# 15th ACTRA Awards

The 15th ACTRA Awards were presented on April 2, 1986 to honour achievements in Canadian television production in 1985. They were the final ACTRA Awards presented before the responsibility for organizing and presenting Canadian television awards was transferred from ACTRA to the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television; after this, ACTRA only presented awards in radio categories, until relaunching the ACTRA Awards program in the early 2000s as a series of regional production awards in various Canadian film and television production markets.
The ceremony was hosted by Don Harron, Pierre Berton, Barbara Frum, Gordon Pinsent, Dave Broadfoot and Ann Mortifee.
Due to overlapping eligibility periods, some of the nominees or winners at the 15th ACTRA Awards were also nominees or winners at the 1st Gemini Awards, which were presented in December 1986.

## Television

| Best Television Program | Best Direction in a Television Program |
| Charlie Grant's War Canada's Sweetheart: The Saga of Hal C. Banks Final Offer | Donald Brittain, Canada's Sweetheart: The Saga of Hal C. Banks Allan Kroeker, Tramp at the Door Martin Lavut, Charlie Grant's War |
| Best Television Actor | Best Television Actress |
| Maury Chaykin, Canada's Sweetheart: The Saga of Hal C. Banks Douglas Campbell, Tartuffe Albert Millaire, The Celestial Bicycle R. H. Thomson, Charlie Grant's War | Leueen Willoughby, The Other Kingdom Megan Follows, Hockey Night Patricia Phillips, Bayo |
| Best Continuing TV Performance | Best Supporting TV Performance |
| Martha Gibson, Seeing Things Dinah Christie, Check It Out! Louis Del Grande, Seeing Things | Douglas Rain, Love and Larceny Peter Boretski, Charlie Grant's War Jan Rubeš, Charlie Grant's War |
| Best TV Variety Performance | Best Television Host |
| Anne Murray, Sounds of London Dave Broadfoot, Royal Canadian Air Farce Murray McLauchlan, Floating Over Canada | Eric Malling, The Fifth Estate Hana Gartner, The Fifth Estate David Suzuki, A Planet for the Taking |
| Best Children's Television Program | Best Television Score |
| A Good Tree The Cap Hockey Night | Michael Conway Baker, A Planet for the Taking Bruce Lee, Marionettes Inc. Alex Pauk, Blackberry Subway Jam |
| Best Writing, Original Television Drama | Best Writing, Adapted Television Drama |
| Anna Sandor, Charlie Grant's War Douglas Bowie, Love and Larceny Donald Brittain and Richard Nielsen, Canada's Sweetheart: The Saga of Hal C. Banks | Ed Thomason, Gentle Sinners John MacLachlan Gray, The King of Friday Night Allan Kroeker, Tramp at the Door |
| Best Writing, Television Comedy/Variety | Best Writing, Television Public Affairs |
| Peter Thurling, Floating Over Canada Rod Coneybeare and Wilson Coneybeare, Check It Out! Suzette Couture and Chas Lawther, Joined at the Hip | Eric Malling and Brian McKenna, The Fifth Estate Terence McKenna, The Journal Vincent Tovell and Eric Till, Glenn Gould: A Portrait |

## Radio

| Best Radio Program | Best Radio Host |
| Glenn Gould: The Well-Tempered Polymath A Celebration of Genius: The 300th Anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach Ideas: "Journey Through the Volcano" Scales of Justice: "I'm Not Living Like This Anymore" | Vicki Gabereau, Gabereau: "Interview with Margaret Atwood" Elizabeth Gray, As It Happens Peter Gzowski, Morningside |
| Best Radio Actor | Best Radio Actress |
| Bill Meilen, The Legend of Old Charlie John Colicos, Hanging Judge Sean Mulcahy, Philadelphia Here I Come | Lenore Zann, Salt-Water Moon Jackie Burroughs, Miranda Nicky Guadagni, Scales of Justice: "I'm Not Living Like This Anymore" |
| Best Radio Variety Performance | Best Writing, Original Radio Drama |
| Édith Butler, Arts National Len Carlson, Gay Claitman, Frank Daley, Cathy Gallant, Tim Hoey, Ray Landry and Paul K. Willis, If You Love This Government Ann Mortifee, Arts National | Linda Zwicker, Grey Pearls John Douglas, Attack of the Killer Mouse Michael Tait, The Victims |
| Best Writing, Adapted Radio Drama | Best Writing, Radio Variety |
| Sean Mulcahy, Philadelphia Here I Come Urjo Kareda, Salt-Water Moon Bill Williams, Dragonwings | Roger Abbott, Dave Broadfoot, Don Ferguson, Gord Holtam, John Morgan and Rick Olsen, Royal Canadian Air Farce Michael Boncoeur and Paul K. Willis, The Year of Living Obnoxiously Andy Jones, Greg Malone, Tommy Sexton and Mary Walsh, Concepts |
| Best Writing, Radio Public Affairs |
| David Gollob, Ideas: "Journey Through the Volcano" Fiona McHugh, One Mortal Woman Christopher Thomas, This England |

## Journalism and special awards

| Gordon Sinclair Award | Best Live Television Reporting |
| Roy Bonisteel, Man Alive Peter Gzowski and Stuart McLean, Morningside Eric Malling, The Fifth Estate | Mike Duffy, 1985 Turkish embassy attack in Ottawa Ruth Anderson and Dick Gordon, 1985 Alberta Progressive Conservative leadership convention Peter Miller, 1985 Newfoundland general election |
| Foster Hewitt Award | John Drainie Award |
| Ernie Nairn Rae Hull Mark Lee | Bernard Cowan |