‘Pendragon Cycle’ Lands Shocking Canadian Nomination

Matt Walsh’s Oscar campaign for 2024’s “Am I Racist?” proved a tongue-in-cheek affair.

The Daily Wire pundit knew Hollywood would never consider his documentary for such an award. The Oscars rarely honor movies that share a right-leaning perspective. And “Am I Racist?” delivered a nasty uppercut to the flailing DEI agenda.

A separate Daily Wire original had better luck this week.

“The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin” showed the conservative platform could deliver a smart, soaring fantasy series, the kind we expect from a mainstream platform like Hulu or Netflix. Creator and executive producer Jeremy Boreing’s passion project bowed earlier this year to strong reviews and positive reaction.

The sprawling story blends action, adventure, Christianity and magic in a compelling, seven-part series. Now, co-star Colin Cunningham, who plays Vortigern in the series, has been nominated for Best Lead Performance in a Dramatic Series by the British Columbia group.

“We set out to tell a story told with real ambition and genuine care, and to see it recognized is deeply gratifying. Colin Cunningham brought to Vortigern a gravity and a grief that anchor the entire series, and he deserves this honor and many more. Congratulations to him and to our entire team who believed in it,” said Boreing in a statement exclusive to Hollywood in Toto.

Conservative artists face chronic discrimination in the arts. An unofficial blacklist forces many to keep their right-leaning views private less they face professional recrimination.

Just this week, several musicians were bullied into pulling out of a patriotic concert due to its nebulous ties to President Donald Trump.

Celebrated author and podcaster Andrew Klavan predicted that his conservative beliefs would make it far less likely for him to win literary awards as he had in the past. And he was right.

Any time a right-leaning project snags a nomination, let alone an award, is newsworthy now.