After being strongly criticized last fall by several producers, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television is making several changes to the organization of the Gémeaux awards gala. The organization, which unilaterally merged the male and female acting awards last year, will return in particular to the gendered categories. Registration fees will also be reduced.
Will these changes be enough to convince producers who were threatening to jump ship to come back on board? In the days following last September’s gala, several Quebec TV stars openly questioned the way the winners were determined, highlighting several inconsistencies.
The producers Sophie Lorain (Mégantic, Disobey. The choice of Chantale Daigleetc.) and Fabienne Larouche (Stat, Reasonable doubt, Without an appointment) had declared that they would stop submitting their shows in the different categories in which they could compete. Louis Morissette (Plan B, Zenith, Turnetc.) and Guillaume Lspérance (Everybody talks about it) also said they were juggling with this idea.
Faced with criticism, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television announced Thursday the return of gendered categories for the acting awards. During the last Gémeaux awards gala, actors and actresses were nominated in the same categories for the very first time. This decision was made in an effort to reduce the number of prizes, but it raised eyebrows among several members of the industry. Especially since the gala broadcaster, Radio-Canada, had not been consulted.
By indicating that it was turning around on Thursday, the organization behind the Gemini awards ceremony admitted to having erred. “Yes, it’s true that we may have lacked time to consult. […] Perhaps we should have better communicated why we were making these changes. Many interpreted this as changes to accommodate a small minority, when that was not the case,” declared Caroline Gaudette, president of the Quebec section of the Academy, while meeting with journalists.
Lower registration fees
With the return of the distinction between men and women in the acting categories, the number of prizes awarded will increase. It is currently possible to register in 109 categories. Producers who wish to include their show in one of them must pay substantial fees, a criticism which is often made against the gala.
To respond to dissatisfied producers, the Academy also announced on Thursday the application of a 15% discount on registrations during half of the nomination period.
“This means that we will have to work harder to find new financial partners [pour la production du gala]. Because we must make up for this shortfall. But it is an effort that we agree to make out of solidarity with the producers [dans un moment qui est difficile pour l’industrie de la télévision] », indicated the general director of the Quebec section of the Academy, Chantal Côté. The latter also ensures that the next gala will not be stripped of resources.
The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television has some 4,000 members across the country, including more than 1,000 in Quebec. They are the ones who vote on the winners following a process that the organization ensures is transparent, despite doubts frequently raised by people in the industry.
The question of ratings
In certain categories, however, we know that the voting result was weighted by 20% according to the audience ratings of the different programs named. This had the effect of putting shows broadcast only on digital platforms at a disadvantage.
This weighting will be reviewed next year, it was announced. It will be lowered to 10% for the Gemini for best daily drama series and best annual drama series. In other categories, audience ratings will no longer be taken into account at all. It is now a matter of seeing whether these changes will bring recalcitrant producers back into the fold.
The Academy, for its part, remains convinced that a televised ceremony is always the right formula to celebrate television, even if galas around the world have seen their audiences decline in recent years. “We did not lose market share last year. Gemini remains an excellent tool for discoverability of the content that is made here. It’s a gala that still has its relevance,” said Chantal Côté on Thursday.