Get involved. Nominate!

The Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement is given to established Canadian artists who have made a marked contribution to the performing arts in Canada, and in some cases, internationally, over a significant period of time. 

The awards are conferred in the following six categories:

• Broadcasting (radio and television)
• Classical Music
• Dance
• Film
• Popular Music
• Theatre

Each recipient receives a cash award of $25,000 provided by the Canada Council for the Arts and a commemorative medallion provided by the Royal Canadian Mint.

Professional artists who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada and who have achieved a major, influential body of work over many years can be nominated. The Foundation defines a professional artist as someone who has specialized training in the field (not necessarily obtained in academic institutions), who is recognized as such by his or her peers (artists working in the same artistic discipline), and who has a history of public presentation.

Tip: Visit Recipients to get an overview of those who have been honoured in the past. This is a good guideline to determine whether your favourite artist is eligible.

Members of the boards of the following organizations are NOT eligible to receive an award in any year during which they are actively serving on the board:

• The Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Foundation
• The National Arts Centre
• The National Arts Centre Foundation
• The Canada Council for the Arts
• The Canadian Conference of the Arts
• The National Film Board of Canada

Note: Candidates may not themselves apply for the Awards; they must be nominated.

The Governor General's Performing Arts Awards are dedicated to celebrating Canadians who have changed the face of the performing arts in Canada. The principal assessment criterion for the Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award is the quality, extent and originality of the contribution by the nominee(s) to the performing arts in Canada.

For the purposes of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards, eligible nominees in the broadcasting category may be actors, performers, producers, directors, on-air personalities, or individuals involved in the distribution and consumption of the performing arts through Canadian broadcasting.

This award has been bestowed upon those who have shown exceptional creativity throughout their careers, enhanced Canadian broadcasting through ground-breaking work, or influenced Canadian radio or television through innovative style and programming. Examples may be found in past recipients in this category:

• Janette Bertrand
  Journalist, writer, host, actor, playwright

• Dave Broadfoot
  Writer, actor, producer, director

• Clémence DesRochers
  Writer, broadcaster, singer, monologist

• Max Ferguson
  On-air host

• Denise Filiatrault
  Actor, director

• Peter Gzowski
  Writer, interviewer/host, journalist/reporter

• Jacques Languirand
  Host, writer

• Eugene Levy
  Actor, writer

• Lorne Michaels
  Writer, broadcaster, producer

• Dominique Michel
  Actor, host

• Royal Canadian Air Farce
  Actors, writers

• William Shatner
  Actor, director, producer, writer, spokesman and philanthropist

• Mark Starowicz
  Journalist, producer

• Moses Znaimer
  Producer, director, specialty channel pioneer
   
• Mary Walsh
  Writer, comedian, director and political satirist
   

Nominations are encouraged:

• for producers, directors or on-air personalities of documentaries and/or radio or television series who have become models for others of their kind
• outstanding actors or performers who have had an extensive career in television and/or radio
• individuals who have impacted awareness and distribution of Canadian culture through Canadian broadcasting
• individuals who have developed, championed, featured andpromoted the performing arts in Canada through radio or television

This award is not intended for news anchors or news correspondents.

The award for voluntarism in the performing arts is given to an individual or group to recognize an outstanding contribution in service to the performing arts. Voluntarism is defined as giving personal time and expertise, displaying generosity, and/or establishing a history of financial support in the service of a community, without direct or indirect financial or other compensation for the service. The prize consists of a specially commissioned artwork created by a Canadian artist and a commemorative medallion provided by the Royal Canadian Mint.

Recipients of the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada and their contribution made in the service of the Canadian community.

Voluntarism is defined as:

• giving personal time and expertise;
• displaying generosity; or
• establishing a history of financial support in the service of a community, without direct or indirect financial or other compensation for the service.

Tip: Visit Recipients to get an overview of those who have been honoured in the past. This is a good guideline to determine whether your favourite volunteer is eligible.

Members of the boards of the following organizations are NOT eligible to receive an award in any year during which they are actively serving on the board:

• The Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Foundation
• The National Arts Centre
• The National Arts Centre Foundation
• The Canada Council for the Arts
• The Canadian Conference of the Arts
• The National Film Board of Canada 

Note: Candidates may not themselves apply for the Awards; they must be nominated.

Anyone can make a nomination. We are delighted to receive nominations from engaged Canadians who enjoy and take an interest in Canada's performing arts.

A complete nomination must be submitted to the Foundation on or before the deadline by mail, email or fax. If submitting your nomination by email, please forward all required documents as attachments with your cover message by the deadline date. A complete nomination package consists of three parts:

1. The nomination form. You must fully complete the proper nomination form and include it in your package. If you do not have the phone number for the nominee, please leave the line blank. The nomination form also includes a declaration confirming that both the nominator and nominee meet the eligibility criteria and that the information contained in the nomination form is accurate.

2. The supporting statement. A well-written, impassioned statement outlining the merits of the work of the artist or volunteer, their contribution to Canada and the effect they have had on you personally can be very influential during consideration.

3. The biography. The biography (maximum five pages) should touch on the greatest highlights of the artist's or volunteer's career, their awards and accolades. Sample biography.

In order to ensure balance and fairness, all nominations submitted for jury consideration include the same basic elements: nomination form, supporting letter and biography. Therefore, additional letters of support are not required and will not be submitted to the juries.

The completeness, quality, accuracy and strength of documentation submitted are essential parts of your nomination, because the peer juries rely heavily on this material. The peer jury may be reviewing dozens of nominations, and, since they come from across Canada and from both official language groups, jury members may not necessarily be as familiar with some nominees as with others. Extremely brief or incomplete documentation—even on nominees whom nominators consider to be well known—makes the jury members' already difficult task even more challenging.

All above items must be included in the package and must be postmarked or date stamped no later than the deadline date.

Submissions provided in both official languages (English and French) are greatly appreciated.

Important to note: Incomplete nominations will not be submitted for consideration. Materials must not be bound (e.g., stapled, Cerlox or spiral bound) to ensure ease of copying. Please note that the Foundation will not return any submitted materials.

All Award nomination documentation submitted becomes the property of the Foundation and, except for personal information protected by the Privacy Act, may be used in any publicity or promotion accompanying the Awards.

All eligible nominations (i.e., nominations that meet all criteria pertaining to nominees, application requirements, and submission deadlines) will be reviewed by peer assessment juries selected each year by the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation.

The juries are composed of experienced performing arts professionals—performing artists, managers, impresarios, directors, teachers, critics, producers, and other appropriate peers—selected by the Foundation for their expertise in each discipline. Members are also chosen to ensure fair representation of the two official languages, gender and the various regions and cultures of Canada, as well as the various disciplines and artistic practices within the performing arts.

Each jury makes recommendations for the final selection of the recipients. The Board of Directors of the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation makes the final selection of the recipients. All decisions of the Board are final.

Juries and Foundation Board members will have the following points in mind when reviewing the nominations for Lifetime Artistic Achievement Awards:

• The excellence of the nominee's work, covering all aspects of artistic quality, creativity, innovation, and technical mastery.
• The quality and extent of the candidate's lifetime contribution to the development of the performing arts in Canada and to the cultural life of Canada, and, where appropriate, international recognition.

The principal criterion for assessing nominations for the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts is:

• The quality and scope of the voluntary contribution made by the nominee(s) to the performing arts in Canada over an extended period.

The Foundation contacts the recipients privately to confirm their acceptance. The names of the recipients are kept strictly confidential until the official announcement ceremony in the spring.

The recipients are required to participate fully in all Award activities, including media conferences, ceremonies, receptions, and other related events, and to make themselves available to the media for interviews.

Recipients must allow photographs and public information about themselves to be used in promoting the Awards and in other Foundation/ National Arts Centre promotional initiatives. Portraits of the recipients may be displayed at the National Arts Centre and elsewhere.

Recipients are honoured first through the press conference at which their selection is announced. They are also honoured throughout a special Gala Awards weekend, held in May or June. See Celebrations for details.

The recipients may also be invited to attend various private and public events throughout the year that celebrate the achievements of Canada's artists.