Outstanding Performance Awards
Any ACTRA Toronto member in good standing (Full, Apprentice, ACTRA Additional Background) can self-submit or submit the work of another member in good standing, or a Talent Agent may also submit an ACTRA Toronto Member’s work for consideration in one of these seven categories:
- Female On Camera
- Male On Camera
- Non-Binary/Gender Non-Conforming* On Camera
- Gender Non-Conforming or Female Voice (17 years and older as of December 31 of the year prior to the awards)
- Gender Non-Conforming or Male Voice (17 years and older as of December 31 of the year prior to the awards)
- Youth Voice (16 years and under as of December 31 of the year prior to the awards)
- Commercial On Camera or Silent on Camera
*The expansion of the Outstanding Performance Awards for the 2025 Awards from four to seven categories was determined following input and consultation from the ACTRA Toronto Executive and Council, the ACTRA Toronto outACTRAto Committee, the ACTRA Toronto Gender Diversity Sub-Committee and the ACTRA Toronto Voice Committee. The ACTRA Toronto Awards Committee acknowledges the expansion of the Outstanding Performance Awards by these three categories does not fully represent the composition and diversity of the ACTRA Toronto membership and will take into consideration the addition of other categories for future awards to ensure more equitable representation.
Submissions in each category must meet the following criteria:
Performer/Submitter Eligibility
- Submitter: Performances may only be submitted by ACTRA Toronto members whose membership status is in good standing (Suspended, Resigned or Withdrawn members cannot make submissions) and/or the talent agent of the performer being submitted (the submitting agent must be listed as the talent agent on the respective performer’s profile within ACTRA’s AMS system).
- Submitted Performer Eligibility: The performance must be by an ACTRA Toronto member in good standing.
- Performance Category:
- On-camera/Voice (excluding Commercial): The performance must be in a Principal (lead or significant supporting) role.
- Commercial: Commercial production submissions may feature on-camera or silent-on-camera roles.
Production Eligibility
- Production Eligibility: The nominated performance must be from an ACTRA-signatory production – domestic or international, and in any format.
- Commercial Length: Commercial production submissions may not exceed 90 seconds.
- Eligibility Period: the eligibility period for the 2026 Awards runs from January 1 to December 31, 2025. Productions must have had their first exhibition or broadcast within the eligibility period.
Submission Period
- Submission Deadline: the submission deadline for the 2026 Awards is December 31, 2025. Submitted performances are then considered by a jury of peers for nomination.
Award of Excellence
The recipient of the Award of Excellence is selected by the executive and governing council of ACTRA Toronto and presented to the recipient at the ACTRA Awards in Toronto event.
Stunt Award
The ACTRA Toronto Stunt Award criteria and recipient are decided by a committee comprised of past Stunt Award recipients.
Members’ Choice Series Ensemble Award
Eligible shows are ACTRA Toronto Canadian Content live-action series that were first broadcast (on television or online) in the previous calendar year. At least four of the top five cast members are Canadian and appear in the majority of episodes. Eligible shows are assembled by staff based on the production information ACTRA Toronto has on file. If a show you would like to be considered was filmed 14+ months prior to its first broadcast date, please E-mail awardsubmissions@actratoronto.com before January 10 to ensure it is considered in the list of eligible shows for that year’s Members’ Choice Series Ensemble vote. Please note, all shows will be considered but only those that meet all eligibility criteria will be included in the vote.
Stunt Ensemble Award
Submissions are open to members of ACTRA Toronto’s stunt community. Nominees and the winner are chosen by a jury comprised of ACTRA Toronto’s stunt community members.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the awards?
Historically, the awards have taken place in late February. In 2023, 2024 and 2025, the awards were held in the spring.
When can I submit a performance for consideration for the Outstanding Performance awards?
Submissions for the seven Outstanding Performance juried awards (Female on camera, Male on camera, Non-Binary/Gender Non-Conforming on camera, GNC or Female Voice, GNC or Male Voice, Youth Voice, Commercial on camera and silent on camera) are opening soon. The submission deadline is December 31. Submit a significant performance by a fellow member that you think is truly outstanding. The submission form can be found here.
Is the submission period the same as the eligibility period?
No. The submission period is the period in which you may submit an Outstanding Performance for consideration for the following year’s awards. The submission period is opening soon and closes December 31. The eligibility period is the period in which the production featuring the submitted performance was broadcast for the first time (the first broadcast of the production must have occurred – anywhere in the world and on any platform – within this period). The broadcast date for a production must be publicly verifiable (i.e. on IMDb, a film festival website, streaming platform, etc.). The eligibility period runs from January 1 to December 31.
How can I make sure my performance is considered for the Outstanding Performance awards?
You may self-submit your performance or ask a sibling ACTRA Toronto member or your talent agent* to submit you. But be smart about it. The award is for Outstanding Performance. It should be some of the very best work you’ve ever done; you don’t want to waste the jury’s time.
*The submitting agent will be verified as your agent via your profile within ACTRA’s AMS system. Please ensure your agent information on file with ACTRA is current. Please log-in to your AMS profile or contact membership@actratoronto.com to confirm/update.
It must be a principal role, usually a lead, supporting or guest lead role. For commercial on-camera submissions, the role may be Principal or silent on camera. For all other Outstanding Performance submissions, it should have significant screen time if it is for a principal supporting role. A few performers in supporting roles have been nominated in the past, but they tended to be “guest leads.” The jurors understand they are comparing leads to supporting performances, feature-length productions to shorts, TV to film to web series and so on. They try their very best to evaluate each performance on its merits alone. Every year, we are impressed and honoured by the seriousness and integrity with which our jurors approach their work.
What do I do if I don’t know all the answers to the questions on the Outstanding Performance submission form?
Complete the submission form as best you can. If you don’t know all the answers, ACTRA Toronto staff will assist.
What do I do if I make a mistake on my Outstanding Performance submission? Should I resubmit?
No, you do not need to resubmit! Please email awardsubmissions@actratoronto.com outlining the change(s) that need to be made to your submission. A staff member will make the changes to your submission and resend an auto-confirmation to you with the updated submission.
How do members learn about the Outstanding Performance awards?
There is a link to the awards page on the homepage of our website. ACTRA Toronto also posts to social media and sends E-blasts to members reminding them to submit noteworthy performances as soon as they see them through the easy online submission form. You’ll get additional E-blast reminders in the lead-up to the December 31st deadline.
We send E-blasts to all ACTRA Toronto members. Deleting E-mails from ACTRA Toronto or sending them to your junk mail folder means you will not only miss out on updates about the awards, but you also won’t receive information about other fantastic ACTRA Toronto events or your very important voting privileges. Read your ACTRA E-mails. It is a membership requirement to have a valid E-mail address on file with your union.
Why don’t we have separate Outstanding Performance categories for lead, support, TV, film, comedy, etc.?
Over the years, such suggestions have been made/considered and will be again. One of the considerations is to keep the show to a reasonable length.
The expansion of the Outstanding Performance Awards for the 2025 Awards from four to seven categories was determined following input and consultation from the ACTRA Toronto Executive and Council, the ACTRA Toronto outACTRAto Committee, the ACTRA Toronto Gender Diversity Sub-Committee and the ACTRA Toronto Voice Committee. The ACTRA Toronto Awards Committee acknowledges the expansion of the Outstanding Performance Awards by these three categories does not fully represent the composition and diversity of the ACTRA Toronto membership and will take into consideration the addition of other categories for future awards to ensure more equitable representation.
How are the Outstanding Performance nominees and winners chosen?
The Outstanding Performance nominees and winners are chosen by a jury. The jury process for the 2026 ACTRA Awards in Toronto is currently being restructured. More information about the new structure will be made available soon.
When are the nominees and winners announced?
With the exception of the two special achievement awards (ACTRA Toronto Award of Excellence, Stunt Award), all award nominees are announced via news release prior to the awards and the winners are announced live at the awards. The two special achievement awards recipients are announced via news release prior to the awards.
Whom do I contact if I have another question that is not answered here?
