The academy announced a number of category changes in September 2025. Most notably, eligibility in acting categories will now be restricted to Canadian actors, following industry feedback after three of the four film acting awards at the
13th Canadian Screen Awards in 2025 were won by established international stars rather than Canadian performers. Four new "Spotlight" categories will also be introduced, one each for actors, directors, writers and producers, to honour Canadian talent for their work on international television shows that were filmed partially or entirely in Canada, but were not Canadian productions in order to be eligible for consideration in regular categories. The categories for Best Host for a Live Entertainment Special, Best Variety or Entertainment Special,
Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program or Series, Best Picture Editing in Animation and Best Host of a Talk Show or Entertainment News Program were discontinued, and a new category will be introduced in the Digital stream for Creator of the Year, to honour Canadian
content creators who have had an impact on
social media platforms. ==Special awards==