The Gemini Award for Best Performance in a Comedy Program or Series (Individual or Ensemble) is a defunct award category, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television from 1992 to 2000 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. however, the award was almost always won by an ensemble, with the cast of the sketch comedy series This Hour Has 22 Minutes winning it five of the ten times it was presented. 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, 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 Year Actor Series Ref 1992 6th Gemini Awards Sandra Shamas Adrienne Clarkson Presents: "Spitting Nickels"| "Here are major winners of the 1992 Gemini Awards". Toronto Star, March 9, 1992. |- | George Buza | Maniac Mansion | rowspan=3| "And the nominees are...". Hamilton Spectator, March 7, 1992. |- | Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, Scott Thompson | The Kids in the Hall |- | Tommy Sexton, Greg Malone, Cathy Jones, Mary Walsh, Andy Jones | CODCO |- | rowspan="4" align="center"| 1993 7th Gemini Awards |- style="background:#FAEB86;" | Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, Scott Thompson| The Kids in the Hall "Gemini winners". Edmonton Journal, March 8, 1993. Mike MacDonald My House, My Rules Greg Quill, "CBC on Gemini trail via Road To Avonlea". Toronto Star, January 20, 1993. Radio Free Vestibule Just for Laughs 1994 8th Gemini Awards Tommy Sexton, Greg Malone, Cathy Jones, Mary Walsh CODCO "Sunday's Gemini winners". Edmonton Journal, March 7, 1994. Luba Goy, Roger Abbott, Don Ferguson, John Morgan 1992: Year of the Farce Greg Quill, "The Gemini nominees are...". Toronto Star, January 26, 1994. Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, Scott Thompson The Kids in the Hall Steve Smith The Red Green Show 1995 9th Gemini Awards Greg Thomey, Mary Walsh, Cathy Jones, Rick Mercer This Hour Has 22 Minutes "The winners at yesterday's Gemini Awards gala". Montreal Gazette, March 6, 1995. Luba Goy, Roger Abbott, Don Ferguson, John Morgan Royal Canadian Air Farce "Gemini Awards '95 -- the major nominees". Edmonton Journal, January 18, 1995. Dan Redican The Dan Redican Comedy Hour Tim Steeves Comics! 1996 10th Gemini Awards Greg Thomey, Mary Walsh, Cathy Jones, Rick Mercer This Hour Has 22 Minutes Tony Atherton, "Six Geminis for Due South: Mountie in Chicago drama most honored show of the year". Calgary Herald, March 4, 1996. Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, Scott Thompson The Kids in the Hall "Major Gemini nominees; Awards gala to be broadcast March 3". Montreal Gazette, January 25, 1996. Luba Goy, Roger Abbott, Don Ferguson, John Morgan Royal Canadian Air Farce Karen Hines, Wayne Flemming, Jeremy Hotz, Mark Farrell, Ken Finkleman, Rosemary Radcliffe, Robert Cait, Angela Asher Married Life Patrick McKenna The Red Green Show 1997 11th Gemini Awards Greg Thomey, Mary Walsh, Cathy Jones, Rick Mercer This Hour Has 22 Minutes "Due South, 22 Minutes earn Geminis". Halifax Daily News, March 3, 1997. Luba Goy, Roger Abbott, Don Ferguson, John Morgan Royal Canadian Air Farce Christopher Harris, "CBC-TV tops Geminis News, current affairs lead nominations". The Globe and Mail, January 15, 1997. Russell Peters Comics! Steve Smith The Red Green Show Shawn Thompson One Minute to Air 1998 (1) 12th Gemini Awards Ken Finkleman, Tanya Allen, Mark Farrell, Jeremy Hotz, Peter Keleghan The Newsroom: "The Campaign" John McKay, "Hiroshima, Traders dominate Geminis final night". Canadian Press, March 1, 1998. Dave Broadfoot Dave Broadfoot: Old Enough To Say What I Want "Gemini Nominations". Calgary Herald, January 14, 1998. Luba Goy, Roger Abbott, Don Ferguson, John Morgan Royal Canadian Air Farce John Rogers Comedy Now! Greg Thomey, Mary Walsh, Cathy Jones, Rick Mercer This Hour Has 22 Minutes 1998 (2) 13th Gemini Awards Patrick McKenna, Steve Smith The Red Green Show John McKay, "Traders star basks in double Gemini win". Hamilton Spectator, October 6, 1998. Brent Butt Comedy Now! John McKay, "CBC tops Gemini nominations but Bach doc gets single-show nod". Canadian Press, August 11, 1998. Luba Goy, Roger Abbott, Don Ferguson, John Morgan Royal Canadian Air Farce Ellie Harvie The Improv Comedy Olympics Ronnie Edwards, Kedar Brown, Kenny Robinson, Satori Shakoor Thick and Thin Greg Thomey, Mary Walsh, Cathy Jones, Rick Mercer This Hour Has 22 Minutes 1999 14th Gemini Awards Greg Thomey, Mary Walsh, Cathy Jones, Rick Mercer This Hour Has 22 Minutes "Milgaard, Da Vinci top Gemini Awards: The stars come out to honour the best in Canadian TV". Chatham Daily News, November 8, 1999. Tom Green The Tom Green Show "Major Gemini Awards nominations". Toronto Star, September 22, 1999. Shaun Majumder Comedy Now! Leah Pinsent, Peter Keleghan, Dan Lett, Rick Mercer Made in Canada: "A Death in the Family" Bob Robertson, Linda Cullen Double Exposure 2000 15th Gemini Awards Greg Thomey, Mary Walsh, Cathy Jones, Rick Mercer This Hour Has 22 Minutes Michael Posner, "Teasdale Story captures 5 Geminis". The Globe and Mail, October 31, 2000. Dave Broadfoot David Broadfoot: Old Dog, New Tricks "Gemini Nominations". Toronto Star, October 29, 2000. Gavin Crawford Comedy Now! Patrick McKenna, Jerry Schaefer, Wayne Robson, Steve Smith, Peter Keleghan, Bob Bainborough, Jeff Lumby, Joel Harris, Graham Greene The Red Green Show Harland Williams Comedy Now!
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