How exactly do you sort out your distinct approach to a massive hosting gig like this?
The really exciting thing was that I’ve kind of known for a year that I was gonna host it. So, I’ve had a year to just sit and consume outside content and see what I want from the show and what I want to bring to the show. I’m also really thankful to get this award show at this point in my career, because I know who I am as a host. I do a lot of hosting in my private life, just as a job. I’ve hosted two non-televised nights for the Canadian Screen Awards. I’ve hosted a JUNOS non-televised night. I do a lot of award shows for different industries. And so, I’ve refined the approach over and over.
I think what people genuinely want is a host who’s really happy and excited to be there and believes in what they’re presenting. For me, I’m so ride-or-die for Canadian TV and film. I believe in the people making things in this country. They’re my friends, they’re my peers, they’re people I look up to. I’m just so excited to be there. The approach is that of love and celebration. That’s how I’m entering hosting the Canadian Screen Awards. I wanna celebrate this country. I wanna celebrate what we do. I live here. I make a living here. So, that’s where I’m at hosting this award show.
So, you’re not going in guns-blazin’ like Ricky Gervais at the Globes?
[Laughs] No, I’m not. And I don’t think I could ever do anything like Ricky Gervais. I love what Ricky Gervais does. I love what Conan O’Brien does. I love what Stephen Colbert does. I look at a lot of hosts, and I’m like, “OK, what is the thing they’re really good at? What are the things that I could learn from?” And then I developed my own tool belt. Ricky . . . we’re different people. I don’t approach comedy that way. That’s not how I’m wired. I came from the improv world where everything was, “Make your partner look good. ‘Yes, and . . .’ your partner. Make them look like a million bucks!” That’s my approach to this.
Is it an interesting challenge tailoring your material to such a broad, national audience of all different demographics?
For me, this relates to my career. Once I became confident in my voice, everything came easier. So, I’m hosting this award show not necessarily worried about appeasing everyone. It’s trusting my comedic instincts and my hosting abilities over the years I’ve developed and just making sure that everyone has a good time — and that what I’m doing celebrates the people in the room.
I know that some things I do, some people won’t like — but other people will like. It’s just, as a whole, does my body of work for the evening fit the standard of someone who came in to elevate the evening? That’s my objective in this.
My hosting style is really fun, energetic, relatable, silly, off-the-cuff. And when I’ve trusted it, it’s always worked.
When you look at big entertainment galas over the years, the hosts tend to split audiences down the middle — even when it’s a beloved comedy legend like Billy Crystal or Ellen DeGeneres. Why is that?
Well, if you look at the nominees for any of the categories, they’re not all the same. And I think that’s reflective of an audience. A larger audience isn’t all the same. We consume different things, right? So, when you bring them all together for a big award show, there are going to be things that appeal to certain audiences but not others. That’s just people’s tastes. It’s always going to be that way.
I was even reading a review of Conan’s hosting performance [at this year’s Oscars], and there are some people that really loved it, and some people that felt it was flat. I was blown away by that. But I’m Conan’s audience. I’ve grown up since I was 11 years old watching Conan’s late show. So much of my comedy is built on Conan, so much of my comedy is built on the Simpsons seasons that he was on. I relate to that. But there are shows sometimes I watch and I’m like, “You know what? This show is not for me. I respect the artistry. I respect what went into making it. It’s just not for me.” I think that’s inherently gonna happen when you do an award show and you bring together so many diverse audiences.
Getting back to the prep work that goes into an event like this, are you bingeing all the nominated films and television shows?
I’m going on a massive binge, and it’s been really fun consuming all the content. It was an opportunity to watch shows that I don’t know if I would have ever watched.
And let me tell you, yesterday I watched Mortal Kombat 2 and [CSA-nominated film] Blue Heron in the same day, and that is the spectrum of filmmaking as an art form. The complete polar opposites of everything cinema is all about.
It’s interesting because Mortal Kombat 2, personally, I really enjoyed it. I’m a product of the video games growing up as a kid. They’re really fun. It was a movie that was basically the video game turned into a movie. Great. Blue Heron is a film I will talk about and remember for many years to come. And that’s what I love about Canadian cinema. We are making things that affect people, that leave an imprint on people.
With the international turmoil of the past few years, does an award show like this — celebrating Canada — take on added significance? Especially since three major Canadian networks are airing it in unison?
I think the tendency is to always say, “This year is a special year. It’s bigger and better than previous years.” But I do agree, the sentiment over the last year has been really about acknowledging and consuming Canadian content. And I love how all the networks were like, “We’re coming together on this one.”
It is a night where the networks can let down their guard, all come together and celebrate the industry as a whole. And I love when you look at the nominations, all the networks, all the broadcasters are reflected in the fabric of what is being made and celebrated in this country.
My tailor and dry cleaners are the nicest people. Whenever I come in, the ladies are always like, “Andrew, what’s your next project?” And this was really cool. I’m like, “I’m hosting the Canadian Screen Awards.” They’re like, “Where can we watch it?” And I just said to them, “On every single network.” That’s really exciting.
The Academy is also giving out a few special honours this year, including a lifetime achievement trophy to Mike Myers . . .
I get a bit teary-eyed just thinking of, “I’m gonna be face-to-face with Mike Myers.” Because I grew up watching Mike Myers on SNL, grew up watching his movies. But also, Mike Myers is someone I watched with my dad. My Chinese-Vietnamese immigrant father and I would watch Mike Myers movies together. That’s so, so cool. And, you know, I got a DM from Tia Carrere the other day — she played Cassandra in the Wayne’s World movies. She said, “Hey, Mike Myers is getting this lifetime achievement award. I wanna be there.” This feels so special, that everyone is trying to be a part of it. Like I said earlier, every network’s trying to be there, Tia Carrere DMs me — which in itself was a pretty surreal, wild moment. “Yo, Cassandra just slid into my DMs!”
You yourself won a bunch of CSAs for Kim’s Convenience, Run the Burbs and other stuff. What did that mean to you?
I was this kid who never thought I could make it in this industry. And in 2017, I got my first CSA and it was like, “No, you belong here.” And I feel like I’ve taken that first Canadian Screen Award and I’ve run with it. I am running as hard as I can, because I now trust my voice. Everything I’ve done has gotten me to this point to host this year’s Canadian Screen Awards.
2026 Canadian Screen Awards airs Sunday, May 31 on CBC, Global & CTV
MEMORABLE ROLES:
From 2016 to 2021, Andrew Phung played dopey, endearing, ultimate BFF Kimchee on Kim’s Convenience, earning the Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy all five seasons. It was a breakout role he quickly thereafter parlayed into a CBC sitcom of his own, creating and starring in Run the Burbs (2022-2024) — which spent three seasons lovingly skewering life in suburbia. You’ve also seen Mr. Phung in fantasy western Wynonna Earp, news satire The Beaverton and unhinged sports mockumentary Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story. What’s more, just lately, connoisseurs of food competitions have come to know him as the host of Flavour Network’s Big Burger Battle.
CURRENT GIG:
Himself an eight-time Canadian Screen Award winner on the strength of homegrown sitcoms Kim’s Convenience and Run the Burbs, tonight Andrew Phung switches from honouree to emcee. The big-screen contenders are led by post-apocalyptic drama 40 Acres with 10 noms, while breakout CBC comedy North of North leads the TV categories with 20. This year, for the first time ever, the gala will be aired simultaneously across nearly all major Canadian broadcasters and their associated streamers.
I think the tendency is to always say, “This year is a special year. It’s bigger and better than previous years.” But I do agree, the sentiment over the last year has been really about acknowledging and consuming Canadian content. And I love how all the networks were like, “We’re coming together on this one.”
It is a night where the networks can let down their guard, all come together and celebrate the industry as a whole. And I love when you look at the nominations, all the networks, all the broadcasters are reflected in the fabric of what is being made and celebrated in this country.
My tailor and dry cleaners are the nicest people. Whenever I come in, the ladies are always like, “Andrew, what’s your next project?” And this was really cool. I’m like, “I’m hosting the Canadian Screen Awards.” They’re like, “Where can we watch it?” And I just said to them, “On every single network.” That’s really exciting.