It’s the battle of Britain at this year’s Canadian Screen Awards—in one category, at least.

Vying for the for best lead actress prize in the Canuck version of the Oscars, now in its sixth year, Maudie's Sally Hawkins goes up against a Never Steady, Never Still Shirley Henderson, with both UK performers playing physically disabled characters in modestly budgeted prestige films.

Announced this morning (January 16), the CSA nominations bring yet more plaudits to the BC-made Never Steady, which is recognized in eight categories. Included among these are best cinematography (for the great Norm Li), best musical score (Ben Fox), and best motion picture.

Curiously, filmmaker Kathleen Hepburn is recognized for best original screenplay but not for direction.

This year’s nominations are otherwise dominated, as ever, by Quebecois product, much of which hasn’t opened yet in Vancouver. Meanwhile our own massive filmmaking community is shown little in the way of love.

Besides Maudie, The Breadwinner, and Ava, the best motion picture category is rounded out by The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches, It’s the Heart that Dies Last, and—unusually for an awards show—Robin Aubert’s zombie flick, The Ravenous.

Titles appearing across multiple categories also include Cross My Heart, Hochelaga: Land of Souls, and All You Can Eat Buddha.

Recognition for major local film work is otherwise limited to Josh Epstein and Kyle Rideout’s screenplay for Adventures in Public School and Tzi Ma’s fine performance in Mina Shum’s Meditation Park.

Adventures in Public School, Ava, The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches, The Ravenous, plus best doc nominee Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World are slated for screenings at the Cinematheque’s Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival.

See the full list of nominations here.

Similarly, the West Coast is lightly represented in the TV categories, available to view here, although it’s nice to see Vancouver’s Andrea Bang honoured among a slew of noms for Kim’s Convenience (shot in Toronto but produced by Vancouver’s Thunderbird Pictures), alongside co-stars Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Jean Yoon, Andrew Phung, and Nicole Power.

Ditto Brian Markinson in the lead actor category for the late, lamented Vancouver-set drama series The Romeo Section.

Most hilarious nom: the CSA fellating itself with a nod for Howie Mandel’s hosting job at the 2017 Canadian Screen Awards and a further nomination for best live entertainment special. Let’s see if the CSAs can double down on that trophy-calibre work when the prizes are handed out on March 11.