They don't have a nickname yet (the Screenies?) but the inaugural Canadian Screen Awards attracted 2.9 million viewers throughout the CBC TV broadcast on Sunday night, with an average audience of 756,000 viewers.
"Um. Wow," CBC executive vice-president, English Services Kirstine Stewart tweeted after finding about the ratings, pointing out that 2.9 million viewers represents about 10 per cent of the population.
Hosted by Martin Short, the awards merged the former Gemini and Genie Awards, recognizing work in both television and film. Quebec film Rebelle/War Witch won 10 of its 12 nominations, including Best Motion Picture and Achievement in Direction for Kim Nguyen.
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On the TV side, Flashpoint won Best Dramatic Series and Heartland star Amber Marshall won the inaugural fans' choice award, dubbed Canada's Screen Star.
Beyond the TV ratings, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television reports the #CdnScreenAwards hashtag trended across Canada and in Los Angeles with 11.8 million impressions over the weekend.
"There's never been so much buzz about our films, our shows and our digital content," said Academy CEO Helga Stephenson in a statement, who added she was "delighted with the results."