Awards & Winners

Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Genie Awards

The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role to the best performance by a lead actor in a Canadian film. From 1980 until 2012, the award was presented as part of the Genie Awards ceremony; beginning in 2013, it will be presented as part of the new Canadian Screen Awards. From 1980 to 1983, only Canadian actors were eligible for the award; non-Canadian actors appearing in Canadian films were instead considered for the separate Genie Award for Best Performance by a Foreign Actor. After 1983, the latter award was discontinued, and both Canadian and foreign actors were eligible for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.

Check all the winners of Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role presented under Genie Awards since 1980 .


Mohamed Fellag

Honored for : Monsieur Lazhar

Nominations 2012 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Mohamed Fellag Monsieur Lazhar
Garret Dillahunt Oliver Sherman
Michael Fassbender A Dangerous Method
Patrick Huard Starbuck
Scott Speedman Edwin Boyd

Paul Giamatti

Honored for : Barney's Version

Nominations 2011 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Robert Naylor 10½
Paul Giamatti Barney's Version
Timothy Olyphant High Life
François Papineau Route 132
Jay Baruchel The Trotsky

Joshua Jackson

Honored for : One Week

Nominations 2010 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Jean-Carl Boucher 1981
Paul-Dylan Ivalu Before Tomorrow
Joshua Jackson One Week
Clark Johnson Nurse.Fighter.Boy
Stephen McHattie Pontypool

Natar Ungalaaq

Honored for : Ce qu'il faut pour vivre

Nominations 2009 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Natar Ungalaaq Ce qu'il faut pour vivre
Rupinder Nagra Amal
Christopher Plummer Emotional Arithmetic
Paul Gross Passchendaele
Aaron Poole This Beautiful City

Gordon Pinsent

Honored for : Away from Her

Nominations 2008 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Gordon Pinsent Away from Her
Viggo Mortensen Eastern Promises
Marc Labrèche Days of Darkness
Claude Legault Les 3 p'tits cochons
Roy Dupuis Shake Hands with the Devil

Roy Dupuis

Honored for : The Rocket

Nominations 2007 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Roy Dupuis The Rocket
Colm Feore Bon Cop, Bad Cop
Patrick Huard Bon Cop, Bad Cop
Olivier Gourmet Congorama
Luc Picard A Sunday in Kigali

Michel Côté

Honored for : C.R.A.Z.Y.

Nominations 2006 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Michel Côté C.R.A.Z.Y.
Marc-André Grondin C.R.A.Z.Y.
Paul Kaye It's All Gone Pete Tong
Luc Picard L'Audition
Adam Butcher Saint Ralph

Roy Dupuis

Honored for : Looking for Alexander

Nominations 2005 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Roy Dupuis Looking for Alexander
Ian McKellen Emile
Michel Côté The Last Tunnel
David La Haye Nouvelle-France
Nick Stahl Twist

Rémy Girard

Honored for : The Barbarian Invasions

Nominations 2004 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Rémy Girard The Barbarian Invasions
Robert Lepage Far Side of the Moon
Raymond Bouchard Seducing Doctor Lewis
Philip Seymour Hoffman Owning Mahowny
Barry Pepper The Snow Walker

Luc Picard

Honored for : Savage Messiah

Nominations 2003 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Luc Picard Savage Messiah
Christopher Plummer Ararat
David Alpay Ararat
Colin Roberts Flower & Garnet
Philip DeWilde Turning Paige

Brendan Fletcher

Honored for : The Law of Enclosures

Nominations 2002 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Brendan Fletcher The Law of Enclosures
Zachary Bennett Desire
Zinedine Soualem L'Ange de Goudron
Peter Outerbridge Marine Life
Chris Owens The Uncles
David La Haye Soft Shell Man

Tony Nardi

Honored for : My Father's Angel

Nominations 2001 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Tony Nardi My Father's Angel
James Whitmore Here's to Life!
Timothy Webber My Father's Angel
Colm Feore The Perfect Son
David Cubitt The Perfect Son

Bob Hoskins

Honored for : Felicia's Journey

Nominations 2000 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Bob Hoskins Felicia's Journey
Joël Drapeau-Dalpé Histoires d'hiver
Denis Bouchard Histoires d'hiver
Gabriel Arcand Post Mortem
Ralph Fiennes Sunshine
Daniel MacIvor The Five Senses

Roshan Seth

Honored for : Such a Long Journey

Nominations 1999 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Roshan Seth Such a Long Journey
Tony Nardi La Déroute
Rémy Girard Les Boys
Jonathan Pryce Regeneration
Samuel West Rupert's Land

Ian Holm

Honored for : The Sweet Hereafter

Nominations 1997 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Ian Holm The Sweet Hereafter
Peter Outerbridge Kissed
Robin Aubert The Countess of Baton Rouge
Alan Williams The Cockroach That Ate Cincinnati
Bruce Greenwood The Sweet Hereafter

William Hutt

Honored for : Long Day's Journey Into Night
(17th Annual Genie Awards)

Nominations 1996 »

Nominee Nominated Work
William Hutt Long Day's Journey Into Night
17th Annual Genie Awards
Danny Gilmore Lilies
17th Annual Genie Awards
Jason Cadieux Lilies
17th Annual Genie Awards
Matthew Ferguson Lilies
17th Annual Genie Awards
Tom McCamus Long Day's Journey Into Night
17th Annual Genie Awards
Chris Penn The Boys Club
17th Annual Genie Awards
David La Haye L'Enfant D'Eau
16th Annual Genie Awards
Matthew Ferguson Eclipse
16th Annual Genie Awards
Lothaire Bluteau The Confessional
16th Annual Genie Awards
Clive Russell Margaret's Museum
16th Annual Genie Awards
Peter Williams Soul Survivor
16th Annual Genie Awards

David La Haye

Honored for : L'Enfant D'Eau
(16th Annual Genie Awards)

Nominations 1996 »

Nominee Nominated Work
William Hutt Long Day's Journey Into Night
17th Annual Genie Awards
Danny Gilmore Lilies
17th Annual Genie Awards
Jason Cadieux Lilies
17th Annual Genie Awards
Matthew Ferguson Lilies
17th Annual Genie Awards
Tom McCamus Long Day's Journey Into Night
17th Annual Genie Awards
Chris Penn The Boys Club
17th Annual Genie Awards
David La Haye L'Enfant D'Eau
16th Annual Genie Awards
Matthew Ferguson Eclipse
16th Annual Genie Awards
Lothaire Bluteau The Confessional
16th Annual Genie Awards
Clive Russell Margaret's Museum
16th Annual Genie Awards
Peter Williams Soul Survivor
16th Annual Genie Awards

Maury Chaykin

Honored for : Whale Music

Nominations 1994 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Maury Chaykin Whale Music
Elias Koteas Exotica
Gary Farmer Henry and Verlin
Gilbert Sicotte Les Pots cassés
Martin Drainville King of the Airways

Tom McCamus

Honored for : I Love a Man in Uniform

Nominations 1993 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Tom McCamus I Love a Man in Uniform
Roy Dupuis Cap Tourmente
Gilbert Sicotte Cap Tourmente
Rémy Girard La Florida
R. H. Thomson The Lotus Eaters

Tony Nardi

Honored for : The Saracen Woman

Nominations 1992 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Tony Nardi The Saracen Woman
Jacques Godin Being at Home with Claude
Don McKellar Highway 61
Peter Weller Naked Lunch
Gildor Roy Requiem Pour Un Beau Sans-Coeur

Rémy Girard

Honored for : Amoureux Fou

Nominations 1991 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Rémy Girard Amoureux Fou
Jean Rochefort Amoureux Fou
Brad Dourif Chaindance
Matthias Habich La Demoiselle Sauvage
Saeed Jaffrey Masala

Lothaire Bluteau

Honored for : Jesus of Montreal

Nominations 1990 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Lothaire Bluteau Jesus of Montreal
Maury Chaykin Cold Comfort
Michel Côté Cruising Bar
Michael McManus Speaking Parts
Steven Ouimette The Top of His Head

Jeremy Irons

Honored for : Dead Ringers

Nominations 1989 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Jeremy Irons Dead Ringers
Ron White Cowboys Don't Cry
Zachary Ansley Cowboys Don't Cry
Elias Koteas Malarek
Jan Rubes Something About Love
Saul Rubinek The Outside Chance of Maximilian Glick

Roger Lebel

Honored for : Night Zoo

Nominations 1988 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Roger Lebel Night Zoo
David Hemblen Family Viewing
Jason St. Amour Train of Dreams
Gilles Maheu Night Zoo

Gordon Pinsent

Honored for : John and the Missus

Nominations 1987 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Gordon Pinsent John and the Missus
Pierre Curzi Le Déclin de l'empire américain
Rémy Girard Le Déclin de l'empire américain
Kenneth Welsh Loyalties
Winston Rekert The Blue Man

John Wildman

Honored for : My American Cousin

Nominations 1986 »

Nominee Nominated Work
John Wildman My American Cousin
Ed McNamara Bayo
Serge Dupire Le Matou
Alan Scarfe Overnight
R. H. Thomson Samuel Lount

Gabriel Arcand

Honored for : Le Crime d'Ovide Plouffe

Nominations 1985 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Gabriel Arcand Le Crime d'Ovide Plouffe
Xavier Norman Petermann Mario
Kenneth Welsh Reno and the Doc
Kiefer Sutherland The Bay Boy
Winston Rekert Walls

Eric Fryer

Honored for : The Terry Fox Story

Nominations 1984 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Eric Fryer The Terry Fox Story
Guy L'Ecuyer Au Clair de la Lune
Alan Scarfe Deserters
Pierre Curzi Lucien Brouillard
Nick Mancuso Maria Chapdelaine

Donald Sutherland

Honored for : Threshold

Nominations 1983 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Donald Sutherland Threshold
Saul Rubinek By Design
Marcel Sabourin Doux Aveux
August Schellenberg Latitude 55°
Gilles Renaud A Day in a Taxi

Nick Mancuso

Honored for : Ticket to Heaven

Nominations 1982 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Nick Mancuso Ticket to Heaven
Winston Rekert Heartaches
Gabriel Arcand The Plouffe Family
Gordon Pinsent Silence of the North
Christopher Plummer The Amateur

Thomas Peacocke

Honored for : The Hounds of Notre Dame

Nominations 1981 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Thomas Peacocke The Hounds of Notre Dame
Lewis Furey Fantastica
August Schellenberg The Coffin Affair
Jocelyn Berube The Handyman
Winston Rekert Suzanne

Christopher Plummer

Honored for : Murder by Decree

Nominations 1980 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Christopher Plummer Murder by Decree
Robin Gammell Klondike Fever
Stephen Lack The Rubber Gun
Geoffrey Bowes Something's Rotten
Thomas Hauff Summer's Children