The Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series or Program is an annual Canadian television award, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best supporting performance by an actress in a Canadian dramatic television series or television film. Previously presented as part of the Gemini Awards, since 2013 it has been presented as part of the Canadian Screen Awards.
Originally, only a single award for supporting actress was presented, without regard to the distinction between series, miniseries or television films. At the 10th Gemini Awards in 1995, separate awards were instituted for supporting actress in a television series and supporting actress in a television film or miniseries; the separate awards were presented until the Gemini Awards were merged into the Canadian Screen Awards, and since the 1st Canadian Screen Awards in 2012 there has again only been a single category presented for all three types of content.
In August 2022, the Academy announced that beginning with the 11th Canadian Screen Awards in 2023, a gender-neutral award for Best Supporting Performance in a Drama Program or Series will be presented.Joseph Pugh, "Canadian Screen Awards switching to gender-neutral performance categories". CBC News, August 25, 2022.
1980s Year Actress Series Ref 1986 1st Gemini Awards Colleen Dewhurst Anne of Green Gables "Green Gables big Gemini awards winner". Windsor Star, December 5, 1986. Anne Anglin Turning to Stone Sid Adilman, "Anne leads field in Geminis race". Toronto Star, October 16, 1986. Sharry Flett The Suicide Murders Jackie Richardson Turning to Stone 1987 2nd Gemini Awards Vivian Reis The Marriage Bed Bill Anderson, "Seeing Things shines in Gemini spotlight". Ottawa Citizen, December 10, 1987. Deborah Cass The Last Season John Haslett Cuff, "Seeing Things, Night Heat top Gemini nomination list". The Globe and Mail, October 22, 1987. Linda Griffiths Sword of Gideon Heather Thomas Ford: The Man and the Machine 1988 3rd Gemini Awards Colleen Dewhurst Anne of Avonlea "Gemini awards ceremony reveals surprising winners". Windsor Star, December 1, 1988. Rosemary Dunsmore Blades of Courage Henry Mietkiewicz, "Nominated for Canadian TV's best: The Gemini Awards". Toronto Star, October 13, 1988. Wendy Hiller Anne of Avonlea Helen Hughes The Kidnapping of Baby John Doe Sophie Léger Chasing Rainbows 1989 4th Gemini Awards Martha Gibson Two Men "Glory enough for all at CBC as docudrama wins 9 Geminis". Montreal Gazette, December 6, 1989. Marie-Christine Barrault No Blame "Banting series tops Gemini nominees". Edmonton Journal, October 26, 1989. Patricia Collins Two Men Nicky Guadagni The Squamish Five Robyn Stevan 9B
1990s Year Actress Film Ref 1990 5th Gemini Awards Ann-Marie MacDonald Where the Spirit Lives Antonia Zerbisias, "CBC celebrates at k.d.'s cafe as it sweeps Gemini awards". Toronto Star, December 4, 1990. Lally Cadeau Road to Avonlea "Canadian TV shows vie for Geminis". Edmonton Journal, October 4, 1990. Ocean Hellman Anything to Survive Sherry Miller E.N.G. Mary Beth Rubens E.N.G. 1991 6th Gemini Awards Sarah Polley Lantern Hill Christopher Harris, "CBC drama tops Gemini ceremonies: Journey into Darkness wins all six categories in which it was nominated". The Globe and Mail, March 9, 1992. Lally Cadeau Road to Avonlea "And the nominees are ...". Hamilton Spectator, March 7, 1992. Marion Gilsenan Getting Married in Buffalo Jump Sherry Miller E.N.G. Leah Pinsent The Little Kidnappers Gema Zamprogna Road to Avonlea 1992 7th Gemini Awards Brooke Johnson Conspiracy of Silence Wendy McCann, "CBC has big night at Gemini Awards". Waterloo Region Record, March 8, 1993. Lally Cadeau Road to Avonlea Catherine Disher Grand Larceny Patricia Hamilton Road to Avonlea Theresa Tova E.N.G. 1993 8th Gemini Awards Lise Roy The Boys of St. Vincent "CBC's Boys of St. Vincent wins two more Geminis". Montreal Gazette, March 6, 1994. Julie Khaner Street Legal Greg Quill, "The Gemini nominees are...". Toronto Star, January 26, 1994. Peggy McCay Woman on the Run: The Lawrencia Bembenek Story Jackie Richardson Catwalk Ashley Rogers Family of Strangers Susan Wright I'll Never Get to Heaven 1994 9th Gemini Awards Jennifer Phipps Coming of Age Tony Atherton, "Geminis come of age: Due South, Browning show score big". Ottawa Citizen, March 6, 1995. Cynthia Belliveau E.N.G. "Major Gemini Nominations". Toronto Star, January 18, 1995. Tina Louise Bomberry North of 60 Larissa Laskin Dieppe Gema Zamprogna Road to Avonlea 1995 10th Gemini Awards Dramatic Series Patricia Hamilton Road to Avonlea Eric Kohanik, "Geminis flock Due South". Windsor Star, March 4, 1996. Marilyn Lightstone Road to Avonlea "Major Gemini nominees; Awards gala to be broadcast March 3". Montreal Gazette, January 25, 1996. Janne Mortil Side Effects Mag Ruffman Road to Avonlea Cheryl Wilson Destiny Ridge Television Film or Miniseries Catherine Fitch Butterbox Babies Deborah Duchêne Forever Knight: "Curioser & Curioser" Frances Hyland Broken Lullaby Charmion King Broken Lullaby Kate Nelligan Million Dollar Babies 1996 11th Gemini Awards Dramatic Series Kay Tremblay Road to Avonlea "And the Gemini winners are ...". Ottawa Citizen, March 3, 1997. Janet Bailey Traders Christopher Harris, "CBC-TV tops Geminis: News, current affairs lead nominations". The Globe and Mail, January 15, 1997. Patricia Hamilton Road to Avonlea Terri Hawkes Traders Ramona Milano Due South Television Film or Miniseries Teresa Stratas Under the Piano Angela Featherstone Family of Cops Sabrina Grdevich Little Criminals Mimi Kuzyk Little Criminals Mary Walsh The Elf 1997 12th Gemini Awards Dramatic Series Robin Craig Wind at My Back John Mackay, "CBC piles up more honors on second Gemini night". Canadian Press, February 28, 1998. Janet Bailey Traders John McKay, "CBC's 5th Estate leads the pack for 1997". Canadian Press, January 13, 1998. Stacy Grant Madison Sabrina Grdevich Traders Kim Huffman Traders Television Film or Miniseries Jayne Eastwood Dangerous Offender: The Marlene Moore Story Patricia Gage Dangerous Offender: The Marlene Moore Story Brooke Johnson For Those Who Hunt the Wounded Down Elena Kudaba Peacekeepers Barbara Williams Breach of Faith: A Family of Cops 2 1998 13th Gemini Awards Dramatic Series Kim Huffman Traders John McKay, "Bach series continues Gemini streak". Canadian Press, October 3, 1998. Mary-Colin Chisholm Black Harbour John McKay, "CBC tops Gemini nominations but Bach doc gets single-show nod". Canadian Press, October 3, 1998. Patricia Collins The Rez Jessica Pellerin Emily of New Moon Alberta Watson Nikita Television Film or Miniseries Nicky Guadagni Major Crime Macha Grenon The Sleep Room Sarah Polley The Planet of Junior Brown Lynn Redgrave White Lies Gabrielle Rose The Sleep Room 1999 14th Gemini Awards Dramatic Series Marion Gilsenan Riverdale "Complete list of Gemini winners". Toronto Star, November 8, 1999. Jackie Burroughs More Tales of the City "Major Gemini Awards nominations". Toronto Star, September 22, 1999. Ramona Milano Due South Caterina Scorsone Power Play Sarah Strange Foolish Heart Television Film or Miniseries Sabrina Grdevich Milgaard Shannon Lawson Sleeping Dogs Lie Deanna Milligan Justice Mag Ruffman Happy Christmas, Miss King Leah Pinsent Win, Again!
2000s