Best Media, Arts & Culture - Readers' Choice

December 12, 2006

Local Arts Festival

“Anything free!” “I’m not sure if this qualifies but the Commercial Drive Festival was super interesting and full of local flavour;” “Red Bull Flugtag.”

1. Vancouver Fringe Festival

2. Vancouver International Film Festival

3. Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

Theatre Company

1. Arts Club Theatre Company

2. Vancouver TheatreSports League

3. Playhouse Theatre Company (tie)

3. Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival (tie)

Dance Company

“I can’t think of a dance company (I’m too hungry!), but I like Dances for a Small Stage.”

1. Ballet B.C.

2. Kokoro Dance

3. Holy Body Tattoo

Private Art Gallery

“Come up and I’ll show you sometime.”

1. Diane Farris - 1590 West 7th Avenue

2. The Equinox Gallery of Vancouver - 2321 Granville Street

3. Buschlen-Mowatt Fine Arts - 111–1445 West Georgia Street

Classical Music Ensemble

“Two Small Men With Big Hearts.”

1. Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

2. Musica Intima

3. Vancouver Chamber Choir (tie)

3. Vancouver Bach Choir (tie)

Public Art Gallery

“Isn’t there only one? Aren’t the rest private?” “Open Space—Vancouver Sculpture Biennale (the 22 pieces placed from Coal Harbour to Vanier Park to Queen Elizabeth Park)” “The tattooed guy in my apartment building;” “Union Street between Vernon and Glen when the shoes hang off the phone lines.”

1. Vancouver Art Gallery - 750 Hornby Street

2. UBC Museum of Anthropology - 6393 Northwest Marine Drive

3. Contemporary Art Gallery - 555 Nelson Street

Most comfortable movie theatre

“The back of my truck at the drive-in;” “The Rio is damn nice, but the Tinseltown seats lean back!”

1. Cinemark Tinseltown - 88 West Pender Street

2. Paramount Vancouver - 900 Burrard Street

3. SilverCity Cinemas - Various locations

Theatre to see a first-run film

“The new Paramount theatre? Surprisingly good;” “Wherever is actually playing what I want to see!”

1. Cinemark Tinseltown - 88 West Pender Street

2. Paramount Vancouver - 900 Burrard Street

3. Fifth Avenue Cinemas - 2110 Burrard Street

Theatre to see a second-run film

“I suppose the Kitten doesn’t count?” Not really, and neither does the Ridge Theatre anymore, despite all the votes it received.

1. Hollywood - 3123 West Broadway

2. Denman Place Discount Cinema - 124–1030 Denman Street

3. Van East Cinema - 2290 Commercial Drive

Most talked-about arts event of the year

“The release of The DaVinci Code (for some reason);” “Those stupid Spirit Bear sculptures.”

1. Vancouver International Film Festival

2. TD/Canada Trust Vancouver International Jazz Festival

3. Illuminares

Morning radio DJ(s)

“Picking best morning DJ in Vancouver is like choosing the best crap at the dog park.”

1. Larry and Willy/Jack FM 96.9

2. Jeff O’Neil/CFOX 99.3

3. Kid Carson and Nira Aurora/The Beat 94.5

Afternoon radio DJ(s)

“What a stupid question.”

1. Todd and Karen/CFOX 99.3

2. Buzz Bishop/Z95.3

3. Dean and Hatch/CFMI 101.1

Late-night radio DJ

“The one that talks the least;” “Anything that doesn’t repeat itself.”

1. Danger/CFOX 99.3

2. Craig Fee/The Beat 94.5 (tie)

2. Remo/Z95.3 (tie)

3. Flipout and J Swing/The Beat 94.5

Local Music Festival

“The folk festival, even though I can’t afford to go anymore;” “Haven’t been to one I liked yet;” “The jazz festival—outside of that, who are we kidding? The typical options are the likes of Warped Tour and Ozzfest for the knuckle-draggers, Edgefest for the radio-rockers, and so forth.”

1. TD/Canada Trust Vancouver International Jazz Festival

2. Vancouver Folk Music Festival

3. Festival Vancouver

New Local Band

1. On Holiday

2. Art of Dying

3. A Sheep at the Wheel (tie)

3. Marianas Trench (tie)

Local Band

“Bif Naked—not a band, but she’s our best local musician!”

1. Nickelback

2. New Pornographers (tie)

2. 54•40 (tie)

3. Stabilo (tie)

3. Hot Hot Heat (tie)

Annoying radio-talk-show host

“Anyone who uses the term ‘Vancity’. That’s so lame;” “She isn’t a ‘talk-show host’, but Barbara Bean’s voice [on the Beat 94.5] makes me want to shove rusty nails into my eyeballs just to feel something less painful than listening to her voice—but I’m sure she’s a really nice person.”
1. Charles Adler/CKNW 980

2. Dr. Laura Schlessinger/CFUN 1410

3. Bill Good/CKNW 980

Local TV newscast

“Global—’cause it’s trashy and entertaining;” “I don’t watch TV;” “I want to see a proper TV newscast. You know, all the women in suits, all the men in dresses…”

1. Global TV

2. CTV

3. CBC

Local cable show

Clearly there was some misunderstanding, as evidenced by a few votes for shows like Mutant X, Boston Legal, Dead Like Me, Sawing for Teens, and Canadian Idol. “Community announcements” and “The show with the big-headed woman who’s mean to the little guy” were more what we had in mind.

1. Urban Rush/Shaw

2. Studio 4/Shaw

3. Shaw Express/Shaw

Local TV sportscaster

“Mr Potato Head;” “Don’t even get me started on Squire Barnes;” “What don’t you understand about ‘I don’t watch TV’?”

1. Squire Barnes/Global TV

2. Don Taylor/Sportsnet

3. Perry Solkowski/CTV

Local TV weatherperson

“I miss Phil Reimer—remember when everyone got pissed at him when there was a huge snowstorm?” “Wayne Cox, even though he doesn’t pick my pictures for his weather window;” “Actually I don’t even own a TV.”

1. Tamara Taggart/CTV

2. Mark Madryga/Global

3. Wayne Cox/Global

Local TV anchor(s)

“Ahh, who cares?” “They’re all dense enough to sink their respective ships;” “Jill Krop—she’s a sweetie;” “Ian Handsome Man Thing and GGGGGloria on CBC;” “I told you, I don’t watch TV.” Plus one vote for the late Barbara Frum.

1. Tony Parsons/Global TV

2. Bill Good and Pamela Martin/CTV

3. Ian Hanomansing and Gloria? Macerenko/CBC