UBCP/ACTRA Awards History

The UBCP/ACTRA Awards is a peer-adjudicated awards show established in 2012 to help celebrate BC performers’ remarkable achievements from the past year. 

This year will mark our 13th awards show and will be held on Saturday, November 23 at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver.

The UBCP/ACTRA Awards originated from a casual conversation of ways to spotlight members in British Columbia. At that time, ACTRA Toronto held an annual awards show, but BC members were ineligible. “So, why not have our own awards?” someone asked. And so we did.

The first UBCP/ACTRA Awards show took place in November 2012 at the CBC studios in Vancouver. That year, there were five performance categories: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Newcomer, Best Voice, and Best Stunt. Looking back, the 2012 show seems a bit like the Wild Wild West, with open seating, an open bar, and open mics! Ellie Harvie hosted, setting the tone for the years to come – open, friendly, and a tad irreverent.

The following year, the Awards were held at the Vancouver Playhouse, where they remained for the next 10 years, honoring members and providing the backdrop for sometimes over-the-top parties. As the Awards evolved, changes were made – sometimes for the better, and sometimes not so much. Do you remember the outdoor red carpet during what can only be described as a monsoon? But always, the talent of BC performers took center stage, soggy Louboutins or not.

During the pandemic years, the show went online, which was a good “pivot” in those trying times, yet everyone was eager to return to the glitter and glam of the red carpet.

In 2023, the performance categories were revamped to remove gender barriers, and the venue shifted to the Commodore Ballroom in downtown Vancouver. And so, the show goes on…