Awards to Canadian Artists for Outstanding Achievements in the Arts

Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts

Agency

Federal

GrantWatch ID#

171072

Funding Source

Canada Council for the Arts

Geographic Focus

Canada:Alberta; British Columbia; Manitoba; New Brunswick; Newfoundland and Labrador; Northwest Territories; Nova Scotia; Nunavut; Ontario; Prince Edward Island; Quebec; Saskatchewan; Yukon;

Important Dates

Deadline: 06/01/23 11:59 PM (Local Time)

Grant Description

Awards of $25,000 to Canadian artists to acknowledge outstanding achievements in the fields of media arts, visual arts, and fine crafts. Nominations will be accepted for artists to recognize excellent achievements, excellence in fine crafts, and notable contributions to the fields of fine crafts, media arts, or visual arts.

The Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts celebrate Canada’s vibrant arts community and recognize remarkable careers in the visual and media arts.

Awards are available for distinguished artistic achievement in the visual (including architecture) and/or media arts
An award is presented as the Saidye Bronfman Award for excellence in the fine crafts
An award is given to recognize the outstanding contribution to the visual arts (including architecture), media arts or to fine craft of an individual or group in a volunteer or professional capacity, through philanthropy, board governance, community outreach activities, or as a director of an organization, curator, programmer, educator, critic or dealer/distributor

Artistic Achievement and Saidye Bronfman Awards: These awards are intended to honor 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. Nominees must be professional artists who have created an outstanding and distinguished body of work in 1 of the following categories:

Artistic Achievement, visual arts

Painting, drawing, photography, printmaking
Sculpture, installation, and performance
Architecture

Artistic Achievement, media arts

Independent film and video
New media
Audio

Saidye Bronfman Award

Bookbinding
Glass, ceramic, gold or silver jewelry
Furniture
Textile, beading

Outstanding Contribution Award: An individual or a group of individuals may be nominated for this award. Nominees 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, through 1 or more of the following activities or roles:

Philanthropy
Board governance
Community outreach, audience development and/or arts education activities in a visual or media arts or fine craft organization
The director of a visual or media arts or fine craft organization
A curator, program director or writer
An educator
A contemporary art dealer or distributor.

Recipient

Additional Eligibility Criteria

Eligible nominators (for all categories):
- May be an individual, co-nominators (up to 3 people who meet the criteria), or a representative of an organization
- 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
- Do not have to be from the province, territory or the field of practice of the nominee.
- A nominator must be a recognized Canadian specialist in the visual or media arts or fine craft, such as:
a) An arts professional (current or former) from a Canadian museum, public gallery, cinematheque or artist-run center that engages with contemporary Canadian art
b) a representative from a professional association of artists or national service organization
c) The dean, chair or professor at a Canadian university or art college
d) A Canadian private art dealer
e) An art critic or curator
f) A professional artist.

Eligible candidates
All nominees 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 when their nomination is submitted.
- Be living as of the nomination deadline date.

Artistic Achievement and Saidye Bronfman Awards
Nominees must be professional artists 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

Ineligible

Restrictions
- Individuals may only be nominated in 1 of the 3 categories 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

Ineligible applicants
- Fine craft* artists are not eligible for the Artistic Achievement Award. They may only be nominated for the Saidye Bronfman Award or the Outstanding Contribution Award.
- Professionals working in the field of design, including graphic, industrial or fashion design, are not eligible.
*Fine Craft is the term used to define an area of activity in the crafts that is frequently directed towards exhibition and/or sale in a gallery-like setting. This activity involves high levels of technical expertise as well as knowledge of the historical tradition and development of the craft. Through their work, fine craft practitioners demonstrate new concepts and innovations that expand the boundaries of their medium and its techniques.

Pre-Application Information

Deadline – 1 June 2023
Your completed nomination form and supporting documents must be submitted by email on or before the deadline date by 11:59 pm (local time). The Canada Council will not assess late or incomplete nominations.

Notification of results – approximately 5 months after the deadline date
All nominators and winners will be notified in writing. Except for the notification of the prize winners, the Canada Council does not contact nominees.

Individuals may only receive 1 award in a lifetime from each of the GGArts categories.

Application/Nomination Assistance contributes to costs for services to help with a prize application or nomination for individuals who self-identify as:
- Deaf, hard of hearing, having a disability or living with a mental illness
- First Nations, Inuit or Métis facing language, geographic and/or cultural barriers.
To submit a request, contact the prizes officer 4 weeks prior to the deadline.

Guidelines: https://canadacouncil.ca/funding/prizes/governor-generals-awards-in-visual-and-media-arts/guidelines-governor-generals-awards-in-visual-and-media-arts

For more information, see https://en.ggarts.ca/.

Number of Grants

Up to 8 awards are given annually: Up to 6 Artistic Achievement awards, 1 Saidye Bronfman Award, and 1 Outstanding Contribution

Estimated Size of Grant

The winners receive a medallion and a cash prize of $25,000 each.

Contact Information

Send your completed nomination to ggarts@canadacouncil.ca.

Jennifer Cherniack
Program Officer, Prizes
E-mail: jennifer.cherniack@canadacouncil.ca
613-566-4414, ext. 5265
Toll free: 1-800-263-5588, ext. 5265
TTY: 1-866-585-5559

Awards to Canadian Artists for Outstanding Achievements in the Arts

Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts

We have foundations for

We have grants for

Cookies