North of North, Heated Rivalry, 40 Acres lead Canadian Screen Award nominees

The first major comedy series filmed in Nunavut, a sci-fi suspense right out of Sinners, a time-travel mockumentary in the style of Back to the Future and the world's favourite queer hockey drama all top this year's Canadian Screen Award nomination rolls. 

Announced Wednesday, the 2026 CSA nominees were led by CBC's North of North, garnering 20 nods for the Anna Lambe-starring sitcom about a young Inuk mother who spontaneously — and publicly — ends her marriage. 

That collection of honours for North of North in everything from best comedy series to best lead performer in a comedy (Anna Lambe) to two best supporting performances in a comedy (Braeden Clarke and Maika Harper) and best comedy ensemble put it alongside Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Schitt's Creek as the only titles to ever earn 20 or more nominations at the awards. 

Best motion picture:

Achievement in direction, film:

But trailing just behind is no slouch, either: the worldwide phenom Heated Rivalry scored an impressive 18 nods, including best drama series and best lead performer nominations for both François Arnaud and Hudson Williams.

Given a rule-change taking effect for the first time this year — after three of the top acting prizes went to non-Canadian actors in 2025 — only Canadian citizens and permanent residents can be considered for the country's top film and television awards. That meant Williams's American co-star Connor Storrie was not eligible for a nomination.

In the film category, a slate of strong performers and critical darlings divvied up the categories. R.T. Thorne's sci-fi 40 Acres, a post-apocalyptic thriller about a Black and Indigenous family of farmers fending off cannibals, pulled in 10 nods — including best motion picture and both a directing and a first feature nomination for R.T. Thorne. 

Just slightly behind was Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, the sleeper hit from Jay McCarrol and Matt Johnson. That Jackass-adjacent film — a half-scripted, half-improvised story about two desperate musicians accidentally travelling back in time — proved a surprise (relative) smash success after its release in February. 

According to distributor Elevation Pictures, that film's debut weekend earnings of $350,000 was the best for any English-language live-action Canadian film since 2023's Blackberry. That film, also directed by Johnson, earned 17 CSA nominations; its eventual 14 wins were the most for any film in the awards' history. Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie's eight nominations put it alongside Follies and Honey Bunch as the second-most nominated films for 2026.

Best comedy series:

Best drama series:

This year, Johnson is up for best performance in a supporting comedy role, while McCarroll is nominated for lead in a comedy. The film itself is up for best motion picture, alongside other top performer Blue Heron. 

Already a winner of the $50,000 Rogers Best Canadian Film Award, that contemplative drama from first-time feature film director Sophy Romvari is also nominated for best original screenplay, supporting performance in a drama (Edik Beddoes), best directing and the John Dunning best first feature film award.