Corus, CBC and Bell will join forces to air the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards in a first-of-its-kind simulcast aimed at expanding the show’s reach and celebrating homegrown stories.
The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announced Friday that the awards will air on Global, STACKTV, CBC, CBC Gem, Crave and CTV on May 31 at 8 p.m. ET.
Calgary-born actor and comedian Andrew Phung will host the ceremony, which celebrates the best in Canadian film, TV and digital media.
In previous years, the Screen Awards have only aired on CBC and CBC Gem.
Academy CEO Tammy Frick said the simulcast reflects a shared commitment to “supporting Canadian sovereignty and collaboration.”
After they approached all major Canadian broadcasters with the idea, Frick says Corus and Bell came on board faster than she thought they would.
Rogers did not participate.
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The ceremony will take place at the CBC Broadcast Centre in Toronto.
“The timing is just right. Everyone’s really supporting Canadian sovereignty and collaboration. It’s a little bit like the perfect storm,” said Frick in an interview. “These things might not have happened 10, 15 years ago because of external circumstances, but people are focused on supporting Canada. Canadian stories are important.”
Frick said the Academy started a conversation with CBC last year about the simulcast in an effort to “capture the cultural memory.”
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“It’s about making sure those cultural moments are relevant and giving Canadians a chance to just pause for a moment to have access and say, ‘This is ours and this stuff really matters.’”
Frick says Corus and Bell were “extremely optimistic and enthusiastic” about working together on the broadcast.
“As sometimes an industry shrinks, you have to create new ways of doing things, people become more innovative. There’s a lot more conversation around how people can collaborate,” she says.
“And this is a perfect example of just knowing how important it is to uplift Canadian stories and support Canadian talent. So that was not a big sell.”
Frick says the Academy also wanted to meet the audience where they’re consuming content.
“Not everyone goes to one spot now to watch TV shows or pay attention to what’s happening in the film world,” Frick says.
She jokes this year’s Screen Awards will be inescapable.
“They have no choice (but to watch),” she quips. “Tune in, or else.”
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Global News and STACKTV are both properties of Corus Entertainment.
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