Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts (Canada)

Up to eight awards are distributed every year: six awards recognize artistic achievements, one award recognizes an exceptional fine craft artist (Saidye Bronfman Award) and one award recognizes an outstanding contribution to contemporary visual arts, media arts or fine craft.

Prize Information

• $25,000 each
• Up to 8 awards are given annually:
  • 6 awards for Artistic Achievement in the visual (including architecture) and/or media arts
  • 1 Saidye Bronfman Award in fine craft
  • 1 award for Outstanding Contribution in the visual arts (including architecture), media arts or fine craft, by an individual or group in a volunteer or professional capacity. This contribution can be through philanthropy, board governance, community outreach activities, as the director of an organization, or as a curator, programmer, educator, critic or dealer/distributor.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible nominators (for all categories):
  • Nominators can be an individual, a group of co-nominators (up to 3 people), or the representative of an organization. All nominators must be:
    • Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, as defined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. They do not need to be living in Canada.
    • a recognized Canadian specialist in visual arts, media arts or fine craft.
  • Nominators may be from a different province, territory or field of practice than the candidate.
• Eligible candidates
  • All candidates must:
    • be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada as defined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. They do not need to be living in Canada.
    • be living as of the nomination deadline date.
• Artistic Achievement and Saidye Bronfman Awards
  • These awards are intended to honour individual achievement rather than the work of an organization, but it may also recognize artistic partnerships or small collectives in which each artist meets the eligibility requirements for the prize.
  • Candidates must be professional artists in visual arts, media arts or fine craft who:
    • have maintained a practice in their field over a significant period of time
    • have received national and/or international recognition
    • have made a substantial contribution to both the historical development and contemporary practice of their field in Canada
    • have created an outstanding and distinguished body of work in visual arts, media arts, or fine craft.
• Outstanding Contribution Award
  • An individual or a group of individuals may be nominated for this award. Candidates must have made an outstanding contribution to contemporary Canadian art in visual arts (including architecture), media arts or fine craft, in a volunteer or professional capacity.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Nominators may submit 1 nomination per category.
• Candidates may only be nominated in 1 category per year.
• Candidates may not self-nominate.
• Canada Council board members are not eligible during their term as members and for 6 months following the end of their term.
• Professionals working in the field of design, including graphic, industrial or fashion design, are not eligible.

For more information, visit Canada Council for the Arts.