The Governor General's Performing Arts Awards were created in
1992 under the patronage of the late Right Honourable
Ramon John Hnatyshyn (1934-2002), then Governor General of Canada. Today, we are honoured to have Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean as our patron.
Each year, Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards are presented for lifetime artistic achievement in six categories: theatre, dance, classical music and opera, popular music, film and radio and television broadcasting. These awards recognize artists who have made an indelible contribution to Canada’s cultural life. Recipients of lifetime achievement awards are nominated by the general public.
Two other distinguished national awards are also conferred each year:
- The Ramon John Hnatyshyn (RJH) Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts which recognizes an outstanding contribution, by an individual or group, in voluntary service to the performing arts in Canada. This Award is also nominated by the general public.
- The National Arts Centre Award recognizes the work of an extraordinary nature and significance in the performing arts by an individual artist and/or company in the past performance year. Candidates for the National Arts Centre Award are put forward by a nominating committee within the National Arts Centre (NAC), and the recipient is chosen by the NAC’s Board of Trustees.
The award recipients receive the following:
- Lifetime Artistic Achievement:
A $25,000 cash prize and a commemorative medallion - RJH Award for Voluntarism in the Arts:
A commemorative medallion and a specially commissioned work by a Canadian artist - NAC Award:
A $25,000 cash prize, a commemorative medallion and a specially commissioned work by a Canadian artist
The Mentorship Program brings together a past recipient of a Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award and a talented early to mid-career artist, helping them to develop their work and explore creative ideas. The selected artist receives an honorarium and showcases a work at the Awards Gala.
Crystal Pite,
choreographer and performer, 2008 Mentorship Program artist
Photo: Joris-Jan Bos
