Corner Gas, 22 Minutes pick up TV screenwriting honours
Radio drama Afghanada, miniseries Mayerthorpe also among winners
Last Updated: Monday, April 20, 2009 | 11:49 PM ET
CBC News
Brent Butt, Don McKellar and the This Hour Has 22 Minutes team are among the winners at the annual Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Awards.
Canadian film and television stars — including Tara Spencer- Nairn of Corner Gas, Zaib Shaikh from Little Mosque on the Prairie and Jennifer Pdemski of Moccasin Flats — were among those who handed out trophies in 11 categories at the evening gala in Toronto, hosted by 22 Minutes cast members Geri Hall and Kyle Tingley.
Corner Gas creator, star and comedian Butt picked up the trophy in the half-hour TV series category for an episode of the sitcom entitled "Full Load." Butt's popular series ended its six-season run last week.
Flashpoint writer Adam Barken received a corresponding award in the one-hour TV series category for the episode "Who's George?"
Writer, actor and filmmaker McKellar scored a feature film trophy for the screenplay of Blindness, which opened the 2008 Cannes International Film Festival and was adapted from Nobel laureate José Saramago's dark, dystopian novel.
The first episode of season 16 of This Hour Has 22 Minutes won in the variety category, with head writer Jennifer Walen and her cast and writers recognized as an ensemble.
CBC Radio's award-winning series Afghanada picked up best radio drama for an installment entitled "The Lotus Eater, Part 1," written by Greg Spottiswood.
Other winners include:
- Animation: Ricky Sprocket, Showbiz Boy, "The Perfect Family," written by Shane Simmons.
- Children/preschool: Captain Flamingo, "Comic Slip," written by Christin Simms.
- Documentary: Passage, script written by John Walker.
- Movie of the week/miniseries: Mayerthorpe, written by Andrew Wreggitt.
- Short film: Awkward, written by Kellie Ann Benz.
- Youth: The Latest Buzz, "The Gala Issue," written by Brent Piaskoski.
- WGC Showrunner Award: Mark Farrell (Corner Gas, 22 Minutes).
- Jim Burt Screenwriting Prize: Cold Rush by Riley Adams.
- WGC Writers Block Award: Karen Walton (Ginger Snaps, Ink Canada).
Now in its 13th year, the awards celebrate the writers behind the year's best scripts for Canadian television, radio and film productions.
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