The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role to the best performance by a supporting actress in a Canadian film.Maria Topalovich, And the Genie Goes To...: Celebrating 50 Years of the Canadian Film Awards. Stoddart Publishing, 2000. . The award was first presented in 1970 by the Canadian Film Awards, and was presented annually until 1978 with the exception of 1974 due to the cancellation of the awards that year.
From 1980 until 2012, the award was presented as part of the Genie Awards ceremony; since 2013, it has been presented as part of the new Canadian Screen Awards.
In August 2022, the Academy announced that it will discontinue its past practice of presenting gendered awards for film and television actors and actresses; beginning with the 11th Canadian Screen Awards in 2023, gender-neutral awards for Best Performance will be presented, with eight nominees per category instead of five.Joseph Pugh, "Canadian Screen Awards switching to gender-neutral performance categories". CBC News, August 25, 2022. Supporting performances are now honoured with the Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Film.
1970s Year Nominee Film Ref 197022nd Canadian Film Awards Fernande Giroux Red 197123rd Canadian Film Awards Olivette Thibault Mon oncle Antoine 197224th Canadian Film Awards Doris Petrie Wedding in White 197325th Canadian Film Awards Camille Bernard Kamouraska 1974No award presented 197526th Canadian Film Awards Lila Kedrova Eliza's Horoscope 197627th Canadian Film Awards Tedde Moore Second Wind 197728th Canadian Film Awards Carole Lazare One Man 197829th Canadian Film Awards Marilyn Lightstone In Praise of Older Women Lynne Cavanagh Three Card Monte "Four films nominated for Etrogs". The Globe and Mail, August 24, 1978. Monique Mercure The Third Walker Alberta Watson In Praise of Older Women
1980s Year Nominee Film Ref 1980 1st Genie Awards Geneviève Bujold Murder by Decree Helen Burns The Changeling Jay Scott, "Changeling leads Canadian Film Award nominees". The Globe and Mail, February 8, 1980. Patricia Collins Summer's Children Barbara Gordon Wild Horse Hank Frances Hyland The Changeling 1981 2nd Genie Awards Kate Reid Atlantic City Colleen Dewhurst Tribute Jay Scott, "Genie nominations released". The Globe and Mail, February 10, 1981. Gale Garnett Tribute Frances Hyland The Hounds of Notre Dame Micheline Lanctôt The Coffin Affair (L'Affaire Coffin) 1982 3rd Genie Awards Denise Filiatrault The Plouffe Family (Les Plouffe) Juliette Huot The Plouffe Family (Les Plouffe) Jay Scott, "Les Plouffe, Ticket to Heaven lead the pack: Academy lists Genie nominees". The Globe and Mail, February 4, 1982. Chapelle Jaffe The Amateur Anne Létourneau The Plouffe Family (Les Plouffe) Dixie Seatle Ticket to Heaven 1983 4th Genie Awards Jackie Burroughs The Grey Fox Geneviève Brassard Sweet Lies and Loving Oaths (Doux aveux) Jay Scott, "Top Genie prospects for Jack Miner move". The Globe and Mail, February 10, 1983. Clare Coulter By Design Patricia Nolin Beyond Forty (La Quarantaine) Trudy Young Melanie 1984 5th Genie Awards Jackie Burroughs The Wars Amulette Garneau Maria Chapdelaine Jay Scott, "11 nominations for Chapdelaine in Genie race". The Globe and Mail, February 10, 1984. Elva Mai Hoover The Terry Fox Story Tedde Moore A Christmas Story Linda Sorgini The Tin Flute (Bonheur d'occasion) 1985 6th Genie Awards Linda Sorenson Draw! Jackie Burroughs The Surrogate Jay Scott, "Bay Boy reels in 11 Genie nominations". The Globe and Mail, February 15, 1985. Barbara Law Bedroom Eyes Elizabeth Leigh-Milne Walls Jane McKinnon The Bay Boy Leah Pinsent The Bay Boy 1986 7th Genie Awards Linda Sorenson Joshua Then and Now Lally Cadeau Separate Vacations "Scorecard of major nominees for tonight's Genie Awards on TV". Toronto Star, March 20, 1986. Barbara Gordon Overnight Fernanda Tavares 90 Days 1987 8th Genie Awards Louise Portal The Decline of the American Empire (Le Déclin de l'empire américain) Lucie Laurier Anne Trister John Allemang, "Arcand's Decline tops Genie nominations with 13". The Globe and Mail, February 5, 1987. Andrée Pelletier Bach and Broccoli (Bach et Bottine) Geneviève Rioux The Decline of the American Empire (Le Déclin de l'empire américain) Marie Tifo In the Shadow of the Wind (Les Fous de Bassan) 1988 9th Genie Awards Paule Baillargeon I've Heard the Mermaids Singing Jayne Eastwood Night Friend Liam Lacey, "Quebec film picks up 14 nominations: Zoo paces race for Genies". The Globe and Mail, February 17, 1988. Fran Gebhard Blue City Slammers Ann-Marie MacDonald I've Heard the Mermaids Singing Maruska Stankova Dreams Beyond Memory 1989 10th Genie Awards Colleen Dewhurst Obsessed Janet-Laine Green Cowboys Don't Cry Helen Hughes Martha, Ruth and Edie Miou-Miou The Revolving Doors (Les Portes tournantes) Susan Douglas Rubeš The Outside Chance of Maximilian Glick
1990s Year Nominee Film Ref 1990 11th Genie Awards Robyn Stevan Bye Bye Blues Pauline Martin Jesus of Montreal (Jésus de Montréal) "Bye Bye Blues in running for Genie Awards". Vancouver Sun, February 14, 1990. Johanne-Marie Tremblay Jesus of Montreal (Jésus de Montréal) 1991 12th Genie Awards Danielle Proulx Love Crazy (Amoureux fou) Winifred Holden The Company of Strangers Craig MacInnis, "Too many jokers, not enough aces: Genie deck stacked for Black Robe". Toronto Star, November 24, 1991. Sandrine Holt Black Robe Ofelia Medina Diplomatic Immunity Catherine Roche The Company of Strangers 1992 13th Genie Awards Monique Mercure Naked Lunch Krista Bridges The Shower "Genie Award nominations". Toronto Star, November 20, 1992. Judy Davis On My Own Tracey Moore Defy Gravity Johanne Marie Tremblay The Saracen Woman (La Sarrasine) 1993 14th Genie Awards Nicola Cavendish The Grocer's Wife Brigitte Bako I Love a Man in Uniform "Genie nominations". Calgary Herald, October 20, 1993. Céline Bonnier Tectonic Plates Sylvie Drapeau The Sex of the Stars (Le Sexe des étoiles) Charlene Fernetz Harmony Cats Kate Hennig Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould 1994 15th Genie Awards Martha Henry Mustard Bath Wanda Cannon For the Moment Mia Kirshner Love and Human Remains Johanne McKay My Friend Max (Mon amie Max) Joanne Vannicola Love and Human Remains 1995 16th Genie Awards Kate Nelligan Margaret's Museum Anne-Marie Cadieux The Confessional (Le Confessionnal) "Nominees for the 1995 Genie Awards". Canadian Press, November 7, 1995. Rachael Crawford Rude Marie Gignac The Confessional (Le Confessionnal) Pascale Montpetit Eclipse 1996 17th Genie Awards Martha Burns Long Day's Journey into Night Marie-Andrée Corneille Mistaken Identity (Erreur sur la personne) "Over-the-edge Canadian films poised for Genie nod". Canadian Press, November 24, 1996. Josée Deschênes Polygraph (Le Polygraphe) Maria de Medeiros Polygraph (Le Polygraphe) Manon Miclette Love Me, Love Me Not (J'aime, j'aime pas) 1997 18th Genie Awards Seana McKenna The Hanging Garden France Castel Karmina France Castel The Countess of Baton Rouge (La Comtesse de Bâton Rouge) Kerry Fox The Hanging Garden Joan Orenstein The Hanging Garden 1998 19th Genie Awards Monique Mercure Conquest Geneviève Bujold Last Night "Two films lead Genie pack". Waterloo Region Record, December 8, 1998. Rachael Crawford Pale Saints Anna Henry The Fishing Trip Roberta Maxwell Last Night 1999 20th Genie Awards Catherine O'Hara The Life Before This Suzanne Champagne Winter Stories (Histoires d'hiver) Deborah Kara Unger Sunshine Rachel Weisz Sunshine Kathryn Zenna Jack and Jill
2000s Year Nominee Film Ref 2000 21st Genie Awards Helen Shaver We All Fall Down "Maelstrom sweeps Genie Awards". Cape Breton Post, January 31, 2001. Annick Bergeron Pandora's Beauty (La Beauté de Pandore) Céline Bonnier The Orphan Muses (Les Muses orphelines) Stacy Smith New Waterford Girl Mary Walsh New Waterford Girl Barbara Williams Love Come Down 2001 22nd Genie Awards Molly Parker Last Wedding Marya Delver Last Wedding "Atanarjuat and The War Bride share lead for Genie Awards". Guelph Mercury, December 15, 2001. Mimi Kuzyk Lost and Delirious Brenda Fricker The War Bride Molly Parker The War Bride 2002 23rd Genie Awards Pascale Montpetit Savage Messiah Brigitte Bako Saint Monica "Egoyan's Ararat scoops nine Gemini nominations". Timmins Daily Press, December 12, 2002. Moushmi Chatterji Bollywood/Hollywood Rachel McAdams Perfect Pie Dina Pathak Bollywood/Hollywood 2003 24th Genie Awards Marie-Josée Croze The Barbarian Invasions (Les Invasions barbares) Olympia Dukakis The Event Emily Hampshire A Problem with Fear Meredith McGeachie Punch Annabella Piugattuk The Snow Walker 2004 25th Genie Awards Jennifer Jason Leigh Childstar Peter Howell, "Quebec films rule Genies; Aging Triplets named country's best film of 2004". Toronto Star, March 22, 2005. Juliette Gosselin Battle of the Brave (Nouvelle-France) "Being Julia up for best picture at Canada's Genies". St. Catharines Standard, February 9, 2005. Sylvie Moreau Love and Magnets (Les Aimants) Elliot Page Wilby Wonderful Susana Salazar A Silent Love 2005 26th Genie Awards Danielle Proulx C.R.A.Z.Y. Babz Chula Seven Times Lucky Guy Dixon, "Forget the awards. Watch the party". The Globe and Mail, January 26, 2006. Suzanne Clément Audition (L'Audition) Marianne Fortier Aurore Micheline Lanctôt Familia 2006 27th Genie Awards Carrie-Anne Moss Snow Cake Jay Stone, "Bon Cop, Bad Cop wins top Genie as best movie". Ottawa Citizen, February 14, 2007. Caroline Dhavernas Niagara Motel Randall King, "The Rocket scores with 13 Genie nominations". Winnipeg Free Press, January 10, 2007. Marie Gignac The Secret Life of Happy People (La Vie secrète des gens heureux) Emily Hampshire Snow Cake Vivian Wu Eve and the Fire Horse 2007 28th Genie Awards Kristen Thomson Away from Her Mark Medley, "Away From Her scoops six Genies, including best picture". Alaska Highway News, March 5, 2008. Marie-Ginette Guay Continental, a Film Without Guns (Continental, un film sans fusil) Bruce Kirkland, "They dream of Genies; Canadian directors see films scoop 12 noms each". Winnipeg Sun, January 29, 2008. Laurence Leboeuf My Daughter, My Angel (Ma fille mon ange) Véronique Le Flaguais Surviving My Mother (Comment survivre à sa mère) Fanny Mallette Continental, a Film Without Guns (Continental, un film sans fusil) 2008 29th Genie Awards Kristin Booth Young People Fucking Céline Bonnier Mommy Is at the Hairdresser's (Maman est chez le coiffeur) Éveline Gélinas The Necessities of Life (Ce qu'il faut pour vivre) Anie Pascale Everything Is Fine (Tout est parfait) Rosamund Pike Fugitive Pieces 2009 30th Genie Awards Martha Burns Love and Savagery Liane Balaban One Week Marie Brassard Heat Wave (Les grandes chaleurs) Isabel Richer Babine Sonia Vachon 5150 Elm's Way (5150, rue des ormes)
2010s