The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (Canadian Academy) has unveiled its first round of 2025 Special Awards recipients, including producer and writer Marsha Greene, actor Manny Jacinto, Cineplex President & CEO Ellis Jacob, Oscar-winning feature film producer Denise Robert, and long-running CBC sketch comedy show This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
They’ll be recognized for their outstanding contributions to the Canadian and international screen-based industries at the 2025 Canadian Screen Awards, taking place in Toronto, Friday, May 30 to Sunday, June 1.
Jacob and Robert will receive the Academy Board of Directors’ Tribute Award, honouring Canadian individuals for their extraordinary impact on the growth of the Canadian media industry. Jacob, who was appointed President & CEO of Cineplex in 2003, co-founded Galaxy Entertainment in 1999. He also served as Head of Integration for Alliance Atlantis Communications, and held leadership roles with Cineplex Odeon. Robert has produced over 45 feature films that have won more than 130 awards, including an Oscar for Denys Arcand’s Les invasions barbares, with 33 of her films surpassing $1 million at the box office.
Greene is being recognized with the Changemaker Award, presented by Insight Productions, which recognizes and honours those in the media community using their voice or platform to call out systemic racism and discrimination, supporting and amplifying the voices of those actively engaged in anti-racist work, and seeking structural transformations in media, film, and television in Canada that promote values of equity and inclusion. Greene was recently the co-creator and showrunner of Emmy-nominated series The Porter for CBC and BET+, which won a record 12 Canadian Screen Awards. She previously served as a showrunner on Lifetime’s Mary Kills People, a co-EP on CBC’s Coroner, and a producer on ABC series 10 Days in the Valley.
Actor Manny Jacinto will be presented with the Radius Award, presented by MADE | NOUS, honouring an artist from Canada whose work is leaving a resounding global impact. Jacinto most recently starred in the Star Wars series The Acolyte, the second most-watched show on Disney+ in 2024. Upcoming projects will see him star as the male lead in Freakier Friday, and in independent romantic comedy Love Language. Other film credits include I Want You Back, Top Gun: Maverick, and Bad Times at the El Royale.
This Hour Has 22 Minutes, the longest-running TV comedy series in Canadian history, is being recognized with the Sustainable Production Award, presented by CBC, awarded to a production that has shown excellence in sustainable production and has had a measurable reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and/or innovations in circularity and contributed positively to the Canadian media landscape and local communities.
“This year’s Special Award recipients have left an enduring impact on both the big and small screens, shaping Canadian storytelling with their creativity, innovation, and commitment,” said Canadian Academy CEO Tammy Frick, in an announcement. “These honourees represent the incredible talent and strength of our homegrown creative community, and we are excited to celebrate their achievements at the 2025 Canadian Screen Awards.”
