Banff World Media Festival Announces Rockie Awards Nominees: Drama Highlights Include ‘Heated Rivalry’ and ‘The Pitt,’ Plus Acting Nominations for Jacob Elordi and Amanda Seyfried

The nominations for the 2026 Rockie Awards have been announced, showcasing talent from 45 countries.

The Banff World Media Festival revealed that Allana Harkin, known for her work on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, will present the awards. The ceremony is set for June 16 at 6 p.m. MT (5 a.m. PT) in Banff, Canada, and will take place in conjunction with the Banff Gala Awards.

Among the nominees for the Best Performance in a Drama award are Malin Åkerman (The Hunting Wives), Jacob Elordi (The Narrow Road to the Deep North), James Nelson-Joyce (This City is Ours), Narges Rashidi (Prisoner 951), and Amanda Seyfried (Long Bright River). This category was newly introduced last year. In another newly established category, Best Performance in a Comedy, nominees include Suranne Jones (Film Club), Mawaan Rizwan (Juice), Nabhaan Rizwan (Film Club), Timothy Spall (Death Valley), and Aimee Lou Wood (Film Club).

The Drama Series: English Language category features Canadian breakout series Heated Rivalry, competing against The Handmaid’s Tale and The Pitt. In the Competition Series & Game Shows category, contenders include the BBC’s Destination X, Shark Tank, the Norwegian series The Box, and The Traitors Canada.

The BBC leads with 26 nominations overall, while Nat Geo follows with 10. Hulu garnered eight nominations, Disney Television Studios secured six, and HBO Europe, along with Gaumont, received four each. Sphere Media and Trio Orange each received two nominations.

The United States has the highest number of nominations by country, totaling 55, followed by the United Kingdom with 39, Canada with 28, Australia with seven, and Taiwan with five.

“At a moment of incredible transformation for the global entertainment industry, the creativity behind this year’s nominated projects is truly remarkable,” said Jenn Kuzmyk, Executive Director of the Banff World Media Festival. “The programs and talent selected as standouts by our international jury exemplify what it means to be pushing boundaries, taking risks, and proving that original ideas continue to thrive even in times of great change.”

Competition Series & Game Shows

• Destination X
  Twofour, BBC One

• Next Level Baker
  BiggerStage, Studio Ramsay

• Shark Tank
  Sony Pictures Television

• The Box
  Seefood TV, TV 2 Norway, Seefood Distribution

• The Traitors Canada
  Entourage Production TV Inc.

Full Nominee Line-Up

Arts & Entertainment

• Comedy Variety
  • Kumail Nanjiani: Night Thoughts
    ITV America, Winter Coat Films, The Year of Elan Productions
  • Michael McIntyre’s Big Show
    Hungry McBear, BBC One
  • Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 2024 Induction Ceremony
    Tenth Planet Productions
  • The Graham Norton Show
    So Television

Docuseries

• Call Her Alex
  Unwell Productions
• Crip Trip
  Catapult Pictures
• Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams: The Ultimate Test
  South Shore Productions
• Harlem Ice
  Imagine Entertainment, Disney Branded Television
• The Death Coast
  Forte Entertainment, Bell Media, Crave, USA Network, A+E, History Channel, Picture Farm, Sugar 23
• Tous en choeur
  Sphere Media, AMI Télé
• Wildfire
  Optic Nerve Films, CK9 Studios

Lifestyle

• Earth Oven
  Hi Mama Productions, Blue Ant Media, Sky Television New Zealand, SBS Australia
• Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
  Endemol Shine North America, Hello Sunshine, Walt Disney Television Alternative
• No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski
  Studio Ramsay Global, National Geographic
• Sort Your Life Out
  Optomen Television Limited
• Tucci In Italy
  BBC Studios Specialist Factual Productions, Salt Productions, National Geographic

Reality Series

• Bloodlines
  Seefood TV, TV 2 Norway, Seefood Distribution
• Jay & Pamela
  Jarrett Creative, TLC
• Le calendrier de l’avent
  Sphere Media, Bell Media
• Same Bed, Different Dreams 2: You Are My Destiny
  SBS
• Underdog Inc
  Big Time Decent Productions Inc.

Documentary & Factual

• Arts & Culture
  • Half Moon
    Selfmade Films, NTR, NPO-fonds, CoBO, Filmfonds
  • Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery – The Untold Story
    White Horse Pictures, Elevation Pictures, ABC News Studios, Not A Real Production Company

Sports Documentary

• Believers: Boston Red Sox
  ESPN, Religion of Sports, Artists Equity
• Clemente
  Vinegar Hill, UNINTERRUPTED, Vantage Pictures, Cookie Jar, A Dream Studios, APX Content Ventures, History Channel
• Saints And Warriors
  InnoNative, Grand Scheme, Uninterrupted Canada, First Take Entertainment

The ceremonies promise to celebrate the best in global media, highlighting an impressive array of talent and creativity across various categories.