(11-minute read)
Outstanding Performance – Female
Trish Fagan as Kelley in Capacity
Trish Fagan has worked extensively as an actor on stage and screen for over 20 years. Raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and a graduate of George Brown Theatre School, she now calls Toronto home. She appeared as series regular Dr. Rory Niven in Nurses (Corus) and played the recurring role of Mayor Alison Shepherd in The Burden of Truth (CBC/CW). Other credits include Saving Hope, The Republic of Doyle, Salvation, Murdoch Mysteries and Rookie Blue. She has appeared in theatres across Canada and was a member of the Soulpepper Theatre Company. She received a best actor Rideau Award for her performance in the one-woman tour de force The Syringa Tree.
Nina Kiri as Sandra Perron in Out Standing
Actor Nina Kiri is best known for her portrayal of insurgent handmaid Alma on Hulu’s acclaimed series The Handmaid’s Tale. Other notable roles include Peacock’s Devil in Disguise and AppleTV’s Fingernails opposite Jeremy Allen White & Jessie Buckley. A film festival fixture, Nina starred in the independent feature Out Standing, based on the life of Canada’s first female infantry officer, which premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. Most recently, she starred in A24’s psychological horror undertone, which debuted at Sundance earlier this year and went on to become a major box office success. Nina was born in Serbia and raised in Vancouver, Canada. She currently divides her time between New York and Los Angeles.
Liisa Repo-Martell as Vivian in Blueberry Grunt
Liisa Repo-Martell is an award-winning stage and screen actor. She is also a founding member of ARCA (Artists for Real Climate Action). Recent writing credits include: A new adaptation of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya for Crows Theatre of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler for Coal Mine Theatre. Recent acting credits include: Theatre: You, always (CanStage), The Welkin (SoulPepper Theatre), Towards Youth (Crows Theatre), A Beautiful View (Festival Players), What a Young Wife Ought to Know (2b Theatre), The Boy in the Moon (Crows Theatre), The Watershed and Seeds (Porte Parole), Other Desert Cities (The Citadel Theatre), Creditors (CoalMine Theatre), Happy Place, Uncle Vanya, Antigone, The Lesson, School for Wives, Top Girls (Soulpepper), Eternal Hydra (Crow’s Theatre), Midsummer Night’s Dream and King Lear (Stratford Festival). Film/T.V. credits: Hudson & Rex, Saint-Pierre (CBC), Happy Place (Sienna Films), Blueberry Grunt (Oversherry Productions), The Umbrella Academy (Netflix).
Dana Solomon as Beatrice in Blood Lines
Dana Solomon is a multi-disciplinary artist born and raised in Selkirk, Manitoba, and now resides in Mississauga, Ontario. She is Anishinaabe member of Sagkeeng FN and Guyanese. She got her start in the performing arts as a dancer while attending classes at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School at a young age. Her love for performance led her to the world of acting and filmmaking, which are now her biggest passions. Some of her acting credits include a recurring role on Anne with E (Netflix/CBC), and a leading role in Houston Bone’s award-winning web series Teenagers, and guest roles on CBC’s Heartland and Diggstown. Dana’s starring role in Gail Maurice’s second feature film, Blood Lines, gained attention and premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Her short film, Niimi, which she wrote, directed and co-produced with Houston Bone, also premiered at TIFF in 2025.
Sydney Topliffe as Abbie in Wayward, “Leap”
Sydney Topliffe is a classically trained actor and graduate of Randolph College for the Performing Arts where she was honoured with the prestigious Triple Threat Award. Most recently, Sydney starred opposite Toni Colette in Wayward, the powerful Netflix series from Mae Martin that shines a light on the injustices of the Troubled Teens Industry. It premiered at #1 in the world in its opening week with 8.2 million views in its first few days of streaming. She is also known for her role as the lovable and quirky Joyce in the Canadian Screen Award-nominated Amazon Prime series Davey and Jonesie’s Locker. Sydney appeared in Doin’ It, an original film by Lilly Singh that premiered at SXSW, further showcasing her range and dedication to socially impactful storytelling.
Outstanding Performance – Male
Ashton James as Dean Youngblood in Youngblood
Ashton James is an alum of the prestigious CFC Actors Conservatory founded by Norman Jewison, which only admits a handful of exclusive performers each year. James was nominated for a 2023 Canadian Screen Award for his work on Revenge of the Black Best Friend, created by Amanda Parris for CBC Gem. Ashton recurred heavily on the series Beyond Black Beauty for Amazon and Family as well as Carlton Cuse’s Five Days at Memorial for AppleTV+. Recently James played the lead role in the indie feature Boxcutter by director Reza Dahya, which premiered at SXSW 2025 to rave reviews and was released theatrically in 2025. James’s film Youngblood, in which he played the titular lead, is a remake of the ’80s classic and had its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival to rave reviews and was released theatrically across North America in 2026. Ashton is St. Lucian-Canadian & based in Toronto.
Tony Nappo as Jason in Fractured Acts
Tony Nappo is from Scarborough, Ontario. He graduated from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1991. His 218 film and tv credits include Ginny & Georgia, Schitt’s Creek, Back in Black, The Bookie & the Bruiser, Victorious, Murdoch Mysteries, Baroness Von Sketch Show, Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, Boston Blue, Brilliant Minds, Vandits, Strays, Chucky, Pretty Hard Cases, Mayor of Kingstown, Star Trek: Discovery, Faking a Murderer, Disney’s Zombies, Land of the Dead, Saw 2, Kim’s Convenience, Remedy, Rookie Blue, Defendor, Shoot the Messenger, Land of the Dead, Intelligence, DaVinci’s Inquest, Murder at 1600 and Fugget About It. He has been nominated for two previous ACTRA Awards, two Dora Awards, a Canadian Screen Award and a Broadway World Award.
Arnold Pinnock as Paul Devine in The Well
Arnold Pinnock is a British-born Canadian actor, writer and producer, best-known as the co-creator and co-executive producer of the award-winning drama The Porter. A screen veteran of 30 years (Altered Carbon, Cold Pursuit), his recent work includes CBC’s Plan B and Clement Virgo’s Steal Away, along with a role in the upcoming Paramount+ series Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story. He was also recently selected as a participant in the 2026 Banff Diversity of Voices program.
Siddharth Sharma as The Student in Late Bloomer, “New Canadian”
Siddharth Sharma is a Toronto-based actor, director and producer working across television and independent film. His screen credits include recurring and guest roles on series such as Late Bloomer, Gen V, Motorheads, The Way Home and Children Ruin Everything. Alongside his acting work, Siddharth has directed and produced over five short films. His most recent project, Unfamily, a grant-funded short, screened at Canadian Screen Award-qualifying festivals across Canada. He is the co-founder of Hold the Sauce Films, where he develops story-driven independent work, and Toronto Film Plug, an initiative focused on connecting filmmakers, resources and audiences. Through performance, production and community-building, Siddharth is committed to strengthening Toronto’s independent film ecosystem.
Adrian Walters as Akai in It Comes in Waves
Adrian Walters is a breakout star known for his commanding screen presence and culturally resonant performances. Walters stars as Akai in the award-winning It Comes in Waves, his debut feature in which his performance has been widely praised by critics and industry leaders alike. During a historic festival run, Screenfish called it “a tour-de-force performance,” declaring him “one of the most compelling actors to break out in Canada this year,” a recognition echoed across multiple award wins and standing ovations. He also stars as Daniel Collins in Out Standing, which premiered in 2025 at The Toronto International Film Festival’s 50th anniversary edition. His television credits include recurring roles on The Handmaid’s Tale, Star Trek: Discovery, The Porter, Dare Me and In the Dark. A Dora Mavor Moore Award-nominated stage performer, Walters continues to pursue bold, challenging roles across every medium.
Outstanding Performance – Non-Binary/Gender Non-conforming
Noah Lamanna as Milly in The Well
Noah Lamanna is a Toronto-based actor best known for their roles as Tris on Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia, and Kat on HBO’s The Last Of Us. In 2023, they played the lead role of Eli in John Tiffany’s production of Let the Right One In at Berkeley Repertory Theatre for which they received a nomination for Best Principal Performance in a Play from the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. Noah has just completed production on their first original short film Rubberneckers, which they look forward to premiering later this year.
Ci Hang Ma as Quinn in School Spirits, “Anatomy of a Fallout Shelter”
Ci Hang Ma (they/them) is a genderqueer Chinese-Canadian actor. They are best known for School Spirits (Paramount+), Departure (Peacock), and voicing the first non-binary character in the PAW Patrol universe in Rubble & Crew (Nickelodeon). They received the Tim Sims Encouragement Award for early success in improv and comedy before transitioning into television, film and voice performance. A fast-rising actor, Ci Hang continues to expand their range across both comedic and dramatic work, delivering grounded performances marked by depth, vulnerability and sensitivity. Committed to authentic representation, they are a distinctive and compelling talent of their generation.
Billy Merasty as Uncle George in Nika & Madison
Billy Merasty (Métis/Cree from Northern Manitoba) is celebrating more than 40 years in the performing arts with principal or starring roles in film and television as well as roles in theatre, opera and dance. In addition to portraying Roger Laughingstick in Acting Good (CTV Comedy Channel), his television credits include Frontier in which he has a recurring role and is Cree Translator, Murdoch Mysteries, Cardinal, Elijah (CTV), The Canadian Heritae Minute Queenston Heights, Diggstown and The Secret History of the Wild West. Feature film credits include Aberdeen, which premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Darlene Naponse’s films Falls Around Her and Stellar, and Shelley Niro’s production The Incredible 35th Year of Mitzi Bearclaw, where he plays Mr. Bearclaw. Merasty has a role in Niro’s next film Café Daughter in which he will act and serve as Cree Translator. Billy’s theatre credits are numerous with highlights that include Kevin Loring’s Where the Blood Mixes, Tomson Highway’s Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, Daniel David Moses’s Indian Medicine Show, and Omari Newton’s Sal Capone. He is a rarified member of D.O.T., with contracts in dance with Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, and appearing in the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Louis Riel. Billy Merasty is a recipient of the Manitoba Order of the Buffalo Hunt, the highest civilian honour awarded by the Government of Manitoba. The Order of the Buffalo Hunt was founded in 1957 to recognize the outstanding and distinctive contributions of leaders in areas such as politics, business, sports and entertainment. His most recent film work includes a supporting role in the feature film Nika & Madison, the latest film by Eva Thomas, which will premiere in the Discovery Program at TIFF next month.
Asher Rose as Sammy in The Lift
Asher Rose (they/them) is an award-winning actor and writer born and raised in Tkaronto. On-screen, they are known for Violence, Accused and The Players as well as being a fixture of Canadian theatre. They have recently been seen on Toronto stages in Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare BASH’d), Romeo & Juliet (Canadian Stage), and CHILD-ish (Tarragon Theatre). Asher’s debut screenplay, The Lift (directed by King Dawit), was an official selection of eight festivals across Canada, the USA and the U.K. In addition to writing and acting, Asher is a proud community advocate. They are the chair of ACTRA Toronto’s outACTRAto’s Gender-Diversity Sub-committee, sparking change for trans and gender-non-conforming actors in film and TV. A driven artist both professionally and in their spare time, Asher hosts the beloved cult-hit event Queer Broadway Karaoke; creates zines including their multi-volume Floating Heads series; and draws portraits of everyone in the rehearsal room.
Jo Vannicola as Charlie in Pink Elephant
Jo Vannicola is an Emmy Award-winning actor, writer and advocate, and a Canadian Screen Award, ACTRA Award, Genie Awad and Gemini Award nominee. Their work spans film, television, voice and stage, with credits including The Expanse, Diggstown, Being Erica, Slasher, Stonewall, Trashed and Pink Elephant. Jo’s memoir ,All We Knew but Couldn’t Say, was shortlisted for the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize in non-fiction and featured at major literary festivals, including the Toronto International Festival of Authors, Word on the Street Toronto and LitFest in Alberta. Their work has been highlighted by CBC, The Next Chapter, The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Lambda Literary, Xtra and Bustle Magazine. Jo is a recipient of the Margaret Trudeau Advocacy Award, the Blaze Award and the Leslie Yeo Award for their advocacy work. They founded Youth Out Loud, a non-profit supporting youth rights and was the founding chair of outACTRAto. Jo is dedicated to 2SLGBTQ+ representation and storytelling.
