Canada merges 2 entertainment awards

Separate awards for Canadian films and television production are being merged into one, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television said Tuesday. The new Canadian Screen Awards will combine the 26-year old Gemini Awards for television and the 63-year-old Genie Awards for film, academy officials announced at a Toronto new conference. The new awards will incorporate digital media, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported. There were more than 20 categories in the Genie awards and more than 100 for the Gemini awards. It wasn't immediately disclosed how the new award categories would be determined. Academy Chief Executive Officer Helga Stephenson told reporters the first presentations will take place in a 2-hour ceremony March 3 and broadcast live on the CBC, with Martin Short as host. The Toronto Star said that date is "just a week after the Oscars are handed out, while viewers are still in awards-season spirit." The new award does not yet have a nickname, Stephenson said. "We believe that a nickname for the statue may emerge over time as it has for other major awards in the world," she said.