NOTE: We have extended the deadline for submitting nominations for this prize due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. We will be accepting nominations until June 30, 2020. We have also enabled nominations to be submitted electronically through a dedicated email address: ggarts@canadacouncil.ca

Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts

Overview

The Canada Council funds and administers the awards and promotes them in collaboration with its partners: the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, the National Gallery of Canada, The Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation, the Independent Media Arts Alliance, the Royal Canadian Mint, the Canadian Museum of History, VIA Rail, and Air Canada.

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What is this prize?

The Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts are granted to artists in recognition of remarkable careers in either of those fields.

Award amounts

Up to 8 awards are given annually:

up to 6 awards of $25,000 each are available for distinguished artistic achievement in the visual (including architecture) and/or media arts
1 award of $25,000 is presented as the Saidye Bronfman Award for excellence in the fine crafts
1 award of $25,000 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.

How to qualify

Nominations must be submitted to the Council by a recognized Canadian specialist in the visual or media arts or fine crafts.

A peer assessment committee will select the recipients from among all nominations received.

For eligibility criteria, the nomination form and further information on these prizes, see the Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts Guidelines and the Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts website.

Deadline(s)

Annual

Who created this prize?

These awards were created in 1999 by a partnership between the Canada Council for the Arts and Roméo LeBlanc, then Governor General of Canada, who committed Government House to hosting in perpetuity the annual ceremony that honours the recipients at Rideau Hall.