TORONTO — “Schitt’s Creek” was the big winner on the second-last night of this year’s Canadian Screen Awards, setting the stage for yet another triumphant turnout for its sixth and final season.
The internationally heralded CBC sitcom, which won seven Emmys and two Golden Globes since it ended last year, took six CSA trophies in a virtual presentation honouring creative arts and performance categories on Wednesday night.
Emily Hampshire was named best supporting actress for playing motel owner Stevie Budd, while co-creator and star Daniel Levy won two awards — for writing the series finale and co-directing it with Andrew Cividino.
The show about the small-town adventures of the formerly wealthy Rose family also won honours in categories of casting, hair and costume design.
“Schitt’s Creek” was the top contender with 21 nominations going into this year’s CSAs, which hand out trophies in 141 film, television, and digital media categories over four nights.
The series, along with many of Wednesday’s winners, are still up for several key awards in Thursday’s final CSA presentation on the website and social media channels of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.
The CBC’s “Baroness Von Sketch Show,” which ended after its fifth season last fall, won four CSAs Wednesday — for writing, picture editing, direction and best performance in a sketch comedy for the main stars.
CBC’s Korean-Canadian family comedy “Kim’s Convenience” and CTV’s crime drama “Cardinal,” which have also left the air for good, took three awards apiece.
The “Kim’s Convenience” wins included acting honours for supporting star Andrew Phung and guest performer Amanda Brugel, while “Cardinal” nabbed trophies including best guest performance for Shawn Doyle.
Other winners Wednesday included the late Christopher Plummer, named best supporting actor for his turn in Global’s suspense drama “Departure,” and Tamara Podemski, named best supporting actress for her work in CBC’s police procedural “Coroner.”
CTV’s hit medical drama “Transplant” was honoured for best direction and writing in a drama series.
Another double winner was CBC’s Indigenous coming-of-age story “Trickster,” which was cancelled after just one season in January amid controversy over co-creator Michelle Latimer’s claims of Indigenous ancestry. It took hardware for best makeup and best production design or art direction.
History’s “Vikings,” which also ended its run in recent months, nabbed best visual effects and best sound.
Wednesday’s show mostly honoured TV but included film contenders in the category of best stunt co-ordination, which went to Jeff Barnaby’s Indigenous zombie thriller “Blood Quantum.”
“Blood Quantum,” about a plague infecting non-Indigenous people outside a fictional First Nations reserve, had a leading 10 film nominations going into this year’s CSAs.
The film trophies will be handed out Thursday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 19.