Two Canadian acting veterans, Gordon Pinsent and William Hutt, have been nominated for outstanding performance awards from ACTRA, the union representing Canadian performers.

Hutt, 86, is named for his performance in TV series Slings & Arrows and Pinsent, 76, has been named for his role as the husband of an Alzheimer's victim in the Sarah Polley film Away from Her.

Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent at a press conference for Away From Her during the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2006. ACTRA has nominated him for outstanding male performer for the role.
(Aaron Harris/Canadian Press)

Also nominated for outstanding male performance are Chris Bolton in the TV series Rent-A-Goalie, Don McKellar for his role in the film Monkey Warfare and Michael Therrialt in the CBC TV miniseries Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story.

Kristen Thomson, one of Pinsent's co-stars in Away from Her, is nominated for outstanding female performance, along with Martha Burns of Slings and Arrows.

The other nominees are Deborah Grover in the TV series 11 Cameras, Martha Henry in At the Hotel and Maria Del Mar in Terminal City.

For the first time, ACTRA will honour a performer for voice performance in animated TV series.

The late Len Carlson, Canadian actor primarily known for his voice work on scores of animated projects and video games, is among five nominees for the new award. Carlson died last January.

The nominees are:

• Len Carlson, Atomic Betty.
• Ellen-Ray Hennessy, Di-Gata Defenders.
• Tajja Isen, Atomic Betty.
• Ron Rubin, Erky Perky.
• Adrian Truss, Jane and the Dragon.

Wendy Crewson, 50, will receive an ACTRA 2007 Award of Excellence.

Crewson just joined the cast of ReGenesis and also co-starred in Away From Her as manager of a care facility.

The awards will be presented on Feb. 23 in Toronto.