Isabelle Khoo/ Huffington Post
“It is a time of change. Audiences are hungry. Representation matters. The power of this medium cannot be ignored.”
Canada prides itself on that fact that it’s a mosaic of people and cultures, so it makes sense that the 2018 Canadian Screen Awards (CSA) on Sunday night celebrated what this country is all about: diversity.
Not only did women win big at this year’s awards, but productions that told diverse stories were also highly recognized.
In addition to these winning women was the celebration of diversity at the awards show. Similar to last year, representation was the talk of the night as CBC’s “Kim’s Convenience” won Best Comedy Series and its star Paul Sun-Hyung Lee won Best Lead Actor in a comedy for a second year in a row.
“It is a time of change. Audiences are hungry. Representation matters. The power of this medium cannot be ignored,” the 46-year-old actor, who plays Appa, told reporters. “When we set this example and audiences see themselves reflected, it makes a big difference.”
Lee’s words echo his sentiments from last year’s CSA acceptance speech. Talking about the importance of the show’s portrayal of an immigrant family on TV, he said, “It normalizes us, and it shows people that we might have some cultural differences, but when it comes to family, we are all the same.”
Fans on Twitter were thrilled about the wins for “Kim’s Convenience” and applauded Lee for his words on representation.