“This year we are thrilled to celebrate our talented voice performers at the ACTRA Awards in Toronto and shine a spotlight on our youth members with the introduction of the Youth Voice category. In 2025, we will applaud our members’ outstanding voice performances in everything from animation productions, narration and an audio play.”
Kate Ziegler, ACTRA Toronto President
(12-minute read)
Outstanding Performance – Gender Non-conforming or Female Voice
Anne in Deceitful Above All Things (Favour The Brave Collective and Thought For Food Productions)
Genevieve Adam is a graduate of the George Brown Theatre School and holds an MFA from East15 Acting School in the UK.
Selected acting credits include Ginny & Georgia, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Mrs. America, The Handmaid’s Tale, Stag&Doe (Capitol Theatre), Annabel (BBC4), Measure for Measure (Thought for Food) and Recall (Toronto Fringe) – for which she was nominated as Outstanding Actress.
As a playwright, her works have garnered nominations at the Doras (Heartless, Aki Studios), SummerWorks (Deceitful Above All Things: Outstanding New Play, Best Emerging Artist), Playwright’s Guild (Heratio, Tom Hendry Comedy) and Toronto Fringe (If the Shoe Fits, New Writing). Her play Dark Heart was named one of the top theatrical productions of 2018 by the Toronto Star.
An audio version of her New France trilogy can currently be heard on the Stratford Festival’s Stratfest@Home digital platform.
Genevieve is also the poet behind the whimsical #haikusofthepandemic series.
www.genevieveadam.com
Sophia Mendoza in Unicorn Academy, “The Vision Pool” (Spin Master Entertainment)
Sara Garcia is a Latina/Lebanese and queer actress whose star is quickly rising within the industry. Her impressive roster of performances is a testament to her innate ability to form and embody diverse and compelling characters. Previous credits include; a two season run on CW’s beloved superhero series The Flash, a leading role in Hallmark’s Ride. Garcia’s animation work is extensive with voice credits that include the leading role of “Sophia Mendoza” on Netflix’s Unicorn Academy (for which she is a two-time Canadian Screen Award nominee for Best Voice Performance), Netflix’s My Little Pony franchise, a leading role on Open Season: Call of Nature, and two seasons of Amazon Prime’s Gary & His Demons. Sara has also voiced videogame franchises, Far Cry 6, Starlink: Battle for Atlas and The Division.
Sara can currently be seen in the series leading role of “Jennifer Morales” in NBC’s The Hunting Party!
Isabel Armstrong in Unicorn Academy, “Under the Fairy Moon” (Spin Master Entertainment)
Gabbi Kosmidis is a gender-fluid and queer, multidisciplinary performer, actor, minstrel, and clown. They feel grateful to work in all mediums including film, TV, voice-over and theatre. Some recent credits include: Gracie in Night of the Zoopocalypse, in theatres North America-wide, Isabel in Unicorn Academy (Netflix), Caroline Stewart in Fellow Travelers (Paramount+/Showtime), Makira in Assassin’s Creed: Mirage (Ubisoft), and Billy/Puppeteer in The Last Mammoth (Good Old Neon). Gabbi grew up in Saronida, Greece, running wild and scabby kneed by the sea and they are always trying to get back to that place of freedom and play. They enjoy outdoor adventures, fish tacos, the ocean, figs, mischief, foolin’ around and boogying down. Gabbi is always looking to collaborate and create new work, so if you’re into that… hit up @gabbikosmidis Special thanks to my family, my sweet Sapphires and dogs…all of them. ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ
Ava Banji in Unicorn Academy, “Star Showers” (Spin Master Entertainment)
Sadie Laflamme-Snow is a Canadian actor best known for playing Alice Dhawan on The Way Home (Hallmark Channel), which is set to return for its highly anticipated fourth season in 2026. Other select credits include Ava in Unicorn Academy (Netflix), Verdi Botticelli in Slasher: Ripper (Shudder) and Anne Egerman in Stephen Sondheims’s A Little Night Music at Koerner Hall. She is a graduate of The National Theatre School of Canada’s acting program.
Valentina Furi in Unicorn Academy, “Mounting Pressure” (Spin Master Entertainment)
Kari Wong is an actor, dancer, and singer. She is a proud Chinese-Filipina, born and raised in Markham, Ontario. Having been named after the Digimon character, it was only fitting for her to pursue performing. Kari is a fiery, passionate and open hearted artist and is always ready to try new things with excitement and “pizzazz.” She has a deep love for musical theatre and is focusing on honing her craft by continuing to learn new techniques. She is fluent in American Sign Language and is enthusiastic about sharing what she knows with others to make the world more accessible.
Kari is best known for her roles in Unicorn Academy (Netflix), PJ Masks (Disney +), Reverse 1999 (One Line Studios), and Lyla in the Loop (PBS).
She never misses a chance to spend time with friends and family and always volunteers to host karaoke night 😉
Outstanding Performance – Gender Non-conforming or Male Voice
Chase in Total Drama Island, “Paddle Field Earth” (Fresh TV Inc.)
Julius Cho is a CSA-nominated Canadian actor, voice artist, and performer, renowned for his versatile roles in both live-action and animated projects. He is best known for portraying Jean Luc on CTV’s Children Ruin Everything, as well as Yoshi in Netflix’s Wedding Season. Julius made his SXSW debut with the acclaimed film Sweetness, showcasing his range in both dramatic and comedic roles. In addition to his on-screen success, he has lent his voice to popular animated series such as Paw Patrol, Total Drama Island, My Little Pony, and Bakugan. With a career that spans television, film, and voice work, Julius continues to captivate audiences with his dynamic performances and is quickly becoming one of Canada’s most exciting talents.
Elliot in Open Season: Call of Nature, “Playing Dead” (9 Story Media Group, Brown Bag Films)
Josh is an award-winning and nominated actor, who entered the arts and entertainment scene after achieving success in the early days of YouTube. He has consistently worked towards becoming a respected Toronto voice artist, lending his voice to various series and films, including Go, Dog, Go!, the Paw Patrol Movie, My Little Pony, Bakugan, Night of the Zoopocalypse, and more. He is unbelievably proud to be nominated with the other super talented nominees and represent the amazing group of people who worked so hard to bring the Open Season: Call of Nature series to life.
Sonic the Hedgehog in Sonic Prime, “From the Top” (WildBrain and SEGA)
From the shyest kid in school to one of Toronto and Vancouver’s most in-demand animation voice performers, Deven Mack made the unexpected leap from online cartoons to the television world in 2006.
A Mississauga native of Caribbean descent, Deven began his professional career as Lab Rat in YTV’s Grossology series at age 17. His numerous roles to date include Chef Hatchet in Total Drama Island, Thanos in LEGO Marvel Avengers, Falcon in Marvel Superhero Adventures, Chuck in Angry Birds: Summer Madness and Durant, Joachim and Volk in Nintendo’s Dragalia Lost.
Also an accomplished voice director, Deven cast and directed 2012’s award-winning indie game, Dust: an Elysian Tail. Assembling a cast of 40 actors from six different countries, he helped pioneer large-scale remote voice records in the pre-pandemic era. He has most recently directed Builder Brothers: Dream Factory and PBS Kids‘ Lyla in the Loop.
When not performing, directing or mentoring younger talents, Deven has gained notoriety as a pie-baking, basketball and raccoon enthusiast.
Rory Carmichael in Unicorn Academy, “The Wrong Crowd” (Spin Master Entertainment)
Kolton Stewart is well known for his role on the hit Netflix/YTV television series Some Assembly Required playing the role of Jarvis. He won “Best Performance in a TV Series – Leading Young Actor” at the 36th Annual Young Artist Awards (YAA) in Los Angeles, joining the likes of Brad Pitt, Zac Efron, and Leonardo DiCaprio as a recipient of the prestigious award. Since then, Kolton has gone on to have an illustrious Film/TV career with credits including Disenchanted, Sneakerella, My Life With The Walter Boys, Locke and Key, The Expanse, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 and Unicorn Academy (Voiceover). Kolton is also a theatre actor with credits including Disney’s The Lion King as Young Simba on the Broadway National Tour, and playing the lead role of Roger in RENT at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in 2023.
Series Narrator, Secrets in the Ice, “Antarctic Island Mysteries” (Shark Teeth Films)
Jeff Teravainen is a versatile Canadian actor and voice artist. He gained recognition for his roles as Deputy Labelle in Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving, Lieutenant Anders in Dark Matter, and the main antagonist in The Christmas Chronicles. Teravainen has narrated dozens of documentaries, including Secrets in the Ice and Air Jaws for Shark Week, and was personally selected by Clint Eastwood to narrate his biography—a prestigious honour. He voices the iconic Sam Fisher in Tom Clancy’s video games, fulfilling a dream role. Additionally, Jeff has lent his voice to two Olympics, Hockey Night in Canada, and the FIFA World Cup, showcasing his distinctive presence, and, most recently, was narrator for Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars. And if you have a TV or radio, there’s a good chance you heard him in 100s of spots he has voiced. Before acting, he was the lead singer/bassist in an award-winning band, highlighting his diverse talents across music and performance.
Outstanding Performance – Youth Voice
Sonia Manzano in Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, “I am Sonia Manzano” (9 Story Media Group, Brown Bag Films)
Skywalker began her professional acting career in 2021 as Sheridan Pickett, a series regular, on the Paramount Plus series, Joe Pickett. Since then, Skywalker has been a part of many exciting projects! In late 2022, Skywalker joined the main cast of the highly acclaimed Fox anthology series, Accused. Skywalker also plays a leading role on the Lionsgate feature film Ordinary Angels opposite Hilary Swank and rounds out the main cast of Academy Award-winner Andrew Stanton’s In the Blink of an Eye alongside Kate McKinnon, which has a highly anticipated release. Skywalker was recently attached to I, Object, Andrew Niccol’s upcoming feature, which was filmed in New Zealand. As a voice artist, Skywalker is a series regular on the popular series Blue’s Clues & You and Guest Stars on Paw Patrol and Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum. Skywalker also loves writing, singing and kickboxing!
Jack The Rabbit in Sago Mini Friends, “Prize Bowtie” (Spin Master Entertainment, Brown Bag Films)
Liam was very excited when he booked the lead role of Jack in Sago Mini Friends. He has gone on to do voiceover in Rubble & Crew as Wheeler, Builder Brothers Dream Factory as Biff and a guest-starring role on Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum as James Braidwood.
TV roles include Child Colin in Season 4 of What We Do In the Shadows, Ryan in the CBC gem miniseries Essex County and Cool Kid in two episodes of the Pradeeps of Pittsburgh on Amazon.
Caillou in Caillou, “Caillou Two Step” (WildBrain)
Logan Nicholson stars in the CTV Original comedy Children Ruin Everything as ‘Felix’, James (Aaron Abrams) and Astrid’s (Meaghan Rath) ten-year-old son, who, along with his sister, is sucking the pre-child life out of their parents one tantrum at a time.
The young Canadian actor and voice-over artist has appeared in several films, TV series, animation series and commercials. An Ontario native, Nicholson got his start in the industry at the age of five for a national McDonald’s commercial.
In the animated series Pinkalicious & Peterrific, Nicholson plays the lead role of ‘Peter’ and is the Voice of Arthur. He is also ‘Caillou’ in the animated Caillou for Wildbrain/Peacock, which aired in 2023 with 52 episodes. Audiences can also see him in the animated series Agent Binky Pets of the Universe, Corn and Peg, PJ Masks, and Blues Clues and You. He was cast in a large principal role playing ‘Avi Gupta’ in the series Nurses and was recently cast in a main role for the feature film Unperfect Christmas Wish.
In 2023, Nicholson secured the coveted role of seasonal performer as Toronto Blue Jays “Junior” mascot where he enjoys in-suit performances alongside ACE during Toronto Blue Jays home games and community events.
When Nicholson is not on set, he likes to spend time with his parents and play with his dog, Charlie. He also enjoys playing video games, baseball, soccer, singing, and dancing.
Apple in Let’s Go, Bananas!, “Iddy Biddy Road Trippy” (9 Story Media Group, Brown Bag Films)
Grace is 9 years old and a grade 4 student.
She is also an avid hockey player and plays centre for the U11 Brock Jr Badgers.
Grace loves playing Apple on Let’s go, Bananas! and is thankful to everyone involved.
She is very excited for her upcoming role as Molly in her school’s production of Annie!
Tidbit in Vida the Vet, “Tidbit’s Achy Ankles” (Spin Master Entertainment)
Nylan Parthipan is an actor and a voice actor who began acting at age eight. Some of his voiceover work includes Paw Patrol Mighty Movie, Rubble & Crew (Wheeler), Vida the Vet (Tidbit), PJ Mask Power Heroes (IceCub), Superkitties (Kai). He is known for the role of Carl in the Disney Production movie, Out of my Mind. His most recent work includes Work It Out Wombats (Malik) and Super Why (Super Why).
Nylan was diagnosed with a neuromuscular condition at the age of two and his goal as an actor is to encourage kids like him to go after their dreams. Beyond acting, he is also a keynote and motivational speaker, sharing his journey to encourage others to break barriers and chase their passions.
