Governor General’s Performing Arts
Awards for Lifetime Artistic Achievement

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards are Canada’s foremost distinction for excellence in the performing arts. Created in 1992 by the late Right Honourable Ramon John Hnatyshyn (1934–2002), then Governor General of Canada, the Awards have become a celebration of excellence that introduces Canadians to important artists, raises our awareness of achievement in varied disciplines, and invites us to applaud the performing arts “heroes” whose passion and creativity move, entertain and inspire us.

Each year, the prestigious Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards for Lifetime Artistic Achievement are presented to six performing artists for their achievements and contributions to the cultural enrichment of Canada in the fields of broadcasting, classical music, dance, film, popular music and theatre.

To be nominated for one of the six lifetime achievement awards, candidates must have produced an outstanding, distinguished body of work in the performing arts and must have contributed substantially, over a significant period of time, to developing the performing arts in Canada.

Six awards may be given each year. In some years, no award will be made in one or more categories.

Each award is accompanied by a $25,000 cash prize contributed by the Canada Council for the Arts and a commemorative medallion provided by the Royal Canadian Mint.

RECIPIENT ELIGIBILITY

Recipients in the Lifetime Artistic Achievement category must be professionals in the performing arts who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada and who have achieved a major, influential body of work over many years. 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.

Members of the Boards of Directors of the following organizations are NOT eligible to receive an Award in any year during which they are actively serving on the Board:

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

No awards will be given posthumously. Awards will be given only to persons who are living on the date the recipients are announced publicly.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The principal criteria for assessing nominations in the Lifetime Artistic Achievement category are:

• the excellence of the nominee’s work, covering all aspects of artistic quality, creativity, innovation, and technical mastery;
• the quality of the candidate’s lifetime contribution to the development of the performing arts in Canada and to the cultural life of Canada.

The completeness, quality, accuracy and strength of documentation submitted are essential parts of your nomination, because the selection juries rely heavily on this material. Each 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 difficult.