This year鈥檚 Canadian Screen Awards won鈥檛 have a host 鈥� a move organizers say is a deliberate attempt to try something new amid a 鈥渃risis鈥� of declining ratings and not something done out of necessity, like with the Oscars.
Beth Janson, CEO of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, says the traditional approach of trying to attract viewers and channel-surfers by having a famous face as host is 鈥渁 very old-fashioned way of thinking,鈥� since TV audience habits have changed.
鈥淎wards show are just trending down, down and down 鈥� 20 per cent per year, for most of them 鈥� which to me indicates obviously a big crisis, as someone who produces one of these shows,鈥� Janson said in a phone interview.
鈥淏ut I also think that this environment allows us to take a few risks.鈥�
The academy puts on the annual Canadian Screen Awards, which honour homegrown talent in film, television and digital media. This year鈥檚 nominees will be announced on Feb. 7.
Last year鈥檚 show had two hosts who both live and work in Canada: comedians Jonny Harris and Emma Hunter. Previous hosts have included Canadian names who have largely built their careers in the U.S. 鈥� Howie Mandel, Norm Macdonald, Martin Short, and Andrea Martin.
Janson said after assessing shows of the past, she convinced the board to go with no host about two months ago. That was before comedian Kevin Hart backed out of hosting this year鈥檚 Oscars due to controversial statements he made in the past, leaving the Academy Awards with no MC.
鈥淚 think our country is different and we need to have a different style of awards show 鈥� and I think that can be better and it can be something 鈥� that people enjoy watching,鈥� Janson said.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited about that. I鈥檓 not scared of it.鈥�
Janson鈥檚 team hired an all-female writers鈥� room for this year鈥檚 show, which will include pre-taped comedy bits.
Shelagh O鈥橞rien will direct the March 31 broadcast gala on CBC. Jennifer Dettman, executive director of unscripted content at CBC, is the show鈥檚 programming executive.
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鈥淚t鈥檚 a big risk. It could totally fail,鈥� Janson said. 鈥滲ut in my mind our ratings would drop 20 per cent anyways, probably, on traditional television.
鈥淪o this is the time to take a chance.鈥�
Janson said the show will have 鈥渁 clever opening number鈥� that will use a lot of talent in the room but won鈥檛 be a song-and-dance performance.
Overall, the Canadian Screen Awards will have an air of levity and a 鈥渢hroughline鈥� narrative 鈥渢hat will make the show in and of itself a thing and a piece of entertainment that we can really be proud of 鈥� and that shows off the best of what we鈥檙e doing right now in the country,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e really approaching the show as a platform for Canadian comedy right now,鈥� Janson said, pointing to the success of shows including 鈥淏aroness von Sketch Show,鈥� 鈥淟etterkenny,鈥� 鈥淪chitt鈥檚 Creek,鈥� 鈥淲orkin鈥� Moms,鈥� 鈥淢ohawk Girls鈥� and 鈥淜im鈥檚 Convenience.鈥�
鈥淭here is a huge moment happening in Canada right now around comedy that I think we鈥檙e going to look back on with the same significance as the 鈥楽CTV鈥� or the 鈥楰ids in the Hall鈥� eras, which is that we have these really interesting voices, they鈥檙e really incredibly original. We鈥檙e not just trying to copy the States.鈥�
Janson noted the show will still be the same two-hour length.
She hopes it will become an event audiences look forward to watching and not just be 鈥渁bout who鈥檚 nominated or how many American celebrities are there.鈥�
鈥淲e need to try to figure out what the future of awards shows is going to be,鈥� Janson said.
鈥淢illennials don鈥檛 like awards, they like appreciating everyone for their unique differences, so how do you do an awards show in that sort of environment? This is our attempt at an answer to that.鈥�
Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press
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