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Margaret Atwood, Jeanne Beker, Tantoo Cardinal and more were honoured at the Women in Entertainment Canada gala

Also in attendance: Amrit Kaur, Jully Black, the Beaches and Meredith MacNeill

By Imani Walker| Photography by George Pimentel for the Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada

| May 30, 2025

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Margaret Atwood giving a speech at the Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada gala

Last night, the Hollywood Reporter hosted its second annual Women in Entertainment Canada summit and awards gala at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in downtown Toronto, bringing together the country’s leading voices in film, television and music. The full-day event featured dynamic panels on leadership and breaking into the entertainment industry, followed by an evening of recognition and celebration.

The awards ceremony honoured five trailblazing Canadian women: Amrit Kaur received the Breakthrough Award for her ongoing achievements in acting, Christina Jennings was recognized with the Glass Ceiling Award for her leadership as the CEO of production company Shaftesbury Films, style icon Jeanne Beker was honoured with the Impact Award, Tantoo Cardinal received the Equity in Entertainment Award for her long-standing advocacy and contributions to Indigenous representation in media, and literary legend Margaret Atwood was presented with the Icon Award.

The star-studded event also spotlighted this year’s Power List: a lineup of influential women shaping the future of Canada’s creative industries. Among those recognized were singer and entrepreneur Jully Black; Universal Music Canada president and CEO Julie Adam; Keziah Myers, executive director of Advance: Canada’s Black Music Business Collective; SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown; indie-rock band the Beaches; and Valerie Creighton, president and CEO of the Canada Media Fund.

Here’s a look at who was there.

Jeanne Beker at the Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada gala — Jeanne Beker

Jully Black strikes a pose on the gold carpet at the Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada gala — Jully Black

Margaret Atwood, Jeanne Beker, Tantoo Cardinal and more were honoured at the Women in Entertainment Canada gala — Meredith MacNeill

Lainey Lui, Cheryl Hickey and Traci Melchor on the gold carpet at the Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada gala — Lainey Lui, Cheryl Hickey and Traci Melchor

Margaret Atwood on the gold carpet at the Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada gala — Margaret Atwood

Tantoo Cardinal on the gold carpet at the Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada gala — Tantoo Cardinal

The Beaches on the gold carpet at the Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada gala — The Beaches

Amanda Brugel on the gold carpet at the Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada gala — Amanda Brugel

Amrit Kaur on the gold carpet at the Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada gala — Amrit Kaur

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