The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role to the best performance by a supporting actor in a Canadian film.Maria Topalovich, And the Genie Goes To...: Celebrating 50 Years of the Canadian Film Awards. Stoddart Publishing, 2000. . The award was first presented in 1970 by the Canadian Film Awards, and was presented annually until 1978 with the exception of 1974 due to the cancellation of the awards that year.
From 1980 until 2012, the award was presented as part of the Genie Awards ceremony; since 2013, it has been presented as part of the new Canadian Screen Awards.
In August 2022, the Academy announced that it will discontinue its past practice of presenting gendered awards for film and television actors and actresses; beginning with the 11th Canadian Screen Awards in 2023, gender-neutral awards for Best Performance will be presented, with eight nominees per category instead of five.Joseph Pugh, "Canadian Screen Awards switching to gender-neutral performance categories". CBC News, August 25, 2022. Supporting performances are now honoured with the Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Film.
1970s Year Nominee Film Ref 197022nd Canadian Film Awards Gratien Gélinas Red 197123rd Canadian Film Awards Danny Freedman Fortune and Men's Eyes 197224th Canadian Film Awards Donald Pilon The True Nature of Bernadette (La Vraie Nature de Bernadette) 197325th Canadian Film Awards Willie Lamothe The Death of a Lumberjack (La Mort d'un bûcheron) 1974No award presented 197526th Canadian Film Awards Henry Beckman Why Rock the Boat? 197627th Canadian Film Awards Frank Moore The Far Shore 197728th Canadian Film Awards Jean Lapointe One Man 197829th Canadian Film Awards Henry Beckman Blood and Guts Michael Ironside I, Maureen "Four films nominated for Etrogs". The Globe and Mail, August 24, 1978. Robert MacKay I, Maureen
1980s Year Nominee Film Ref 1980 1st Genie Awards Gordon Pinsent Jack London's Klondike Fever Harvey Atkin Meatballs Jay Scott, "Changeling leads Canadian Film Award nominees". The Globe and Mail, February 8, 1980. Lawrence Dane Running Chris Makepeace Meatballs Saul Rubinek Agency Robert A. Silverman The Brood 1981 2nd Genie Awards Germain Houde Good Riddance (Les Bons débarras) Gabriel Arcand Suzanne Jay Scott, "Genie nominations released". The Globe and Mail, February 10, 1981. David Ferry The Hounds of Notre Dame Robert Joy Atlantic City, U.S.A. John Marley Tribute 1982 3rd Genie Awards Saul Rubinek Ticket to Heaven Nicholas Campbell The Amateur Jay Scott, "Les Plouffe, Ticket to Heaven lead the pack: Academy lists Genie nominees". The Globe and Mail, February 4, 1982. Émile Genest The Plouffe Family (Les Plouffe) Michael Ironside Scanners R. H. Thomson Ticket to Heaven 1983 4th Genie Awards R. H. Thomson If You Could See What I Hear Nicholas Campbell The Man in 5A Jay Scott, "Top Genie prospects for Jack Miner move". The Globe and Mail, February 10, 1983. Doug McGrath Porky's Gary Reineke The Grey Fox Wayne Robson The Grey Fox 1984 5th Genie Awards Michael Zelniker The Terry Fox Story Les Carlson Videodrome Jay Scott, "11 nominations for Chapdelaine in Genie race". The Globe and Mail, February 10, 1984. Pierre Curzi Maria Chapdelaine Peter Dvorsky Videodrome Kenneth Welsh Tell Me That You Love Me 1985 6th Genie Awards Alan Scarfe The Bay Boy John Cooper My Kind of Town Jay Scott, "Bay Boy reels in 11 Genie nominations". The Globe and Mail, February 15, 1985. Peter Donat The Bay Boy Donald Pilon The Crime of Ovide Plouffe (Le Crime d'Ovide Plouffe) Peter Spence Unfinished Business 1986 7th Genie Awards Alan Arkin Joshua Then and Now Richard Donat My American Cousin "Scorecard of major nominees for tonight's Genie Awards on TV". Toronto Star, March 20, 1986. Duncan Fraser Overnight Sam Grana 90 Days Sean Sullivan The Boy in Blue 1987 8th Genie Awards Gabriel Arcand The Decline of the American Empire (Le Déclin de l'empire américain) Robert Gravel Intimate Power (Pouvoir intime) John Allemang, "Arcand's Decline tops Genie nominations with 13". The Globe and Mail, February 5, 1987. Roland Hewgill John and the Missus Tom Jackson Loyalties Yves Jacques The Decline of the American Empire (Le Déclin de l'empire américain) 1988 9th Genie Awards Germain Houde Night Zoo (Un Zoo la nuit) Hrant Alianak Family Viewing Liam Lacey, "Quebec film picks up 14 nominations: Zoo paces race for Genies". The Globe and Mail, February 17, 1988. Leon Dubinsky Life Classes Tony Nardi Concrete Angels Murray Westgate Blue City Slammers 1989 10th Genie Awards Rémy Girard The Revolving Doors (Les Portes tournantes) Maury Chaykin Iron Eagle II Ron James Something About Love Michael Rudder Buying Time
1990s Year Nominee Film Ref 1990 11th Genie Awards Rémy Girard Jesus of Montreal (Jésus de Montréal) Don McKellar Roadkill "Bye Bye Blues in running for Genie Awards". Vancouver Sun, February 14, 1990. Michael Ontkean Bye Bye Blues Gilles Pelletier Jesus of Montreal (Jésus de Montréal) Wayne Robson Bye Bye Blues 1991 12th Genie Awards August Schellenberg Black Robe Michael Hogan Diplomatic Immunity Craig MacInnis, "Too many jokers, not enough aces: Genie deck stacked for Black Robe". Toronto Star, November 24, 1991. Julien Poulin The Party (Le Party) Michael Riley Diplomatic Immunity Paul Soles Falling Over Backwards 1992 13th Genie Awards Michael Hogan Solitaire Jean-Guy Bouchard Requiem for a Handsome Bastard (Requiem pour un beau sans-coeur) "Genie Award nominations". Toronto Star, November 20, 1992. Tano Cimarosa The Saracen Woman (La Sarrasine) Robbie Coltrane Oh, What a Night Andrew Miller Oh, What a Night 1993 14th Genie Awards Kevin Tighe I Love a Man in Uniform Jim Byrnes Harmony Cats "Genie nominations". Calgary Herald, October 20, 1993. Yvan Canuel La Florida Tobie Pelletier The Sex of the Stars (Le Sexe des étoiles) Christopher Plummer Impolite 1994 15th Genie Awards Don McKellar Exotica Matthew Ferguson Love and Human Remains Scott Kraft For the Moment Callum Keith Rennie Double Happiness Michel Rivard My Friend Max (Mon amie Max) 1995 16th Genie Awards Kenneth Welsh Margaret's Museum Robert Brouillette Eldorado "Nominees for the 1995 Genie Awards". Canadian Press, November 7, 1995. David Fox When Night Is Falling Clark Johnson Rude Aubert Pallascio Black List (Liste noire) 1996 17th Genie Awards Peter Donaldson Long Day's Journey into Night Alexander Chapman Lilies "Over-the-edge Canadian films poised for Genie nod". Canadian Press, November 24, 1996. James Hyndman Rowing Through Sean McCann Swann Ron White Screamers 1997 18th Genie Awards Peter MacNeill The Hanging Garden Frédéric Desager The Countess of Baton Rouge (La Comtesse de Bâton Rouge) Hardee T. Lineham Shoemaker Tom McCamus The Sweet Hereafter 1998 19th Genie Awards Callum Keith Rennie Last Night Kurush Deboo Such a Long Journey "Two films lead Genie pack". Waterloo Region Record, December 8, 1998. Michael Riley Pale Saints Saul Rubinek Pale Saints George Wendt Rupert's Land 1999 20th Genie Awards Mark McKinney Dog Park Gabriel Arcand The Big Snake of the World (Le Grand Serpent du monde) James Frain Sunshine William Hurt Sunshine Alex Ivanovici Winter Stories (Histoires d'hiver)
2000s Year Nominee Film Ref 2000 21st Genie Awards Martin Cummins Love Come Down "Maelstrom sweeps Genie Awards". Cape Breton Post, January 31, 2001. Ian Bannen To Walk with Lions Nicholas Campbell New Waterford Girl Patrick Huard Life After Love (La Vie après l'amour) Jean-Nicolas Verreault Maelström 2001 22nd Genie Awards Vincent Gale Last Wedding Loren Dean The War Bride "Atanarjuat and The War Bride share lead for Genie Awards". Guelph Mercury, December 15, 2001. Michel Forget The Woman Who Drinks (La Femme qui boit) Julian Richings The Claim Tom Scholte Last Wedding 2002 23rd Genie Awards Elias Koteas Ararat Ranjit Chowdhry Bollywood/Hollywood "Egoyan's Ararat scoops nine Gemini nominations". Timmins Daily Press, December 12, 2002. Dominic Darceuil Inside (Histoire de pen) Brendan Fletcher Turning Paige Gabriel Gascon The Marsh (Le Marais) 2003 24th Genie Awards Stéphane Rousseau The Barbarian Invasions (Les Invasions barbares) Benoît Brière Seducing Doctor Lewis (La Grande séduction) Roy Dupuis Séraphin: Heart of Stone (Séraphin: un homme et son péché) David Hayman The Wild Dogs Christopher Plummer Blizzard 2004 25th Genie Awards Jean Lapointe The Last Tunnel (Le Dernier tunnel) Peter Howell, "Quebec films rule Genies; Aging Triplets named country's best film of 2004". Toronto Star, March 22, 2005. Gary Farmer Twist "Being Julia up for best picture at Canada's Genies". St. Catharines Standard, February 9, 2005. Brendan Fehr Sugar Bruce Greenwood Being Julia Kyle MacLachlan Touch of Pink 2005 26th Genie Awards Denis Bernard Audition (L'Audition) Rémy Girard Aurore Guy Dixon, "Forget the awards. Watch the party". The Globe and Mail, January 26, 2006. Gordon Pinsent Saint Ralph Campbell Scott Saint Ralph Bernard Starlight Hank Williams First Nation 2006 27th Genie Awards Stephen McHattie The Rocket (Maurice Richard) Jay Stone, "Bon Cop, Bad Cop wins top Genie as best movie". Ottawa Citizen, February 14, 2007. Hugh Dillon Trailer Park Boys: The Movie Randall King, "The Rocket scores with 13 Genie nominations". Winnipeg Free Press, January 10, 2007. Robert Joy Whole New Thing Lester Chit-Man Chan Eve and the Fire Horse Michel Muller The Little Book of Revenge (Guide de la petite vengeance) 2007 28th Genie Awards Armin Mueller-Stahl Eastern Promises Mark Medley, "Away From Her scoops six Genies, including best picture". Alaska Highway News, March 5, 2008. Danny Glover Poor Boy's Game Bruce Kirkland, "They dream of Genies; Canadian directors see films scoop 12 noms each". Winnipeg Sun, January 29, 2008. Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge The 3 L'il Pigs (Les 3 p'tits cochons) Michel-Ange Nzojibwami Shake Hands With the Devil Gilbert Sicotte Continental, a Film Without Guns (Continental, un film sans fusil) 2008 29th Genie Awards Callum Keith Rennie Normal Normand D'Amour Everything Is Fine (Tout est parfait) Benoît McGinnis Le Banquet Rade Šerbedžija Fugitive Pieces Max von Sydow Emotional Arithmetic 2009 30th Genie Awards Maxim Gaudette Polytechnique Patrick Drolet Father and Guns (De père en flic) John Dunsworth Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day Rémy Girard Father and Guns (De père en flic) Scott Speedman Adoration
2010s