‘Heated Rivalry’ sets record at Screen Awards with 16 wins including best drama

TORONTO – “Heated Rivalry” dominated this year’s Canadian Screen Awards with a record-setting 16 wins after taking home three trophies at Sunday night’s televised ceremony: audience choice, best drama series and best lead performer for star Hudson Williams.

Fans of the B.C.-born actor were eager to see him at the awards show and receive the honour for portraying the reserved hockey player Shane Hollander, who gets caught up in a whirlwind romance with a rival.

Williams said he wished he could split the award down the middle with his co-star, “honorary Canadian” Connor Storrie.

Sunday night’s wins added to the 13 statuettes the Crave series won at a gala dedicated to scripted TV on Saturday, including best direction and best writing for a drama.

Because Storrie is American, he didn’t qualify for the Canadian Screen Awards. But “Heated Rivalry” also won’t be eligible for the Emmys because it was entirely produced in Canada.

The show’s creator Jacob Tierney said being left out of the Emmys race is fine with him — he always knew they wouldn’t qualify.

“It’s like asking if you want to go to a thing you know you’re not going to get invited to: it’s fine. God bless them,” he said on the red carpet.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television said the 16 wins in a single year for “Heated Rivalry” set a new Screen Awards record, beating out the film “BlackBerry,” which won 13 in 2024.

The show is an international hit, and its success shot Williams and Storrie to the A-list in short order after its debut last winter.

It follows the years-long love story of two closeted professional hockey players.

Meanwhile, the Arctic sitcom “North of North” won best comedy series. Its star Anna Lambe won best lead performance in a comedy.

The Nunavut-shot series led all the nominations this year with 20, and its nine wins include best ensemble performance in a comedy, as well as best direction, writing and original music.

“North of North” follows a young Inuk mother who craves more than her predictable life in the fictional town of Ice Cove.

On the red carpet ahead of the ceremony, Lambe said her show and “Heated Rivalry” were both series that producers may have considered risky in years past.

“A queer hockey drama and a story about a very complicated family from the Canadian Arctic sounds like maybe people might have a hard time relating to it or a hard time diving into it,” she said.

“But it shows the humanity of these shows, of these characters, of these stories is what people want.”

Several special achievement awards were handed out, including to “Heated Rivalry” actress Sophie Nélisse.

Nélisse won a Screen Award for best supporting performer Saturday and on Sunday was presented with the Radius Award, which recognizes individuals whose work contributes to Canada’s global reputation.

“I had the best scene partner I could ask for,” Williams said before handing her the award. The two portray lovers-turned-best friends after Nélisse’s character finds out Shane Hollander is gay. “She was there, letting me completely disarm in front of her.”

While accepting her speech, Nélisse, known for her roles in Oscar-nominated “Monsieur Lazhar” and “Yellowjackets,” said she wanted to continue evolving as an actor.

“Receiving something like this doesn’t make me feel like I’ve arrived anywhere. If anything, it motivates me even more,” Nélisse said. “It makes me want to keep growing, keep taking risks, keep listening, and keep trying to become the kind of artist and human being that truly earns this kind of recognition.”

The night’s top film award went to the time-travelling Toronto comedy “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie.”

It picked up six statuettes during a series of galas over the course of the week, including best lead performance in a comedy for co-writer Jay McCarrol and best supporting performance for Matt Johnson, who also co-wrote and directed the movie.

The film follows two bandmates on an ill-fated quest through time to land a gig at a local venue.

“Nirvanna” also picked up prizes for visual effects, sound mixing and best original song for “The Alphabet Song” — a short bit in the movie that includes an impression of American comic Bill Cosby.

While R.T. Thorne’s post-apocalyptic debut “40 Acres” picked up the most film awards, scoring nine including best director and best first feature, it missed out on the top prize.

Also on Sunday night, Mike Myers accepted the Academy Icon Award.

“I had a whole speech written about how much I love Canada, but I suspect some of you might be sick of hearing that at this point,” he said, before naming a long list of family, friends and icons from Martin Short to the late Norman Jewison.

“I want to thank the Canadian taxpayer. I really do, actually, because I always say to my American friends, I had a big ally in my hand. I have 40 million people behind me.”

Before the show’s in memoriam segment, Eugene Levy paid tribute to his friend and longtime collaborator Catherine O’Hara, highlighting her memorable characters on “SCTV” and “Schitt’s Creek.”

“Her body of work alone has earned her legendary status in the entertainment industry, but it was who she was as a person that endeared her to millions,” Levy said. “For me, she was the one person I spent the most time working with over our 50-year careers, and that is something I take great pride in being able to say.

“Catherine O’Hara was simply the best,” he added.

Earlier in the night, Grace Glowicki won best performance in a drama film for her role in the horror film “Honey Bunch,” about a woman undergoing unconventional therapy following a recent accident.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2026.