Da Vinci's Inquest dominated this weekend's Leo Awards, winning prizes in four of the 13 categories for which the TV series was nominated, including best dramatic series, best screenwriter and best performance for actors Nicholas Campbell and Deanne Henry.
"It is very important," the show's producer Lynn Barr said of the three-year-old awards event, which honours achievement in British Columbia film and television and attracted more than 500 guests to Saturday's elegant dinner ceremony at the Hotel Vancouver. "There are so many productions in Vancouver that come from all over the world. It's nice to recognize our own."
The award for best feature-length drama went to Lynne Stopkewich's Suspicious River. The film, set for release in August, also won nods for best cinematography and best male performance (Callum Keith Rennie).
Teen actress Alexandra Purvis edged out veteran actress Helen Shaver and rising Hollywood star Molly Parker to take home the best female performance award for her role in Anne Wheeler's Marine Life.
Michael Parker's Lunch with Charles also fared well in the film category, capturing awards for best director, screenwriting and musical score.
Other multiple award winners included:
Jessica Bradford's short drama When I Was Seven -- best short drama, director, and overall sound.
Robert Duncan's documentary Beaverbrook: The Various Lives of Max Aitken -- best documentary and screenwriter.
Global Television's Big Sound -- best music, comedy or variety program or series, musical score, and performance by Deanna Milligan.
The NFB's Flipping the World: Drugs Through a Blue Lens -- best youth program, director and screenwriter.
CTV's Vicki Gabereau -- best talk series and host.
The evening also included a coup for the CBC, which won an outstanding achievement award, along with the best news package award for its new nightly Vancouver-based national news program, Canada Now.
BCTV's Tony Parsons took home the anchor award.
Alexandra Gill