North of North, Wrong Husband | Uiksaringitara Lead Indigenous Recognition at the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announced the nominees for the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards. Among the biggest developments, North of North led television and the overall field with 20 nominations. At the same time, Wrong Husband | Uiksaringitara and At the Place of Ghosts | Sk+te’kmujue’katik added to a strong year for Indigenous film and television on the nominee slate.

Indigenous productions, performers, and creatives appear throughout this year’s field. North of North showed up in comedy, writing, directing, acting, casting, music, and technical roles, making it one of the clearest success stories in this year’s lineup. Wrong Husband | Uiksaringitara earned four nominations, including Best Motion Picture and Achievement in Direction for Zacharias Kunuk. At the Place of Ghosts | Sk+te’kmujue’katik also secured nominations in Achievement in Make-Up and Achievement in Hair.

The larger nominee slate also includes Indigenous names across the screen industry. The late Graham Greene received recognition for Sweet Summer Pow Wow; Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers was nominated for Sweet Angel Baby; Jason Ryle was part of the team nominated for Endless Cookie; and Louise Flaherty earned a nomination for Mangittatuarjuk. Together, the list reflects a year in which Indigenous excellence was recognized in lead creative roles, performances, and behind-the-scenes work.

While nominations don’t erase the barriers that Indigenous artists still face, it’s progress in an industry where Indigenous talent is underrepresented. Research from IllumiNative and the USC Norman Lear Center found Native people accounted for less than 1 percent of roles in the 2019-20 U.S. television season, only 1.1 percent of staff writers, and that 67 percent of series with Native characters had no Native writers, directors, or executive producers. Awards season has long reflected that same pattern. Native artists are still too often “firsts” and there are many categories where the first Native nominee and winner has yet to be.

Seen against that state of the industry, the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards nominee list stands out for the number of Indigenous productions, performers, and creators recognized across the field. Canada is not perfect, and a nominee slate alone does not fix the structural inequities Indigenous artists continue to face. Still, it is further ahead than the United States when it comes to acknowledging Native talent and excellence and, more importantly, awarding it. Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees whose work continues to raise the standard for Indigenous storytelling across film and television.

North of North

Best Comedy Series

Best Direction, Comedy — Zoe Hopkins

Best Direction, Comedy — Anya Adams

Best Writing, Comedy — Stacey Aglok MacDonald, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril

Best Photography, Comedy — Jackson Parrell

Best Picture Editing, Comedy — Sam Thomson

Best Sound, Fiction — Peter Murphy, John Dykstra, Gabe Knox, Mike Woroniuk, Brent Pickett, Mark Dejczak, Ed Douglas, Virginia Storey, Rob Hegedus

Best Production Design or Art Direction, Fiction — Andrew Berry

Best Costume Design

Best Achievement in Make-Up

Best Visual Effects

Best Achievement in Hair — Chrystal Lotz, Tasha Cadotte

Best Original Music, Comedy

Best Ensemble Performance, Comedy — Anna Lambe, Maika Harper, Braeden Clarke, Zorga Qaunaq, Jay Ryan

Best Achievement in Casting, Fiction

Best Lead Performer, Comedy — Anna Lambe

Best Supporting Performer, Comedy — Braeden Clarke

Best Supporting Performer, Comedy — Maika Harper

Best Guest Performance, Comedy — Dan Jeannotte

Best Guest Performance, Comedy — Tanya Tagaq

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Wrong Husband | Uiksaringitara

Best Motion Picture

Achievement in Direction — Zacharias Kunuk

Performance in a Leading Role, Drama — Theresia Kappianaq

Performance in a Supporting Role, Drama — Leah Panimera

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At the Place of Ghosts | Sk+te’kmujue’katik

Best Achievement in Make-Up — Charlotte Gavaris, Chris Bridges

Best Achievement in Hair — Toni Warren

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Graham Greene — Sweet Summer Pow Wow — Performance in a Supporting Role, Comedy

Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers — Sweet Angel Baby — Performance in a Supporting Role, Drama

Leena Minifie — The Good Canadian — Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary Program

Jason Ryle — Endless Cookie — Best Feature Length Documentary

Louise Flaherty — Mangittatuarjuk — Best Animated Short

Sarah Podemski — Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent — Performance in a Guest Role, Drama Series

Brandon Oakes — The Trades — Best Ensemble Performance, Comedy