Instant Star is a Canadian television program which aired from September 2004 to June 2008. The series starred Alexz Johnson as adolescent music competition winner Jude Harrison. The show chronicles Harrison’s experience in the recording industry whilst focusing upon character development. Linda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn of Epitome Pictures produced the show. The program began to air on CTV in Canada prior to being picked up by Viacom-owned teen network channel The N, now TeenNick, in the United States. The show became the second most popular program on The N with Degrassi: The Next Generation, a Canadian show also produced by Schuyler and Stohn, ranking as most popular. In 2005, after its first season, Instant Star was nominated for three Gemini Awards in the category of Best Children’s or Youth Fiction Program or Series. Nominations included: Best Series; Best Performance; and Best Direction. The show won the award for Best Direction for the episode You Can’t Always Get What You Want. On August 28, 2007, the show received three more Gemini Award nominations in the category of Best Children’s or Youth Program or series. Alexz Johnson was again nominated for Best Performance, and there were two more nominations for Best Direction – Graeme Campbell, and Pat Williams.