Awards and Fellowships
Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts
The Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts is an annual award created in 2006 by the Government of Ontario. It recognizes the outstanding achievements of artists and arts organizations and their contributions to arts and culture in Ontario over a significant period of time.
Juries for the award, chosen for their expertise in the arts and cultural disciplines by the Ontario Arts Council Award Office, evaluate the proposed candidates and select the award laureates.
The Award is supported by the Government of Ontario. The total value of the Award is $120,000. This amount is divided into two categories of $60,000 each for: the Artist Award and the Arts Organization Award.
About the Artist Award
The Artist Award recognizes a professional artist.
One laureate will receive a cash award of $35,000. The laureate will nominate a promising new or emerging individual talent in the same field who will receive a cash award of $15,000.
Five short-listed finalists will each receive $2,000 and a framed certificate.
All artist and emerging talent candidates must be professional artists, Ontario residents, and Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada.
About the Arts Organization Award
The Arts Organization Award is given to an arts organization involved in the production and/or distribution of artistic work by professional artists.
One laureate will receive a cash award of $50,000.
Five short-listed finalists will each receive $2,000 and a framed certificate.
Candidates can be not-for-profit organizations or for-profit commercial enterprises. Their primary business must be part of the professional arts or cultural industries of Ontario. The organization must have a head office in Ontario and led by professional personnel.
Nomination deadline: December 1, 2010
Any Ontario resident who enjoys and takes an interest in Ontario’s arts and cultural industries may nominate an individual artist or arts organization for the Award. You may submit a nomination in one category only, for either the Artist Award or the Arts Organization Award, not both.
Candidates for the Award must be nominated by a third party. Candidates cannot apply to the Award or nominate themselves.
A candidate may receive one nomination only per year. If two or more nominations are made for a candidate, the Ontario Arts Council will consult with the candidate to see which nomination the candidate accepts; the other nomination(s) will be withdrawn.
About the Nomination
For information on the Award’s candidate and nominator eligibility criteria and nomination process, review the Nomination Guidelines.
Gather the required documentation and submit a complete nomination package to Ontario Arts Council on or before December 1, 2010.
Download the Nomination Guidelines and Nomination Form below or contact the Ontario Arts Council for a copy of the Nomination Guidelines and Nomination Form:
For more information
Contact the Ontario Arts Council Awards Office at: 416-961-1660 ext. 6666 / 1-800-387-0058 ext 6666