(Toronto) Late Indigenous filmmaker Jeff Barnaby will receive a posthumous tribute at this year’s Canadian Screen Awards.
The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television announced that Barnaby, who died of cancer in 2022, would receive the Academy’s Board of Directors’ Tribute Award, which recognizes his “remarkable contribution” to the industry.
The Mi’kmaq director was considered a pioneer of contemporary Indigenous cinema, with titles such as Rhymes for Young Ghouls (Rhymes for ghosts) in 2013 and Blood Quantum (Quantum Red) in 2019.
A tribute award will also be presented to veteran reality television producer John Brunton, president and CEO of Insight Productions, whose longtime successes include The Amazing Race Canada of CTV and Big Brother Canada from Global.
The Change Agent Award will go to the star of the series Young and the Restless Tonya Williams, who founded Toronto’s Reelworld Film Festival to showcase Canadian talent from diverse backgrounds.
As for host Marilyn Denis, she will be offered the Lifetime Achievement Award almost a year after ending her show The Marilyn Denis Show, after 13 years on the air. Denis had also hosted for almost 20 years Citylineon the Citytv channel.
The special awards will be presented during Canada on Screen Week, which begins May 26 and ends with a gala on May 31 hosted by comedian Mae Martin. The show will air on CBC and CBC Gem a few hours later.
The Canadian Screen Awards celebrate the best in film, television and digital media.