The John Drainie Award was an award given to an individual who has made a significant contribution to broadcasting in Canada. Although meant to be presented annually there have been years where it was not presented. Originally created by

ACTRA The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) is a Canadian trade union representing performers in English-language media. It has 25,000 members working in film, television, radio, and all other recorded media. The orga ...

in 1968 as a standalone award,"Broadcasters Honor W.O. Mitchell"
'' Calgary Herald'', October 5, 1968. the award was named in memory of Canadian actor

John Drainie John Robert Roy Drainie (April 1, 1916 – October 30, 1966) was a Canadian actor and television presenter, who was called "the greatest radio actor in the world" by Orson Welles. Drainie was most famous in Canada for two long-running roles: the ...

following his death in 1966, and was presented as part of the

Canadian Film Awards The Canadian Film Awards were the leading Canadian cinema awards from 1949 until 1978. These honours were conducted annually, except in 1974 when a number of Quebec directors withdrew their participation and prompted a cancellation. In the 1970s ...

ceremonies for its first four years. Beginning in 1972 it was presented as part of the expanded

ACTRA Awards The ACTRA Awards were first presented in 1972 to celebrate excellence in Canada's television and radio industries.

program. The award was transferred in 1986 to the

Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is a Canadian non-profit organization created in 1979 to recognize the achievements of the over 4,000 Canadian cinema of Canada, film industry and television in Canada, television industry professionals ...

and presented as part of the Gemini Awards; the award was later transferred back to the ACTRA Awards in the 2000s, and presented as part of the

Banff Television Festival The Banff World Media Festival (formerly known as the Banff World Television Festival) is an international media event held in the Canadian Rockies at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The festival is dedicated to world ...

. Unlike other awards which are voted on by the Academy's board of directors, the recipient of the John Drainie Award was selected by a committee of previous winners. Any branch of the Academy's Television Division may put forth nominations to the Drainie Committee for consideration. The recipient receives a plaque with Drainie's likeness rather than a Gemini statuette. It was presented posthumously on some occasions but current ACTRA policy is to present this award to living people.

Winners

The following people have won the award since 1968.

Canadian Film Awards

*1968:

Esse Ljungh Esse Willem Ljungh (August 3, 1904 - February 9, 1991) was a Canadian radio producer, most noted as the longtime head of radio drama for CBC Radio."'Giant' of Canadian drama dies". ''Ottawa Citizen'', February 13, 1991. Born in Malmö, Sweden, he e ...

W.O. Mitchell William Ormond Mitchell, (March 13, 1914 – February 25, 1998) was a Canadian writer and broadcaster. His "best-loved" novel is '' Who Has Seen the Wind'' (1947), which portrays life on the Canadian Prairies from the point of view of a smal ...

, Jean Murray, Tommy Tweed *1969: Andrew Allan *1970: Harry J. Boyle *1971:

Lister Sinclair Lister Sheddon Sinclair, OC (January 9, 1921 – October 16, 2006) was a Canadian broadcaster, playwright and polymath. Early life Sinclair was born in Bombay, India, to Scottish parents. His father, William Sheddon Sinclair, was a chemical eng ...

ACTRA Awards

*1972:

Graham Spry Graham Spry, CC (February 20, 1900 - November 24, 1983) was a Canadian broadcasting pioneer, business executive, diplomat and socialist. He was the husband of Irene Spry and father of Robin Spry, Richard Spry and Lib Spry. Life He was born ...

*1973: Rupert Caplan *1974:

Len Peterson Leonard Byron Peterson (March 15, 1917 – February 28, 2008) was a Canadian playwright, screenwriter and novelist.Colin Boyd"Leonard Byron Peterson" '' The Canadian Encyclopedia'', November 1, 2011. He has written more than a thousand different ...

*1975: Robert Weaver *1976:

Jane Mallett Jane Mallett (April 17, 1899 – April 14, 1984) was a Canadian actress. She was born as Jean Dawson Keenleyside in London, Ontario, Canada. Career Her films included ''Love at First Sight'' with Dan Aykroyd, ''The Sweet and the Bitter'', ''T ...

*1977: John Reeves *1978:

Wayne and Shuster Wayne and Shuster were a Canadian comedy duo formed by Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster. They were active professionally from the early 1940s until the late 1980s, first as a live act, then on radio, then as part of ''The Army Show'' that enter ...

*1979:

Ruth Springford Margaret Ruth Springford (September 1921 November 20, 2010) was a Canadian radio, stage, television and film actress.Norman Campbell *1981:

Frances Hyland Frances Hyland (April 25, 1927 – July 11, 2004) was a Canadian stage, film and television actress. She earned recognition for roles on stage (including ten seasons with Stratford Festival) and screen (including her performance as Nanny Louisa ...

*1982:

Mavor Moore James Mavor Moore (March 8, 1919 – December 18, 2006) was a Canadian writer, producer, actor, public servant, critic, and educator. He notably appeared as Nero Wolfe in the CBC radio production in 1982. Life and work Moore was born in Tor ...

*1983: Lucio Agostini *1984: Robert Christie *1985:

Fred Diehl Fred Diehl (1921 - November 15, 2008) was a Canadian radio and television actor and writer,

*1986:

Bernard Cowan Bernard Cowan (June 11, 1922 – July 17, 1990) was a Canadian actor, producer and writer. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He was occasionally credited under his nickname, Bunny Cowan, such as on the production ''Willy McBean and His ...

Gemini Awards

*1986: Pat Patterson *1987: Ross McLean *1988:

Davidson Dunton Arnold Davidson Dunton, (July 4, 1912 – February 7, 1987) was a Canadian educator and public administrator, from 1943 to 1958 chairman of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Early life and career He was educated at the High School of Mon ...

*1989:

Peter Gzowski Peter John Gzowski (July 13, 1934 – January 24, 2002), known colloquially as "Mr. Canada", or "Captain Canada",Mary Gazze Canadian Press via The ''Toronto Star'', August 23, 2010. Retrieved 2016-06-27. was a Canadian broadcaster, write ...

*1990:

Allan McFee Allan McFee (June 4, 1913 – December 12, 2000)CBC broadcaster Allan McFee dies< ...

*1991: ''not presented'' *1992:

Gordon Pinsent Gordon Edward Pinsent (born July 12, 1930) is a Canadian actor, writer, director, and singer. He is known for his roles in numerous productions, including ''Away from Her'', '' The Rowdyman'', '' John and the Missus'', ''A Gift to Last'', ''Due S ...

*1993:

Barbara Frum Barbara Frum, OC (September 8, 1937 – March 26, 1992) was an American-born Canadian radio and television journalist, acclaimed for her interviews for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Personal life Barbara Frum was born Barbara Rosbe ...

*1994:

Max Ferguson Max Ferguson, OC (February 10, 1924 – March 7, 2013) was a Canadian radio personality and satirist, best known for his long-running radio programs ''Rawhide'' and ''The Max Ferguson Show'' on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Bi ...

*1995:

Knowlton Nash Cyril Knowlton Nash (November 18, 1927 – May 24, 2014) was a Canadian journalist, author and news anchor. He was senior anchor of CBC Television's flagship news program, '' The National'' from 1978 until his retirement in 1988. He began his care ...

*1996: Dodi Robb *1997:

Joe Schlesinger Josef Schlesinger, (May 11, 1928 – February 11, 2019) was a Canadian foreign correspondent, television journalist, and author. Early life and career Schlesinger was born to a devout Jewish family in Vienna, Austria, on May 11, 1928. He was ra ...

*1998 (Mar):

Peter Herrndorf Peter A. Herrndorf (October 27, 1940 – February 18, 2023) was a Canadian lawyer and media businessman. He retired as the president and chief executive officer of the National Arts Centre on June 2, 2018. Born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, he gr ...

*1998 (Oct): Bernie Lucht *1999:

Pierre Berton Pierre Francis de Marigny Berton, CC, O.Ont. (July 12, 1920 – November 30, 2004) was a Canadian writer, journalist and broadcaster. Berton wrote 50 best-selling books, mainly about Canadiana, Canadian history and popular culture. He also wr ...

*2000:

Shelagh Rogers Shelagh Rogers, OC, is a Canadian broadcast journalist based in British Columbia. She is the host and producer of CBC Radio One's '' The Next Chapter'', and former chancellor of the University of Victoria. Background Rogers grew up in Ottawa ...

Banff World Media Festival

*2001: ''not presented'' *2002: David Suzuki *2003: Jim Murray *2004:

Daryl Duke Daryl Duke (8 March 1929 – 21 October 2006) was a Canadian film and television director. Biography Duke was born at Vancouver, British Columbia, where he became one of CBC Television's earliest regional producers. His career continued with ...

*2005:

Vicki Gabereau Vicki Gabereau (born May 31, 1946) is a Canadian radio and television personality, best known for her longtime association with CBC Radio and her television talk show which aired on CTV from 1997 to 2005. Biography Vicki Frances Filion was born ...

*2006:

Wendy Mesley Wendy is a given name now generally given to girls in English-speaking countries. In Britain, Wendy appeared as a masculine name in a parish record in 1615. It was also used as a surname in Britain from at least the 17th century. Its popularity ...

*2008:

Carol Off Carol Off (born 1954/1955) is a Canadian journalist, commentator, and author associated with CBC Television and CBC Radio. Early life Off was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1954 or 1955. She moved to Ottawa at ten years old and later move ...

*2011:

Barbara Budd Barbara Budd (born May 23, 1951) is a Canadian actress, narrator and radio announcer. Between 1993 and April 30, 2010, she was the co-host of CBC Radio One's ''As It Happens''. Early life Budd was born in St. Catharines, Ontario. She studied th ...

*2014:

Mack Furlong Mack Furlong is an actor, writer and musician based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Furlong has been a frequent host of, and contributor to, CBC Radio programs. Along with Steven Palmer and Ed Riche, Furlong co-wrote and co-cr ...

"Mack Furlong Wins Actra’s 2014 John Drainie Award"
''The Overcast'', September 26, 2014.

References