TORONTO — CBC and CTV picked up most of the key awards in news, sports and documentary categories of the 2005 Geminis, honouring the best in Canadian television.

At the first of three consecutive galas, CTV News won Thursday for best newscast and best reportage. Reporter David Akin was honoured for his coverage of CIBC faxes that were sent to a junkyard in the United States.

 CTV's W-FIVE also won in the best news information series category.

But CBC's Witness took home a Gemini for best documentary series, while CBC News coverage of the memorial service for the four RCMP officers slain in Mayerthorpe, Alta., won for best special event coverage.

CBC's The National won best news magazine segment (for an episode titled Strange Destiny) while Wendy Mesley won for best host or interviewer for her work on Marketplace.

CTV's Ronnie Hawkins: Still Alive and Kickin' won for best biography documentary program. CBC's venerable newsmagazine show The Fifth Estate won three Geminis for direction, editing and writing.

In sports, CBC took the trophy for best live event for its coverage of the 2005 Tim Hortons Brier, and best direction in a live sporting event for its broadcast coverage of the CFL's 2004 west division championships.

The Thursday gala and Friday night's industry gala are considered preludes to Saturday night's main event, airing live on Global Television and featuring the most high-profile awards.

There are some 86 categories in all. Leading the Gemini race this year with 15 nominations each are the now-cancelled CTV drama The Eleventh Hour and CBC's The Fifth Estate. The CBC miniseries Sex Traffic has 14 nods and the legal drama This Is Wonderland has 12.

Global news anchor Kevin Newman will be in the running Saturday with CBC's Peter Mansbridge and CTV's Lloyd Robertson for best anchor. Newman has his fingers crossed.

"I've jokingly taken to calling it the Peter Mansbridge Award because it just seems to be appropriate,'' he said.

This is the Geminis' 20th anniversary.