12th Genie Awards

The 12th Genie Awards were held on November 26, 1991, and honoured Canadian films released in 1990 and 1991. The ceremony was hosted by actor Leslie Nielsen

Following the disastrous ratings of the 1990 awards, the academy reviewed all aspects of the awards. Audience studies were conducted, production formats and venues were scrutinized, and the adjudication process was revisited.

The audience studies confirmed what the academy suspected: that Canadians were not sufficiently familiar with Canadian films. With most films now released each fall, the public needed more time to see films, so the ceremony was moved to an autumn date. There was also a fundamental change in voting procedures; now, peer juries of academy members from each award category would nominate films, and voting members in each category would choose the winners. The number of eligible voters was reduced to 130, and the ceremony's format was changed to focus on the nominees for Best Motion Picture.

This year's awards covered a longer eligibility period and a larger number of eligible films than any previous Genie Awards, for which 39 features and 36 theatrical shorts and documentaries were in the final roster. The awards were dominated by the Canadian/Australian co-production Black Robe, which was nominated for ten awards and won six.