bédard-Tremblay, Benoît Brière, Carl Gagnon, Catherine Hébert, Raphaël Hubert, Jonathan Laborde, Jean-Francois Lafleur, Pierre-Simon Lebrun-Chaput, Philippe Sylvain - Being Human - Dog Eat Dog
  • Mark Savela, Adam de Bosch Kemper, Jamie Yukio Kawano, Michael Lowes, Kodie MacKenzie, Krista McLean, James Rorick, Wes Sargent, Luke Vallee, Craig VandenBiggelaar - Stargate Universe - Awakening
  • Lee Wilson, Andrew Bain, Matt Belbin, Sebastien Bergeron, Brian Burritt, Stephen Kelloway, Mark Lasoff, Lionel Lim, Les Quinn, Lisa Sepp-Wilson - ''Sanctuary - Animus''

Best Visual Research

  • Sonja Carr, Benoît Michaud - Meltdown: The Secret History of the Global Collapse - The Men Who Crashed The World
  • Lynette Fortune, Leslie Morrison - the fifth estate - You Should Have Stayed at Home
  • Maureen Grant - Yonge Street: Toronto Rock & Roll Stories
  • Kathleen McKenna, Elspeth Domville - ''Storming Juno''

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

  • Clark Masters, Richard Rotter - Best. Trip. Ever.
  • Michael Ellis, Robert Lawrenson, Franco Pante - Village on a Diet - Small Town, Big Problem
  • Jesse James Miller - Mantracker - Dylan & Travis
  • Paul Smart, Wes Belair - Oil Change
  • Jonathan Wong - 16:9: The Bigger Picture - Eye on the Prize (Global News

Best Picture Editing in a Documentary Program or Series

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

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

Best Achievement in Main Title Design

Best Costume Design

Best Achievement in Make-Up

Best Sound in a Dramatic Program

  • Marcel Pothier, Jo Caron, Gavin Fernandes, Guy Francoeur, Louis Gignac, Antoine Morin, Guy Pelletier, Christian Rivest - The Pillars of the Earth
  • Sylvain Arseneault, Kevin Banks, Kathy Choi, Steve Hammond, Martin Lee, Ian Rankin, Jane Tattersall - The Nativity
  • Robert Fletcher, Mike Baskerville, John Dykstra, Danielle McBride, Dan Sexton, Virginia Storey - Degrassi Takes Manhattan
  • Frank Morrone, Henry Embry, Mark Gingras, Katie Halliday, John Laing, Jill Purdy, Stephen Traub, Marilee Yorston - ''The Kennedys''

Best Sound in a Dramatic Series

  • Glen Gauthier, Tom Bjelic, Christian Cooke, Steve Moore, John Douglas Smith - Being Erica - Bear Breast
  • Kevin Banks, Richard Calistan, Steve Foster, Robert Hegedus, Kevin Howard, Sid Lieberman, Ron Osiowy, Paul Shubat - Heartland - Jackpot
  • Peter Clements, Lori Clarke, Harvey Hyslop, Mark Shnuriwsky, Paul Steffler, Andrew Tay, Scott Yates - Republic of Doyle - Something Old, Someone New
  • Janice Ierulli, Mike Baskerville, Sue Conley, John Dykstra, Steve Hammond, Joe Mancuso, Mark Shnuriwsky, Zenon Waschuk - Flashpoint - Jumping At Shadows
  • Steve Moore, Alex Bullick, Yann Cleary, Christian Cooke, Andrea Higgins, Jill Purdy, Marilee Yorston - Durham County - Family Day
  • Jane Tattersall, Daniel Birch, Yuri Gorbachow, Jack Heeren, Martin Lee, Kirk Lynds, Dale Sheldrake, Don White - ''The Tudors, Episode 410''

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

  • Fred Brennan, Robert Bertola, Stefan Fraticelli, Matthew Harrold, Allen Ormerod, Jane Porter - Call Me Fitz - The Pilot
  • Roberto Capretta, Kevin Bonnici, Melissa Glidden, Edwin Janzen, Tim O'Connell - Bolts & Blip - Robots Don't Dream Part 1
  • Peter Lopata, Dominique Chartrand, David Gertsman, Paul Hubert, Éric Ladouceur, François Maurice - 18 to Life - Family Portrait
  • Jonny Ludgate, Ewan Deane, Steffan Andrews, Pat Haskill, Gordon Sproule - League of Super Evil - Ant-archy
  • Anthony Montano, Steven Budd, Phil Hay - ''At the Concert Hall - Broken Social Scene at the Concert Hall''

Best Sound in an Information/Documentary Program or Series

  • Mark Gingras, Christian Cooke, Sanjay Mehta, Adrian Tucker - Yonge Street: Toronto Rock & Roll Stories
  • Benoît Dame, Jean-Pierre Bissonnette, Stephane Cadotte - Last Day of the Dinosaurs
  • Brian Eimer - Beyond Survival - The Hewa and the Hidden Secret Ceremony
  • Jo Rossi, Hennie Britton, Michael P. Keeping, Vince Renaud - Ice Pilots NWT - Under Pressure
  • Terry Wedel, Euan Hunter, Michael Mancuso - ''Mantracker - Dylan & Travis''

Best Original Music for a Program or Series

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

Best Original Music for a Documentary Program or Series

  • Claudio Vena - T O in 2 4
  • Nick Dyer, Eric Cadesky - Museum Secrets - Inside the Vatican
  • Ken Myhr - Geologic Journey - The Pacific Rim: Americas
  • Phil Strong - Peep Culture
  • Ken Myhr - ''Love at the Twilight Motel''

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

Best Original Music for an Animated Program or Series

Special Awards