'Heated Rivalry' sweeps early Canadian Screen Awards with wins ahead of main ceremony

Among the show's biggest victories were awards for Best Direction and Best Writing, both awarded to Jacob Tierney

Heated Rivalry has emerged as one of the biggest winners of the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards, sweeping all 13 categories in which it was nominated during the event’s early Scripted Television Awards presentations.

According to Just Jared, the acclaimed Crave hockey romance won every early award it was nominated for ahead of the Canadian Screen Awards' main ceremony, further cementing its status as one of Canada's most celebrated television productions of the year.

Among the show's biggest victories were awards for Best Direction and Best Writing, both awarded to creator Jacob Tierney. The series also claimed honours for Best Photography, Best Picture Editing, Best Sound, Best Production Design or Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Music in a Drama and Best Original Song.

The series also earned acting recognition through Sophie Nélisse, who won Best Supporting Performer, and Nadine Bhabha, who received the award for Best Guest Performance. Heated Rivalry additionally won for Best Achievement in Casting.

The impressive sweep comes ahead of the Canadian Screen Awards' main ceremony, where the series remains in contention for several major prizes. Notably, star Hudson Williams is nominated for Best Lead Performer in a Drama Series. His co-star Connor Storrie was not eligible for nomination because he is not Canadian.

Based on Rachel Reid’s bestselling novel, Heated Rivalry follows the secret romance between rival hockey stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. Since its debut, the series has built a passionate international fanbase and has become one of the most talked-about LGBTQ+ dramas on television.

The Canadian Screen Awards are presented annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television to honour excellence in Canadian film, television and digital media. With 13 wins already secured, Heated Rivalry has established itself as one of the standout success stories of this year’s awards season.

The show's clean sweep of the early categories marks another major milestone as fans continue to await its second season, which creator Jacob Tierney recently confirmed is currently in development. For now, Heated Rivalry heads into the remainder of the awards weekend with an undefeated record and considerable momentum.