Gemini Award for Individual Performance in a Comedy Program or Series

The Gemini Award for Best Individual Performance in a Comedy Program or Series is a defunct award category, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television from 2001 to 2010 as part of its Gemini Awards program.

When the Gemini Awards were first introduced in 1986, awards were presented for Best Actor in a Comedy Series and Best Actress in a Comedy Series."Green Gables big Gemini awards winner". Windsor Star, December 5, 1986. However, as Canadian television comedy was dominated in that era primarily by sketch comedy, comedy-drama or stand-up performance shows, rather than traditional sitcoms, comedy performance categories were discontinued after the 2nd Gemini Awards in 1987;Mike Boone, "No drama in Gemini comedy category - no comedy either". Montreal Gazette, December 5, 1989. for the next few years, performances in comedy-drama shows were eligible to be nominated in the drama performance categories, while sketch comedy performers could be nominated for Best Performance in a Variety or Performing Arts Program or Series.

Beginning with the 6th Gemini Awards in 1992, the Academy introduced a single award for Best Performance in a Comedy Program or Series, whose winners or nominees could be either an individual or an ensemble;"And the nominees are..." Hamilton Spectator, March 7, 1992. separate awards for individual performance and ensemble performance were then introduced for the 16th Gemini Awards in 2001."CTV's Nuremberg leads Gemini nominations". The Telegram, September 18, 2001.

After 2010, with the reemergence of scripted comedy series in Canadian television, the category was discontinued. Separate categories for Best Actor in a Comedy Series and Best Actress in a Comedy Series were reintroduced, alongside new categories for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, as of the 26th Gemini Awards in 2011. Since 2012, all four of the separate categories have continued to be presented as part of the contemporary Canadian Screen Awards.

Winners and nominees

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! style="width:8%;"| Year

! style="width:19%;"| Actor

! style="width:19%;"| Series

! style="width:2%;"| Ref

rowspan="6" align="center"| 2001
16th Gemini Awards
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| Jason Rouse

| Comedy Now!

| Doug Foley, "Hamilton comic earns himself a Gemini". Hamilton Spectator, October 30, 2001.

Glen Foster

| Comedy Now!

| rowspan=4|

Jessica Holmes

| Comedy Now!

Shaun Majumder

| Halifax Comedy Festival

Jonathan Torrens

| Jonovision

rowspan="5" align="center"| 2002
17th Gemini Awards
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| Bette MacDonald

| Halifax Comedy Festival

| Marla Cranston, "Gemini dream: Local TV productions win bushel of awards". Halifax Daily News, November 5, 2002.

Jayne Eastwood

| The Endless Grind

| rowspan=3| Bonnie Malleck, "Gemini Awards honour best on Canadian TV". Waterloo Region Record, November 4, 2002.

Peter Keleghan

| Royal Canadian Air Farce

Nikki Payne

| Halifax Comedy Festival

rowspan="6" align="center"| 2003
18th Gemini Awards
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| Brian Hartt

| Winnipeg Comedy Festival

| "Degrassi kids win cool awards at Geminis". Winnipeg Free Press, October 20, 2003.

Omid Djalili

| Just for Laughs

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Leonie Forbes

| Lord Have Mercy!

Linda Kash

| Made in Canada

Nikki Payne

| Comedy Now!

rowspan="6" align="center"| 2004
19th Gemini Awards
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| Gavin Crawford

| This Hour Has 22 Minutes: "Episode 4"

| J. Kelly Nestruck, "Human Cargo tops Gemini list". Ottawa Citizen, December 14, 2004.

Gavin Crawford

| The Gavin Crawford Show: "Oh the Huge Manatee"

| rowspan=4| "Human Cargo earns 17 Gemini noms". Timmins Daily Press, October 28, 2004.

Roman Danylo

| Comedy Inc.

Shaun Majumder

| Comedy from the Coast

Russell Peters

| Comedy Now!

rowspan="6" align="center"| 2005
20th Gemini Awards
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| Mary Walsh

| Hatching, Matching and Dispatching

| John McKay, "Cancelled series captures four Gemini awards". St. Catharines Standard, November 19, 2005.

Irwin Barker

| Halifax Comedy Festival

| rowspan=4| Alex Strachan, "Eleventh Hour garners 15 Gemini nominations". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, November 19, 2005.

Lewis Black

| Just for Laughs

Colin Fox

| Puppets Who Kill: "Buttons the Dresser"

Levi MacDougall

| Comedy Now!

rowspan="7" align="center"| 2006
21st Gemini Awards
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| Mark McKinney

| Robson Arms: "A Material Breach"

| Alex Strachan, "Slings & Arrows grabs six Geminis". Edmonton Journal, November 5, 2006.

Brigitte Bako

| G-Spot: "HBO"

| rowspan=5| "Cancelled CBC drama gets 12 Gemini nods". Waterloo Region Record, August 30, 2006.

Danny Bhoy

| Just for Laughs

Derek Edwards

| Halifax Comedy Festival

Jeremy Hotz

| Just for Laughs

Richard Waugh

| Jimmy MacDonald's Canada: "The Lost Episodes: The Canadian Sexplosion"

rowspan="6" align="center"| 2007
22nd Gemini Awards
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| Phyllis Ellis

| The Wilkinsons: "I Don't Want to Lose You to LA"

| Andrew Ryan, "Slings & Arrows, Corner Gas dominate Geminis". The Globe and Mail, October 29, 2007.

John Cleese

| Just for Laughs

| rowspan=4| Brad Oswald, "Gemini Awards evening a fabulous flatland affair". Winnipeg Free Press, October 29, 2007.

Elvira Kurt

| Halifax Comedy Festival: "Episode 3"

Rick Mercer

| Rick Mercer Report: "Episode 5"

Teresa Pavlinek

| The Jane Show: "House of Jane"

rowspan="6" align="center"| 2008
23rd Gemini Awards
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| Jo Koy

| Just for Laughs

| Alex Strachan, "'Tudors,' 'Mayerthorpe' win; Geminis handed out for best drama, lead actors and comedy". Nanaimo Daily News, October 24, 2008.

Natalie Brown

| Sophie: "Door Number Two"

| rowspan=4| "Full list of Gemini Award nominees". Winnipeg Free Press, August 26, 2008.

Louis C.K.

| Just for Laughs

Jon Dore

| The Jon Dore Television Show: "Jon Gets Scared"

Ian Sirota

| Comedy Inc.: "Episode 4x03"

rowspan="6" align="center"| 2009
24th Gemini Awards
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| Debra DiGiovanni

| Halifax Comedy Festival

| Joseph Chin, [https://www.mississauga.com/whatson-story/4301262--late-bloomer-digiovanni-brings-her-humour-to-lac/ "‘Late bloomer’ DiGiovanni brings her humour to LAC"]. Mississauga News, January 6, 2014.

Benjamin Arthur

| Less Than Kind: "Pakikisama"

| rowspan=4| "Gemini nominees". Toronto Star, August 26, 2009.

Jon Dore

| The Jon Dore Television Show: "Jon Does Drugs"

Terry McGurrin

| Comedy Now!: "Comedy Now! starring Terry McGurrin"

Brooke Palsson

| Less Than Kind: "French Is My Kryptonite"

rowspan="6" align="center"| 2010
25th Gemini Awards
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| Benjamin Arthur

| Less Than Kind: "That's Somebody's Knish!"

| "List of winners at the 2010 Gemini Awards celebrating the best in Canadian TV: List of 2010 Gemini Award gala winners". Canadian Press, November 13, 2010.

Lisa Durupt

| Less Than Kind: "Road Trip"

| rowspan=4| Brad Oswald, "Geminis kind to Less Than Kind". Winnipeg Free Press, November 13, 2010.

Wendel Meldrum

| Less Than Kind: "I Am Somewhere"

Rick Mercer

| Rick Mercer Report: "Episode 1"

Pete Zedlacher

| Just for Laughs

References