Toronto, ON — September 29, 2026 — Women in Film & Television – Toronto (WIFT+ Toronto) is proud to announce the six exceptional women being honoured at the 39th Annual Crystal Awards. Their achievements and contributions to Canada’s screen and media industries will be celebrated at a gala luncheon on Tuesday, November 24, 2026, at the Fairmont Royal York in downtown Toronto.
Since 1988, the Crystal Awards, WIFT+ Toronto’s flagship tribute gala, have honoured individuals whose talent, vision, and leadership have left a lasting mark on Canada’s screen-based media industry and beyond. Over nearly four decades, the awards have celebrated more than 190 trailblazers whose creativity, innovation, leadership, and commitment to mentorship have helped shape the industry and inspire the next generation.
2026 Crystal Awards Honourees:
- Creative Excellence: Iris Ng, Director of Photography
- Innovation Trailblazer: Valerie Creighton, C.M., S.O.M., President & Chief Executive Officer, Canada Media Fund
- International Achievement: Magda Grace, Head of Content Acquisition and Partnerships, International, Prime Video
- Mentorship: Lea Marin, Manager of Content, Netflix Canada
- Outstanding Achievement in Business: Samantha Traub, Head of Business & Legal Affairs and General Counsel, Boat Rocker Studios
- Special Jury Award of Distinction: Tracy Moore, Media Personality
“Every year, the Crystal Awards give us an opportunity to pause and celebrate the women whose leadership and talent are shaping the future of our industry. This year’s honourees represent an extraordinary range of achievement and we are thrilled to recognize Iris, Valerie, Magda, Lea, Samantha, and Tracy, and celebrate their impact.
—Karen Bruce, Executive Director of WIFT+ Toronto
Honourees are nominated by WIFT+ Toronto members and selected by a jury of esteemed industry peers. The 2026 jury included Tammy Frick, Nellie Lindner, and Nanci MacLean.
Tickets and Tables for the 2026 Crystal Awards are now available to purchase here.
The 2026 Crystal Awards is supported by:
Major Sponsors: NBCUniversal, Paramount+ Canada; Reception Sponsor: Lionsgate Canada; Supporting Sponsor: Cineplex; Event Sponsors: Bell Media, Blink49 Studios, DGC Ontario, Prime Video, Shaftesbury, Spin Master Entertainment; Event Supporters: Banff World Media Festival, Cinespace Studios Toronto, City of Toronto, Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), Gallagher, MAC Cosmetics, National Bank of Canada, Playback, Sony Pictures Entertainment Spin VFX, Take 5 Productions, Telefilm Canada; Design & Production Partner: Big Bang Beige; Vignette Producer: MEM
About the Honourees:
Creative Excellence
Iris Ng
Director of Photography
Iris Ng is a Director of Photography whose focus is to elevate non-dominant narratives through the craft of Cinematography. She has built a career using her camera to embody different perspectives through a variety of film media and methods and is highly respected by collaborators, past and present. Starting in 2007, Iris and director Sarah Polley intricately and intimately crafted Stories We Tell to more recently another deeply personal film, There Are No Words with director Min Sook Lee. Between those years, Iris has lensed over 60 feature documentaries, scripted series, and films for artists, as well as being the first woman of colour to become a member of IATSE 667 as a Director of Photography in 2015. With her curiosity, empathy and sensitivity towards those in front of the camera Iris focuses her unwavering artistic vision towards equity and diversity in all the projects she works on.
Innovation Trailblazer
Valerie Creighton, C.M., S.O.M.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Canada Media Fund
Valerie Creighton is an industry leader in arts and culture, known for reenergizing some of the country’s most important organizations. An expert in organizational change, she has been recognized as a visionary in promoting Canada’s cultural wealth. Among many accolades, Valerie was invested into the Saskatchewan Order of Merit in 2016 and the Order of Canada in 2019. In 2022, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Regina and was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal by her home province of Saskatchewan. In 2024, the Indigenous Screen Office honoured her with a blanket ceremony and Elder Vincent Yellow Old Woman of the Siksika Nation bestowed upon Valerie his deceased sister’s name—Ayitapyaki, Courageous Woman—a great honour given in recognition of her advocacy for Indigenous creators. In 2025, Valerie was the recipient of the Reelworld Foundation’s first-ever Ally Award. Most recently, she was named to two of The Hollywood Reporter 2026 lists: Most Powerful Women in Canadian Entertainment and Canada’s Top 25 Entertainment Dealmakers.
International Achievement
Magda Grace
Head of Content Acquisition and Partnerships, International at Prime Video
Magda Grace serves as Head of Content Acquisition and Partnerships, International, at Prime Video, overseeing content strategy across EMEA, LATAM, Canada, and Australia, spanning SVOD, subscriptions, TVOD, and FAST businesses. Grace previously built Prime Video’s Canadian operations from the ground up, launching Canada’s first SVOD aggregator, and secured exclusive rights to the National Hockey League and International Cricket Council. Before Amazon, she held senior leadership roles at STARZ and ICM Partners. Grace holds a Master of Law from UCLA, a Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Civil Law from McGill University, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto. Recognized by The Hollywood Reporter, Toronto Life, and Maclean’s for her industry leadership, Grace champions diverse voices in entertainment through partnerships with organizations including the Indigenous Screen Office and Reelworld.
Mentorship
Lea Marin
Head of Content, Netflix
Lea Marin is an accomplished creative executive and producer with more than two decades of experience championing exceptional Canadian storytelling. She is currently a Manager of Content at Netflix working with the Canadian team on the development of new projects and their ongoing production slate. Prior to joining Netflix, Lea spent more than five years at CBC as Director of Development, Drama, where she oversaw a diverse slate of scripted programming, including series such as Saint-Pierre, Wild Cards, and Allegiance. A graduate of the Canadian Film Centre’s Producers’ Lab, Lea previously served as a Senior Producer at the National Film Board of Canada, where she developed and produced award-winning documentaries and interactive projects. Her producing credits include Ever Deadly, co-created by Tanya Tagaq and Chelsea McMullan, and Charles Officer’s Unarmed Verses.
Outstanding Achievement in Business
Samantha Traub
Head of Business & Legal Affairs and General Counsel, Boat Rocker Studios
Samantha Traub is Head of Business & Legal Affairs and General Counsel of Boat Rocker Studios. Boat Rocker’s longest-standing employee, Sam joined the company in 2007 from Goodmans LLP, where she practiced entertainment and corporate law. In her tenure at Boat Rocker, Sam has overseen all business and legal affairs aspects of the development, financing, production and exploitation of thousands of hours of content, including the company’s franchise series, Orphan Black, The Next Step, and Dino Ranch. Sam provides leadership on M&A for Boat Rocker, having managed multiple acquisitions in Canada, the US and the UK. She was a key member of the teams that took Boat Rocker public in 2021 and completed the complex management buy-out and take-private of Boat Rocker Studios in 2025. Samantha is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School (with distinctions) and is called to the bar in Ontario and New York. In 2026, she was named an Excellence Awardee for the Lawson Lundell LLP Award for Law Department Leader of the Year.
Special Jury Award of Distinction
Tracy Moore
Media Personality
Tracy Moore is best known as the former host of Canada’s award-winning lifestyle show Cityline, where she connected deeply with millions of viewers over sixteen years. Over the years the accolades have poured in; an appointment to the Order of Ontario; RBC Black Diamond Ball’s “Media Icon Award,”; the Canadian Academy of Cinema and Television’s Changemaker Award and McGill’s Impact Award to name a few. In 2020, she co-produced and co-hosted Citytv’s award-winning special, Ending Racism: What Will it Take? Beyond a robust career, Tracy has always made time for community. Working with the Grocery Foundation, the Children’s Aid Foundation and Toronto-based charity, Trust15, has been profoundly rewarding. Tracy was born and raised in Richmond Hill, Ontario, by Jamaican-Canadian parents. While pursuing her passion for storytelling and advocacy relentlessly, she never forgets where and who she comes from. She lives in Toronto with her husband, two children and beloved dog, Ozzie.
Women in Film and Television – Toronto (WIFT+ Toronto) is a member-based, not-for-profit organization made up of passionate individuals who are dedicated to the education, engagement, and empowerment of all individuals at every stage of their careers in the screen-based media industry. It is WIFT+ Toronto’s mission to build and advance the careers of its members by providing professional development, peer support, and mentorship in collaboration with industry partners.
For more information, please contact:
Sora Chung
Communications & Social Media Coordinator
WIFT+ Toronto
647-895-3351
