North Island Zone 2026

List of awards from the North Island Zone Festival 2026:

Best Production
Two Rooms (Nanaimo Theatre Group)

Runner-Up Production
Shawshank Redemption (Rivercity Players)

Best Director
Sheila Fremont-Male for Two Rooms, (Nanaimo Theatre Group)

Best Male Lead Actor
Brian Down, "Ellis Boyd Redding "Red" in Shawshank Redemption (Rivercity Players)

Best Female Lead Actor
Sophie Maher, "Lainie" in Two Rooms, (Nanaimo Theatre Group)

Best Male Supporting Actor
Jim Maher, "Walker" in Two Rooms, (Nanaimo Theatre Group)

Best Female Supporting Actor
Aurayliah Clark as "Libby Husniak" in Opening Night (Portal Players)

Best Set Design
The Children, Catherine Hannon & Bruce Taylor (Courtney Little Theatre)

Best Costume Design
Sandra Hetherington for Opening Night, (Portal Players)

Honourable Mention
Lorna McClellan, Two Rooms (Nanaimo Theatre Group)

Best Lighting Design
Anthony Neary & Shelia Fremont-Male for Two Rooms, (Nanaimo Theatre Group)

Best Sound Design
Ron Manke, Shadows on a Low Stone Wall (Echo Players)

Best Ensemble Acting
Opening Night (Portal Players)

Best Performance by a Youth or Newcomer
Wakely Ross as "Tommy Williams" in Shawshank Redemption

Best Backstage Coordination
The Children (Courtenay Little Theatre)

Best Stage Management
Stephany Ashwell, for Opening Night (Portal Players)

List of Certificates of Merrit:

Outstanding Special Properties: Marianne Harris, The Children (Courtenay Little Theatre)
Outstanding Costume Design: Lorna McLellan, Two Rooms (Nanaimo Theatre Group)
Outstanding Makeup Design: Teresa Drew, Two Rooms (Nanaimo Theatre Group)
Outstanding Ensemble Work: The Shawshank Redemption (Rivercity Players)
Outstanding Set Painting: Adam Coupland & Chriss Willcock, Shawshank Redemption (Rivercity Players)
Outstanding Ensemble Work: The Children, (Courtenay Little Theatre)
Merit for Emerging Actor: Jachym Mahel, Shawshank Redemption (Rivercity Players)
Outstanding Ensemble Work: Shadows from a Low Stone Wall (Echo Players)
Certificate of Merit for Doing It All with Love & Gusto!: Glen Clark, Shawshank Redemption (River City Players)

From earlier:

Nanaimo Theatre Group is proud to be hosting the 2026 North Island Zone Theatre BC Drama Festival. The festival will be hosted at the Bailey Studio in Nanaimo May 19-23, 2026 with an Awards ceremony on May 24, 2026.

Our Festival Adjudicator is Yvette Dudley-Neuman. You can meet her here!

Files you can download: