The Rob Stewart Award, formerly known as the Gemini/Canadian Screen Award for Best Science or Nature Documentary Program, is a Canadian television award, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to honour the year's best television documentary on a scientific or nature topic. Formerly presented as part of the Gemini Awards, since 2013 it has been presented as part of the Canadian Screen Awards. The award is open to both standalone documentary films and relevant episodes of television documentary series; in particular, episodes of the CBC Television documentary series The Nature of Things have frequently been nominees for or winners of the award.

The award was renamed to its current name in 2017 in memory of Rob Stewart, an influential Canadian director of science and nature documentary films who died in January 2017.^[1]

Nominees and winners

1990s

Year	Film	Filmmakers
1995 10th Gemini Awards
	Epilepsy: The Centre of Her Storms	David Way, Wally Longul
	Cyberwars: Binary Groove	Alan White, Eric Calvert
	Forbidden Places: "Silent Witness"	Aiken Scherberger
	Forbidden Places: "Zone of Separation"	Aiken Scherberger
	Whisper in the Air	Angela Gwynn John, Michael Betcherman, Tom Perlmutter
1996 11th Gemini Awards
	Ebola: Inside an Outbreak	Elliott Halpern, Simcha Jacobovici, Ric Esther Bienstock
	Heart of the People	Peter von Puttkamer, Sheera von Puttkamer
	In My Own Time: Diary of a Cancer Patient	Jerry Krepakevich, Graydon McCrea, Joseph Viszmeg
	The Living Tides of Fundy	Stuart Beecroft
	The Nature of Things: "Food or Famine"	John Bassett
1997 12th Gemini Awards
	Separate Lives	Robert Lang
	Forbidden Places: "Wildkill"	Aiken Scherberger
	Journeys: "Volcano"	Lauren Millar, Craig Moffat
	Life and Times: "Roberta Bondar, Lone Star"	Ann Kennard
	Secrets of the Choco	Ian McLaren
	The Empty Net	Richard Elson
1998 13th Gemini Awards
	Before Their Time	Rudy Buttignol, David Way, Steven Manuel
	Ellesmere Island National Park Reserve	Mitchell Azaria
	Superbugs	Gordon Henderson
	The Monarch: A Butterfly Beyond Borders	David Springbett, Heather MacAndrew
	Witness: "Quake Hunters"	Terence McKeown
1999 14th Gemini Awards
	My Healing Journey: Seven Years with Cancer	Jerry Krepakevich
	Baboon Tales	Rudolf Kovanic, Gillian Darling-Kovanic
	The Nature of Things: "Up Close and Personal"	Caroline Underwood
	The Pill	Joe MacDonald
	Walking with Grizzlies	Ian Herring

2000s

Year	Film	Filmmakers
2000 15th Gemini Awards
	After Darwin	Arnie Gelbart
	Edge of Extinction: Saving the Leatherback Sea Turtle	Ira Levy, Peter Williamson, Andrea Boyd, Stuart Goodman
	Tatshenshini-Alsek Park: Heart of the Wilderness	Mitchell Azaria, Ihor Macijiwsky
	The Nature of Things: "Parkinson's: Lynda's Story"	David Tucker
	The Secret World of Gardens	Susan Fleming
2001 16th Gemini Awards
	The Nature of Things: Nuclear Dynamite"	Selwyn Jacob, Gary Marcuse, Betsy Carson
	Criminal Evidence	Elliott Halpern, Simcha Jacobovici, Roger Pyke, Jack Rabinovitch, Pauline Duffy
	Echoes of the North	Ralph C. Ellis, Stephen Ellis
	Insectia: Outlaws	Jacquelin Bouchard, Mary Armstrong, André Barro, Fabienne Servan-Schreiber
	Movers, Not Shakers	David Langer, Laszlo Barna, Sam Grana, Jim Hogan
	The Nature of Things: "The Salmon Forest"	Caroline Underwood
2002 17th Gemini Awards
	The Secret World of Gardens: "Frogs"	Susan Fleming
	Bushmeat: The Slaughter of the Apes	Dawna Treibicz, John Panikkar
	The Cold Embrace	Andrew Gregg, Gordon Henderson
	The Parkinson's Enigma	Bette Thompson, Terence McKeown
	The Nature of Things: "Touch: The Forgotten Sense"	Roger Frappier, Jean Lemire
2003 18th Gemini Awards
	The Nature of Things: "The Investigation of Swiss Air Flight 111"	Howard Green, Michael Allder, Kurt Schaad
	Life's a Twitch	Tina Hahn, Sally Blake, Rudy Buttignol
	Oh Baby! To Walk	Stephen Ellis, Kip Spidell
	The Nature of Things: "Up Close and Toxic"	Caroline Underwood, Michael Allder
	The Surgeons: "Dr. Rao"	Tim O'Brien, Rachel Low, Daniela Battistella
2004 19th Gemini Awards
	Suzuki Speaks	Tony Papa, Cathy Chilco
	The Eye of the Son	Robbie Hart, Jason Rodi, Rudy Buttignol
	The Nature of Things: "Corporate Agriculture: The Hollow Men"	Ray Burley, Michael Allder
	The Secret World of Gardens: "Garden Mimics"	Susan Fleming
	Sex, Drugs and Middle Age	Ann Marie Redmond
2005 20th Gemini Awards
	The Origins of AIDS	Christine Le Goff, Michel Crepon, Arnie Gelbart, Christine Pireaux
	A Day Inside: Calgary Stampede	Lance Mueller, Jean Merriman
	Diet of Souls	Peter d'Entremont
	The Nature of Things: "Clot Busters"	David Tucker, Michael Allder
	The Nature of Things: "Sex Lies and Secrecy: Dissecting Hysterectomy"	Michael Allder, Carol Moore-Ede
2006 21st Gemini Awards
	The Nature of Things: "Being Caribou"	Rina Fraticelli, Tracey Friesen
	The Fifth Estate: "Black Dawn"	Douglas Arrowsmith, Jane Mingay, David Studer, Jim Williamson
	How William Shatner Changed the World	Malcolm Clark, Alan Handel
	Lifelike	Nathalie Barton
	The Nature of Things: "Nature Bites Back: The Case of the Sea Otter"	Christopher Sumpton
2007 22nd Gemini Awards
	Gamer Revolution	Rachel Low, Marc De Guerre
	Spam: The Documentary	Andrew Johnson, Jeannette Loakman, Scott Dobson, Sally Blake
	There's Something Out There: A Bigfoot Encounter	Kyle Bornais
	Tsepong: A Clinic Called Hope	Peter Raymont
	The Wayfinders	Andrew Gregg, Gordon Henderson, Wade Davis
2008 23rd Gemini Awards
	Battle of the Bag	Ryszard Hunka, Monika Delmos
	Four Wings and a Prayer	Michael McMahon, Kristina McLaughlin, Gerry Flahive, Emmanuel Laurent, David Johnston
	Hubble's Canvas	Craig Colby, Ivan Semeniuk
	Long Haul Big Hearts	Doug Raby, Joanne P. Jackson, Joan Jenkinson
	The Refugees of the Blue Planet	Monique Simard, Marcel Simard, Yves Bisaillon, Luc Martin-Gousset
2009 24th Gemini Awards
	The Disappearing Male	Rachel Low, Alan Mendelsohn
	The Body Machine	Mary Barroll, Malcolm Brinkworth
	Mighty Ships: "Resolute"	Kathryn Oughtred, Richard O'Regan, Phil Desjardins
	The Musical Brain	Vanessa Dylyn
	Secrets of the Dinosaur Mummy	Michael Jorgensen, Kevin Dunn

2010s

Year	Film	Filmmakers
2010 25th Gemini Awards
	The Great Sperm Race	David Brady, Christopher Rowley
	The Nature of Things: "A Murder of Crows"	Susan Fleming
	The Nature of Things: "One Ocean: Mysteries of the Deep"	Merit Jensen Carr, Caroline Underwood, Michael Allder
	The Plastic Fantastic Brain: Total Recall and the Spotless Mind	Paul Kemp, Brian Cotter
	The Quantum Tamers: Revealing our Weird and Wired Future	Derek Diorio, John Matlock, Frank Taylor
2011 26th Gemini Awards
	The Nature of Things: "Code Breakers"	Niobe Thompson, Tom Radford
	Acquainted with the Night	Judy Holm, Michael McNamara
	The Nature of Things: "For the Love of Elephants"	Rod Ruel, Lynn Booth
	Last Day of the Dinosaurs	Alan Handel, Tim Goodchild, Richard Dale
	X-Cars	Kelly McClughan, Sue Ridout
2012 1st Canadian Screen Awards
	The Nature of Things: "Polar Bears: A Summer Odyssey"	Sarah Robertson, Tim O'Brien
	Descending	Jeff Wilson, Jennifer Howe
	The Nature of Things: "The Perfect Runner"	Niobe Thompson, Tom Radford
	The Nature of Things: "Smarty Plants: Uncovering the Secret World of Plant Behavior"	Merit Jensen Carr
	When Dreams Take Flight	Sheona McDonald, Bob Culbert, Adamm Liley
2013 2nd Canadian Screen Awards
	Aliens: The Definitive Guide	Alan Handel, Tom Brisley
	The Nature of Things: "The Beaver Whisperers"	Jari Osborne
	The Nature of Things: "Lights Out!"	Judy Holm, Michael McNamara
	Doc Zone: "Wind Rush"	Andrew Gregg, Gordon Henderson
2014 3rd Canadian Screen Awards
	The Nature of Things: "Invasion of the Brain Snatchers"	Sue Dando, Mike Downie, F. M. Morrison, David Wells
	Mission Asteroid	J. R. McConvey, Jeff Thrasher
	Secrets in the Bones: The Hunt for the Black Death Killer	Dugald Maudsley
	Wild Canada	Brian Leith, Jeff Turner
	Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan	David Brady, Kate Harrison, Dominic Monaghan, Philip Clarke
2015 4th Canadian Screen Awards
	The Nature of Things: "The Great Human Odyssey"	Niobe Thompson
	Bad Coyote	Paul McNeill
	The Nature of Things: "The Cholesterol Question"	Aaron Hancox, Judy Holm, Michael McNamara
	The Nature of Things: "Gorilla Doctors"	Bryn Hughes, David York
	The Water Brothers	Jonathan Barker, Jane Jankovic, Wendy MacKeigan
2016 5th Canadian Screen Awards
	The Nature of Things: "Moose: A Year in the Life of a Twig Eater"	Susan Fleming
	Kenya Wildlife Diaries	Craig Colby, Michael Dalton-Smith
	The Nature of Things: "My Brain Made Me Do It"	Erna Buffie, Merit Jensen Carr
	The Nature of Things: "Trapped in a Human Zoo"	Roch Brunette, Guilhem Rondot
	Volcanic Odysseys	Craig Colby, Michael Dalton-Smith
2017 6th Canadian Screen Awards
	The Nature of Things: "The Wild Canadian Year"	Jeff Turner, Sue Turner, Caroline Underwood
	Call of the Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees	Merit Jensen Carr, Jeff McKay
	The Nature of Things: "The Great Wild Indoors"	David York, Bryn Hughes, Roberto Verdecchia
	The Nature of Things: "Running on Empty: Surviving California's Epic Drought"	Mike Downie, David Wells
	The Water Brothers	Jonathan Barker, Wendy MacKeigan, Jane Jankovic
2018^[2] 7th Canadian Screen Awards
	The Nature of Things: "Equus: Story of the Horse"	Niobe Thompson, Caroline Underwood
	The Nature of Things: "Into the Fire"	Gordon Henderson, Leora Eisen
	The Nature of Things: "The Kingdom: How Fungi Made our World"	Anne Pick, Bill Spahic
	The Nature of Things: "Mommy Wildest"	Caitlin Starowicz, Mark Starowicz
	Over the Horizon	Jennifer Howe, Craig McGillivray, Ira Levy
2019 8th Canadian Screen Awards
	The Nature of Things: "A Day in the Life of Earth"	Elliott Halpern, Elizabeth Trojian
	Equator: A New World View	Kevin McMahon, Michael McMahon, Kristina McLaughlin
	The Nature of Things: "The Genetic Revolution"	Elliott Halpern, Elizabeth Trojian
	The Nature of Things: "Remarkable Rabbits"	Susan Fleming
	The Nature of Things: "Turtle Beach"	Merit Jensen Carr

2020s

Year	Film	Filmmakers	Ref
2020 9th Canadian Screen Awards
	The Nature of Things: "Takaya: Lone Wolf"	André Barro, Martin Williams, Cheryl Alexander, Bruce Whitty, Kim Bondi, Gaby Bastyra	^[3]
	The Nature of Things: "Be Afraid: The Science of Fear"	Gordon Henderson, Stuart Henderson, Rita Kotzia	^[4]
	The Nature of Things: "Pass the Salt"	Judy Holm, Michael McNamara, Aaron Hancox
	The Nature of Things: "She Walks with Apes"	Mark Starowicz, Caitlin Starowicz
	Striking Balance	Yvonne Drebert
2021 10th Canadian Screen Awards
	Borealis	Kevin McMahon, Michael McMahon, Kristina McLaughlin, Justine Pimlott, Felicity Justrabo	^[5]
	The Nature of Things: "Inside The Great Vaccine Race"	Dugald Maudsley, Gillian Main	^[6]
	The Nature of Things: "Kids vs. Screens"	Leora Eisen, Jackie Carlos, Diana Warmé
	The Nature of Things: "Kingdom of the Polar Bears"	Merit Jensen Carr, Sally Blake, Patrice Lorton
	The Nature of Things: "The Last Walrus"	Nathalie Bibeau, Frederic Bohbot
2022 11th Canadian Screen Awards
	The Nature of Things: "Ice and Fire: Tracking Canada's Climate Crisis"	Elliott Halpern, Elizabeth Trojian	^[7]
	The Mightiest	Chris Perez, Marcelle Edwards, Manny Groneveldt	^[8]
	The Nature of Things: "Carbon: The Unauthorized Biography"	Niobe Thompson
	The Nature of Things: "Curb Your Carbon"	Dugald Maudsley, Gillian Main
	The Nature of Things: "Nature's Big Year"	Christine Nielsen, Diana Warmé

References

^ "Rob Stewart honored at Canadian Screen Awards". Tribute, March 13, 2017.
^ "Gord Downie's Secret Path, Amazing Race and CBC News among Canadian Screen Awards winners". CBC News, March 26, 2019.
^ Kim Izzo, "Canadian Screen Award winners for non-fiction categories revealed". RealScreen, May 17, 2021.
^ Brent Furdyk, "Television Nominees Announced For 2021 Canadian Screen Awards, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ Leads The Pack With 21 Nominations". ET Canada, March 30, 2021.
^ Jamie Samhan, "2022 Canadian Screen Award Winners: Broadcast News And Documentary & Factual". ET Canada, April 4, 2022.
^ Brent Furdyk, "2022 Canadian Screen Award Nominees Announced, ‘Sort Of’ & ‘Scarborough’ Lead The Pack". ET Canada, February 15, 2022.
^ Jackson Weaver, "To Kill a Tiger, We're All Gonna Die and BLK emerge as top winners at CSAs' opening night". CBC News, April 11, 2023.
^ Pat Mullen, "2023 Canadian Screen Award Nominations for Documentary". Point of View, February 22, 2023.

v t e Canadian Screen Awards
By year	2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Canadian Film Awards (film, 1949–1978)	1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 1977 1978
Genie Awards (film, 1979–2012)	1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990/91 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
ACTRA Awards (television, 1972–1986)	1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986
Gemini Awards (television, 1986–2012)	1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Film awards by category	Motion Picture Lead Performance Supporting Performance Director Animated Short Art Direction and Production Design Casting Cinematography Cinematography in a Documentary Costume Design Editing Editing in a Documentary Feature Length Documentary Hair Live Action Short Makeup Original Music in a Documentary Original Score Original Song Screenplay (Original and Adapted) Short Documentary Sound Editing Sound Mixing Stunt Coordination Visual Effects Golden Screen John Dunning Best First Feature Award
Television awards by category	Comedy Series Drama Series TV Movie Children's or Youth Fiction Series Children's or Youth Non-Fiction Series Pre-School Series Reality/Competition Series Leading Performance, Comedy Leading Performance, Drama Supporting Performance, Comedy Supporting Performance, Drama Direction, Children's or Youth Performance, Children's or Youth Writing, Children's or Youth Casting Academy Achievement Award Donald Brittain Award Earle Grey Award Gordon Sinclair Award Margaret Collier Award Rob Stewart Award
Discontinued awards	Bijou Awards (1981) Actor (1968-2022) Actor - Non-Feature (1969–81) Actress (1968-2022) Actress - Non-Feature (1969–81) Lead Actor, Comedy Series (1986-2022) Lead Actor, Drama Series (1986-2022) Lead Actress, Comedy Series (1986-2022) Lead Actress, Drama Series (1986-2022) Supporting Actor, Comedy Series (1986-2022) Supporting Actor, Drama Series (1986-2022) Supporting Actress, Comedy Series (1986-2022) Supporting Actress, Drama Series (1986-2022) Foreign Actor (1980–83) Foreign Actress (1980–83) Supporting Actor (1968-2022) Supporting Actress (1968-2022) Theatrical Short (1949–96) Children's or Youth Program (1986-2002) Host, Children's or Youth Program (2008-2016) Individual or Ensemble Performance in a Comedy (1992-2000) Ensemble Performance in a Comedy (2001-2011) Individual Performance in a Comedy (2001-2010) John Drainie Award (1968-2000) Special Achievement Foster Hewitt Award (1975-1986) Wendy Michener Award (1969-1978) Diversity Award (1992-2016)
Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television Note: Awards by year articles are listed here by the year of eligibility for nomination; due to variable scheduling of the ceremonies, this is not always the same year in which the awards were presented.