John Brunton is a Canadian film and television producer, most noted as the longtime chief executive officer of Insight Productions.[1] He first joined the company in 1976 as a carpenter and production assistant, until buying out founders Pen Densham and John Watson a few years later; under Brunton, the company was transformed into one of Canada's leading producers of reality and special events programming, including Canadian Idol,[2] The Amazing Race Canada,[3] Big Brother Canada,[4] Battle of the Blades[5] and the annual Juno Awards ceremony.[6]
He has been nominated for 58 Gemini Awards and Canadian Screen Awards in his career as a producer, winning 17 times.
His sister, Barbara Bowlby, was also a senior executive with Insight until her retirement in 2018.[7]
In 2024, he was named as a recipient of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television's Board of Directors Tribute Award at the 12th Canadian Screen Awards.[8]