Alumni receive record-setting 79 Canadian Screen Awards nominations

Sheridan graduates have received a record-setting 79 nominations for the Canadian Screen Awards, marking the second year in a row the College has set a new standard for the prestigious prizes.

Four more alumni have been nominated this year compared to last for the CSAs, which were introduced in 2013 and span news, documentary, sports, fiction and animated programming in the categories of film, television and digital media.

“Sheridan continues to lead the way in Canada’s media and entertainment industry,” says Mark Jones, Dean of the Faculty of Animation, Arts and Design. “These nominations show how the College continues to offer the best training for artists looking to be our nation’s storytellers of tomorrow.”

The 2025 Canadian Screen Awards will be presented over three days (May 30-June 1) in Toronto at the CBC Broadcast Centre with a gala event on Sunday night. The ceremony will be hosted by actor Lisa Gilroy and streamed live on CBC Gem.

Several former Sheridan students received multiple nominations, with Toni Stevens (Media Arts, ’85), Vivian Lin (Advanced Television and Film, ’06), Ellora Dela Fuente (Advanced Television and Film, ’17), and Patrick McKenna (Hotel and Restaurant Management, ’82) each earning three.

Others nominated are:

Deanne Marsh (Media Arts, ’11) in the category of Best Reality/Competition Program or Series for Top Chef Canada.

In the category of Best Sketch Comedy Program or Series, Michelle Asgarali (Media Arts, ’11) for The Squeaky Wheel Canada.

Stevens was nominated for Paw Patrol in the category of Best Pre-School Program or Series, along with Andrew Hicks (Illustration, ’84) for CBC Kids Celebrates the Olympic Games. Stevens received two more nominations in the category of Best Animated Program or Series for work on Unicorn Academy and Rubble & Crew.

Lin was nominated three times for work on Popularity Papers: once for Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series, and twice for Best Writing, Children’s or Youth, for the episodes “Let’s Stick Together” and “The Wonderful Wizard of Mapleview Part 2.”

In the categories of Best Children's or Youth Non-Fiction Program or Series and Best Host or Presenter, Factual or Reality/Competition, Nicole Stamp (Theatre and Drama Studies, ’01) received two nominations for Media Stamped.

Five grads were nominated in Best Direction, Animation: Mélanie Daigle (Bachelor of Animation, ’10) for Camp Snoopy - Sally's Tooth; John Lei (Animation, ’01) for Dino Ranch - Sticking Together; Heejung Yun (Animation, ’01) for Rosie's Rules - The Jalapeño Giant; and Joey So (Animation, ’96) and Dianna Basso (Art Fundamentals, ’02), both for Rubble & Crew.

Kyle Parry (Media Arts, ’11) was nominated for the Barbara Sears Award for Best Visual Research for work on the documentary series Dark Side of the Ring.

Gayle Ye (Media Arts, ’14) was nominated in two categories: Best Photography, Comedy and Achievement in Cinematography for work on Late Bloomer - Nudes and Paying for It, respectively.

In Best Voice Performance, Cory Doran (Theatre and Drama Studies, ’05) was nominated for Rubble & Crew.

McKenna, a Hotel and Restaurant Management grad who started his acting career being the night manager at The Second City improv theatre, was nominated in three separate categories for two different series. He received a nod for Best Supporting Performer, Comedy for 1 Man's Treasure, as well as Best Guest Performance, Comedy and Best Ensemble Performance, Comedy for his role on The Trades.

Kimberly-Ann Truong (Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance, ’15) and Nicole Power (Music Theatre – Performance, ’10) were similarly nominated in the Best Guest Performance, Comedy category, both for their work on Run the Burbs. Truong was also nominated for Best Ensemble Performance, Comedy for the same series.

Wendy Hallam Martin (Media Arts, ’87) was nominated for Best Picture Editing, Drama for Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent.

Lucius Dechausay (Advanced Television and Film, ’03) was nominated for work on Here and Queer in the category of Best Web Program or Series, Non-Fiction.

Anubhav Singh (Advanced Television and Film, ’17) got a nod in Best Direction, Web Program or Series for Get Up, Aisha - New Beginnings.

Ryan Monteith (Film & Television, ’00) was nominated for Best Picture Editing, Documentary for work on Harder Better Faster Stronger.

Sheridan grads received 12 nominations in the category of Best Picture Editing, Reality/Competition. Dela Fuente (Advanced Television and Film, ’17) led the way with three nods for work on Big Brother Canada, Canada's Ultimate Challenge, and The Great Canadian Baking Show. Jeff Perry (Advanced Television and Film, ’06) had two, for Big Brother Canada and Canada's Ultimate Challenge.

Wesley Finucan (Advanced Television and Film, ’04), Keith Ross (Media Arts, ’06), Holly Benson (Advanced Television and Film, ’19), and Alex Marsolais-Whicher (Media Arts, ’14) were also acknowledged for work on Big Brother Canada, while Keisha Rose (Advanced Television and Film, ’19) was nominated for Canada's Ultimate Challenge.

Alexandra Mastronardi (Film & Television, ’10) joined the others with a nomination for work on Big Brother Canada, as well as on the series Best In Miniature.

In Best Picture Editing, Comedy, Gloria Tong (Media Arts, ’04) was nominated for Don’t Even.

Shelley Therrien (Advanced Television and Film, ’11) was nominated in Best Picture Editing, Children’s or Youth for Geek Girl.

Three members of alumni were nominated in Best Sound, Fiction: Dave Johnson (Media Arts, ’13) and Mike Woroniuk (Media Arts, ’95) for Wynonna Earp: Vengeance, and Rob Warchol (Media Arts, ’90) for Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent.

The category of Best Sound, Animation saw nine nominations from Sheridan grads: Tim Muirhead (Media Arts, ’98), Kyle Peters (Media Arts, ’08), and Patton Rodrigues (Media Arts, ’12) were all acknowledged for work on PAW Patrol and Rubble & Crew. Luke Dante (Media Arts, ’16) was also nominated for Rubble & Crew, while Madelyn Southward (Bachelor of Film and Television, ’22) and Katie Pagacz (Bachelor of Film and Television, ’22) received theirs for PAW Patrol.

Dylan Broda (Bachelor of Film and Television, ’20) for An Optimist's Guide to the Planet with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and James Lazarenko (Media Arts, ’08) for Swan Song, were nominated for Best Sound, Documentary or Factual.

Eight Sheridan grads were nominated in the category of Best Visual Effects. Sophia Jooyeon Lee (Bachelor of Animation, ’09) and Steven Huynh (Computer Animation, ’10) received theirs for work on Davey and Jonesie's Locker. Adam Beck (Animation, ’95), Terry Bradley (Computer Animation, ’97), Brian Smeets (Media Arts, ’91), Ryan Smith (Computer Programmer, ’99), and James Wallace (Computer Animation, ’00) were nominated for the series Dino Dex, while Ken Nielsen (Graphic Design, ’89) was acknowledged for Wynonna Earp: Vengeance.

Nick Walker Grimshaw (Bachelor of Film and Television, ’18) was nominated for Best Original Music, Documentary, for Believe – Christianity.

David Rose (Media Arts, ’91) is up for Best Sound Design in a Feature Length Documentary for Wilfred Buck.

Esther Cheung (Bachelor of Animation, ’19) was nominated in the category of Best Animated Short for Detours Ahead.

Supinder Wraich (Advanced Television and Film, ’09)is up for Best Lead Performer, Drama Series for work on the series Allegiance.

Tim Thompson (Animation, ’01) received a pair of nominations. One for Paris 2024 Summer Olympics - The Gold Within Featuring Randell Adjei & Phylicia George, in the category of Best Sports Opening, and another for Paris 2024 Summer Olympics - Olympic Reflections with Donnovan Bennett in the category of Best Sports Feature Segment.

Matthew Dorman (Media Arts, ’08) received two nominations in the category of Best Sports Feature Segment: one for Just Us - TSN (Bell Media) and the other for 72 - TSN (Bell Media). Also receiving a nomination in that category is Christine Mayall (Journalism-New Media, ’04) for Mama Nat - Sportsnet (Rogers Sports & Media).

In the category of Achievement in Editing, Christopher Donaldson (Media Arts, ’07) was nominated for the feature film The Shrouds.

In Achievement in Sound Mixing, Tyler Bogaert (Bachelor of Film and Television, ’18) was nominated for In a Violent Nature.

Tanner Sawatzky (Advanced Television and Film, ’16) was nominated for The Amazing Race Canada (Bell Media) in the category of Best Achievement in Casting, Non-Fiction.

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Sheridan’s award-winning alumni have a long history of success at the Canadian Screen Awards and other top awards competitions including the Oscars and Emmys. Visit Sheridan's Faculty of Animation, Arts & Design webpage to learn more about the many programs offered by Canada's largest arts school.