It’s been a big week for Canadian film and TV! The best and brightest on-screen stories were honoured last week at the Canadian Screen Awards, concluding with last night’s live broadcast hosted by Andrew Phung. 

Heated Rivalry was the highlight of the evening, with a win for Best Drama Series and awards presented to stars Hudson Williams and Sophie Nélisse. Other notable wins included Inuit comedy series North of North, and Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie. Eugene Levy also led a touching tribute to the late Catherine O’Hara.

With awards given out across 146 categories, there is so much Canadian talent to celebrate this year, so we wanted to spotlight some of the biggest wins for women and queer-led projects at the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards.

Heated Rivalry

It’s no surprise that the world’s biggest TV series this year swept the Canadian Screen Awards. Heated Rivalry walked away with 16 wins (of their 18 nominations) — setting a record for the most CSA wins in a single year. 

The beloved queer hockey romance took home the CSA for Best Drama Series while creator Jacob Tierney won for Best Direction, Drama Series and Best Writing, Drama Series. The stars of the show also went home with CSA Awards, including Hudson Williams for Best Lead Performer, Drama Series, Sophie Nélisse for the RADIUS Award and Nadine Bhabha for Best Guest Performance, Drama Series.

Watch Heated Rivalry on Crave, and read our interviews with Jacob Tierney and Nadine Bhabha.

North of North

The other show making waves at the Canadian Screen Awards was North of North—a new comedy series that captures the joys of Arctic life through the eyes of a young Inuk mother.  

The series earned a total of 9 CSAs, including Best Comedy Series, Best Ensemble Performance, Comedy, Best Lead Performer, Comedy for star Anna Lambe, and a win for co-creators Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril for Best Writing, Comedy.

Watch North of North on Netflix and CBC Gem, and read our interview with Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril.

40 Acres

In the film categories, the post-apocalyptic thriller 40 Acres led the way with a total of 9 Canadian Screen Awards, including Achievement in Direction and the John Dunning Best First Feature Film Award for director R.T. Thorne.

Watch 40 Acres on Crave, and read our interview with star Milcania Diaz-Rojas.

Wayward

Wayward, the thrilling, genre-bending limited series from creator Mae Martin, took home two Canadian Screen Awards, including the Spotlight Award for Best Series.  The series was nominated in the inaugural Spotlight Award Categories, an effort from the Canadian Academy to recognize Canadian talent for their work on international productions.

Watch Wayward on Netflix, and watch our red carpet interviews with the team at the series’ TIFF premiere.

Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story

It was also a big week for Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story, a documentary about the legacy of the iconic Jamaican dancehall artist. The doc took home 5 Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Direction, Documentary Program and Best Writing, Documentary for director Alison Duke. 

Watch Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story on Apple TV or Prime Video. 


County Blooms: A Flower Powered Adventure

Leading the wins across the digital categories was County Blooms: A Flower Powered Adventure, Jen Pogue’s lifestyle series that celebrates local floral experts from across Ontario and Quebec, sharing creative tips and design inspiration for the flower lovers at home. The series took home 3 CSAs, including Best Web Program or Series, Non-Fiction, and Best Host, Web Program or Series for Jen Pogue. 

Watch County Blooms on Bell Fibe TV1, and read our interview with Jen Pogue. 

Other wins we were thrilled about include Chandler Levack’s latest rom-com Mile End Kicks, Priyanka’s drag makeover series Drag Brunch Saved My Life, Out Standing, the groundbreaking story of Canada’s first female infantry officer, Modern Whore, a film that challenges misconceptions about sex work, and horror-thriller Honey Bunch. 

See the full list of winners at the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards here.