1st Canadian Comedy Awards
The 1st Canadian Comedy Awards honoured the best Canadian comedy of 1999 in live performances, television and film. The awards ceremony was presented by the Canadian Comedy Foundation for Excellence (CCFE), and was held on 6 April 2000 at the Masonic Temple in Toronto, Ontario.[1][2] The ceremony was hosted by Dave Thomas. A one-hour version of the ceremony was broadcast late the following night on CTV, and the full program aired on The Comedy Network on 9 April at 9 pm.[3]
1st Canadian Comedy Awards | |
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Date | 6 April 2000 |
Location | |
Country | Canada |
Presented by | Canadian Comedy Foundation for Excellence |
Hosted by | Dave Thomas |
Most awards | This Hour Has 22 Minutes (4) |
Most nominations | The Drowsy Chaperone and Made in Canada (6) |
Website | www |
Television/radio coverage | |
Network | The Comedy Network |
Canadian Comedy Awards, also known as Beavers,[4] were awarded in 23 categories. Winners were selected by members of ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists), the Canadian Actors' Equity Association, the Writers Guild of Canada, and the Directors Guild of Canada.[1] It was one of the first award presentations to use online voting.[5][6] The ceremony also marked the creation of the Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame and the induction of its first honourees.[1]
The Drowsy Chaperone and the CBC comedy Made in Canada led the way with six nominations each, followed by Double Exposure, Last Night, and This Hour Has 22 Minutes with five. The big winners were This Hour Has 22 Minutes which won four awards in television, The Drowsy Chaperone which took three awards in live comedy, and Mike Myers who won three in film. Don McKellar won two awards across disciplines: best film director for Last Night and best playwright (together with colleagues Bob Martin, Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison) for The Drowsy Chaperone.[1]
Ceremony
The inaugural Canadian Comedy Awards ceremony was held on 6 April 2000 in Toronto, Ontario. The venue was the historic Masonic Temple, home of CTV-affiliate The Comedy Network.[3] The ceremony was hosted by Dave Thomas, a comedic veteran of more than 20 films and 300 sitcom episodes. Thomas is best known for the character Doug McKenzie, a parody of all things Canadian, and the ceremony played on similar humour by serving guests back bacon on a bun and poutine.[1]
Awards
The Beaver was awarded in twenty-three categories recognizing work in live performances, film and television. Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface:[7]
Live
Best Stand-up | Best Stand-up Newcomer |
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Best Male Improviser | Best Female Improviser |
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Best Live Performance – Male | Best Live Performance – Female |
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Best Sketch Troupe or Company | Best New Sketch Troupe |
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Best Direction in a New Play | Best Direction in an Existing Play |
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Best Playwriting in a Comedic Play | |
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Television
Best Performance by a Male | Best Performance by a Female |
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Best Direction in a Series | Best Direction in a Special or Episode |
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Best Writing in a Series | Best Writing in a Special or Episode |
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Film
Best Performance by a Male | Best Performance by a Female |
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Best Direction | Best Original Screenplay |
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Best Writing | Best Writing – Adapted |
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Special Awards
Hall of Fame | PAL Award |
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Multiple wins
The following people, shows, films, etc. received multiple awards in the inaugural ceremony:
Awards | Person or work |
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4 | This Hour Has 22 Minutes |
3 | The Drowsy Chaperone |
Mike Myers | |
2 | Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me |
Don McKellar | |
Made in Canada |
Multiple nominations
The following people, shows, films, etc. received multiple nominations.
Awards | Person or work |
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6 | The Drowsy Chaperone |
Made in Canada | |
4 | Don McKellar |
Double Exposure | |
Last Night | |
This Hour Has 22 Minutes | |
3 | Dog Park |
History Bites | |
Mike Myers | |
Moving Day | |
Sean Cullen | |
2 | Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me |
Bloor Witch Project | |
Bruce McCulloch | |
Chris Deacon | |
Chris Earle | |
Comedy Now! | |
Comics! | |
Jessica Holmes | |
Karen Hines | |
Liam Kiernan | |
A Little Off the Top | |
Nick Orchard | |
Shoshana Sperling | |
The Wrong Guy |
Broadcast
The awards ceremony was held in Toronto's Masonic Temple, which CTV Television Network had equipped as a television studio in the late 1990s. The ceremony was recorded for television, produced by Higher Ground Productions and directed by Bob Sorger. A one-hour version of the ceremony was broadcast on CTV at midnight on the night of Friday 7 April 2000, with the full program airing on The Comedy Network on 9 April at 9 pm.[3] The special was well-received by the members of the industry it represents, who awarded Sorger the Beaver for best direction of a TV special or episode in 2001.[8]
References
- Niester, Alan (7 April 2000). "A night for the Groucho glasses". The Globe and Mail. Toronto: The Globe and Mail Inc. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- "Canada a country of comedians as 100 nominations announced". The Globe and Mail. Toronto: The Globe and Mail Inc. 8 March 2000. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- "Walsh, Mercer are comic royalty". The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ontario: The Globe and Mail Inc. 7 April 2000. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- Spevack, Leatrice (6 April 2002). "The Beaver goes to ... a pretty funny show". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- "Canadian Comedy Awards Festival returns to Ottawa". Ottawa Citizen. 7 March 2014. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- Demara, Bruce (12 October 2011). "Awards honour cold but funny Canucks". The Toronto Star. Toronto: Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- "Nominations & Awards Archives". Canadian Comedy Awards. 2000. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
- "Pretty funny awards". The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ontario: The Globe and Mail Inc. 12 April 2001. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.