Anne, Schitt’s Creek lead Screen noms

CBC series Anne with an E and Schitt’s Creek are the leading nominees for this year’s Canadian Screen Awards.

Each show has15 nominations for the awards, which honour Canadian talent in film, television and digital media.

Anne with an E is up for trophies including best drama series and best actress for Amybeth McNulty, who stars as the young Prince Edward Island heroine from Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic novel.

Schitt’s Creek’s nominations include best comedy series and acting nods for the main stars, who play a riches-to-rags family — Eugene Levy, Daniel Levy, Catherine O’Hara and Annie Murphy. Both Anne with an E and Schitt’s Creek also stream on Netflix and have been gaining international buzz.

On the film side, the leading contenders are from Quebec: Maxime Giroux’s allegorical drama The Great Darkened Days and Daniel Roby’s disaster thriller Just a Breath Away, with eight nominations apiece.

Both are contenders in best picture and best director. Giroux’s film is about a draft dodger from Quebec who takes refuge in the American West; Just a Breath Away follows a couple trying to save their daughter from a toxic gas cloud in Paris.

Also in the running for best picture are the post-apocalyptic Genesis directed by Freddie Hutton-Mills, coming-of-age drama A Colony from Geneviève Dulude-De Celles, and Sophie Dupuis’ Montreal crime story Family First.

The other best drama series contenders announced Thursday are City’s Bad Blood, OMNI’s Blood and Water, CBC’s Frankie Drake Mysteries and History’s Vikings.

The best comedy series category is rounded out by CraveTV’s Letterkenny, CBC’s Mr. D and Workin’ Moms, and OMNI’s Second Jen.

Other major nominees this year include season 2 of CTV’s crime drama Cardinal, titled “Blackfly Season,” which has 14 nods including best limited series or program.

CBC News: The National has 13 nominations, while Global’s end-of-life drama Mary Kills People and CBC’s parenting comedy Workin’ Moms have nine nods each.

The Canadian Screen Awards will air from Toronto on CBC on March 31.

STEVE SCOTT THE CANADIAN PRESS FILE PHOTO Cory Gruter-Andrew, left, Amybeth McNulty and Dalila Bela in Anne with an E., which tied Schitt’s Creek for the most Canadian Screen Award nominations this year. McNulty is up for best actress.