The Geminis celebrate excellence in Canadian English-language television. The event has grown in prominence and stature to become one of the most prestigious cultural events in Canada. The Geminis were created to replace the Nellie Awards which ran for 15 years under the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists. The CBC union endured much criticism because no one outside its circle was eligible for nomination. After considerable negotiation, the union held its last Nellie awards ceremony in April, 1986 and handed things over to the academy, which hoped to establish Canada's equivalent of the U.S. Emmy awards.

Canadians watched the first Gemini awards through a temporary satellite network of various TV stations. The awards had been scheduled for broadcast on CBC, but major unions at the public broadcaster were working without a contract and refused to guarantee that a strike would not occur.