The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, ...

, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields. The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the Lord Tweedsmuir, a prolific writer of fiction and non-fiction; he created the

Governor General's Literary Award The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields. The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...

with two award categories. Successive governors general have followed suit, establishing an award for whichever endeavour they personally found important. Only

Adrienne Clarkson Adrienne Louise Clarkson (; ; born February 10, 1939) is a Hong Kong-born Canadian journalist who served from 1999 to 2005 as Governor General of Canada, the 26th since Canadian Confederation. Clarkson arrived in Canada with her family in 19 ...

created three Governor General's Awards: the Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts, the Governor General's Northern Medal, and the Governor General's Medal in Architecture (though this was effectively a continuation of the Massey Medal, first established in 1950).

Governor General's Literary Awards

Inaugurated in 1937 for 1936 publications in two categories, the Governor General's Literary Awards have become one of Canada's most prestigious prizes. Since 1987, there are thirteen awards: nonfiction (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and French), fiction (

and French), poetry (

and French), drama (

and French), young people's literaturetext (

and French), young people's literatureillustration (

and French), and translation. The program was created by John Buchan, author of '' The Thirty-Nine Steps''. Initially there were only two awards, for fiction and non-fiction books, and the program honoured only English-language works before 1959 (although the awards were occasionally won by English translations of works originally published in French). The Stephen Leacock Award for humour literature, while administered separately from the Governor General's Awards and presented to the winners at a separate ceremony, made its initial announcements of award winners as part of the Governor General's Awards announcements in this era."Prof. Lower's History Gets Vice-Regal Award". ''

Winnipeg Tribune ''The Winnipeg Tribune'' was a metropolitan daily newspaper serving Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada from January 28, 1890 to August 27, 1980. The paper was founded by R.L. Richardson and D.L. McIntyre who acquired the press and premises of the old ' ...

'', April 19, 1947. In 1957, the awards were put under the administration of the

Canada Council The Canada Council for the Arts (french: Conseil des arts du Canada), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporations of Canada, Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It acts as the fede ...

for the Arts and a cash prize began to be granted to the winner. By 1980, the council began to announce the finalists for the awards a month before they were presented, in order to attract more media attention, and, in 2007, the cash prize was increased to $25,000. Prior to

's time as governor general, the collection of Governor General's Literary Award-winning books at

Rideau Hall Rideau Hall (officially Government House) is the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and their representative, the governor general of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main b ...

was lacking more than 25 per cent of the full collection. Clarkson made an effort to obtain from fairs and second hand shops the missing copies for the governor general's study and, when she left the viceregal office in 2005, the complete collection of winning books to date had been amassed. It reached 552 books by late 2006 and was moved to Rideau Hall's library. Today it forms the only complete collection of Governor General's Literary Award winners in existence.

Governor General's Medals in Architecture

The Governor General's Medals in

Architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

have been presented since 1982, continuing the tradition of the Massey Medals, which had been awarded between 1950 and 1970. Up to twelve medals are awarded every two years, with no distinction among the medals awarded. The

Royal Architectural Institute of Canada The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) is a not-for-profit, national organization that has represented architects and architecture for over 100 years, in existence since 1907. The RAIC is the leading voice for excellence in the built ...

administers the competition.

Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case

The Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case have been presented since their creation by Governor General

Edward Schreyer Edward Richard Schreyer (born December 21, 1935) is a Canadian politician, diplomat, and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 22nd since Canadian Confederation. Schreyer was born and educated in Manitoba, and was first electe ...

in 1979, and honour the promotion of equality for girls and women in Canada. Five awards are given annually to candidates chosen from across the country, in addition to one award to a Canadian youth. The awards are administered by

Status of Women Canada Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE; french: Femmes et Égalité des genres Canada (FEGC)), known as Status of Women Canada from 1976 to 2018, is a department of the Government of Canada. Previously an agency under the Department of Canadian ...

and may be presented to persons of any gender; in 2008,

Ben Barry Ben Barry (born February 9, 1983) is a Canadian entrepreneur, academic, author, and women's health advocate. He is currently the Dean of Fashion at the New School Ben is the founder and CEO of the Ben Barry Agency, a modelling agency and consul ...

became the first man to win the award.

Governor General's Performing Arts Awards

The Governor General's Performing Arts Awards are the foremost honours presented for excellence in the performing arts, in the categories of dance, classical music,

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fu ...

, film,

broadcasting Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum ( radio waves), in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting beg ...

, and

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

. They were initiated in 1992 by Governor General

Ray Hnatyshyn Ramon John Hnatyshyn ( ; uk, Роман Іванович Гнатишин, Roman Ivanovych Hnatyshyn, ; March 16, 1934December 18, 2002) was a Canadian lawyer and statesman who served as governor general of Canada, the 24th since Canadian Co ...

and the first recipients were William Hutt,

Gweneth Lloyd Gweneth Lloyd, OC (September 15, 1901 - January 1, 1993) was a co-founder of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, a ballet teacher and choreographer. Lloyd was born in Eccles, Lancashire, United Kingdom. She attended The Perse School in Cambridge, but b ...

Dominique Michel Dominique Michel, OC, CQ (born ''Aimée Sylvestre''; September 24, 1932 in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec) is a Quebec comedian, actress, singer and artist. Biography She began her career in cabarets performing songs written by Raymond Lévesque and sub ...

, Mercedes Palomino,

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian virtuoso jazz pianist and composer. Considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards ...

Léopold Simoneau Léopold Simoneau, (May 3, 1916 – August 24, 2006) was a French-Canadian lyric tenor, one of the outstanding Mozarteans of his time. In 1959 he became the first recipient of the Calixa-Lavallée Award. Life and career Simoneau was born in Sa ...

Norman Jewison Norman Frederick Jewison (born July 21, 1926) is a retired Canadian film and television director, producer, and founder of the Canadian Film Centre. He has directed numerous feature films and has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best ...

, and Gilles Maheu and CARBONE 14. Initially, the award came with a $15,000 prize from the

; today's winners receive $25,000 and a medallion struck by the

Royal Canadian Mint }) is the mint of Canada and a Crown corporation, operating under the ''Royal Canadian Mint Act''. The shares of the Mint are held in trust for the Crown in right of Canada. The Mint produces all of Canada's circulation coins, and manufacture ...

. In addition, two complementary awards are given: The Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts, recognizing the voluntary services to the performing arts by an individual or group, and the National Arts Centre Award, which recognizes an individual artist's or company's work during the past performance year. There is also a mentorship program that connects award recipients with artists in their early to mid-career. Since 2008, the

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...

has produced short films about each of the laureates, which are screened at the awards ceremony and streamed online.

Governor General's History Awards

Governor General

Roméo LeBlanc Roméo-Adrien LeBlanc (December 18, 1927June 24, 2009) was a Canadian journalist, politician and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 25th since Canadian Confederation. LeBlanc was born and educated in New Brunswick, and also ...

and Canada's National History Society created the Governor General's History Awards in 1996 to honour excellence in the teaching of Canadian history. The society then, working with other Canadian history organizations (including the Begbie Society,

Canadian Historical Association The Canadian Historical Association (CHA; French ''Société historique du Canada'', SHC) is a Canadian organization founded in 1922 for the purposes of promoting historical research and scholarship. It is a bilingual, not-for-profit, charitable o ...

, Canadian Museums Association, and

Historica-Dominion Institute Historica Canada is a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to promoting the country's history and citizenship. All of its programs are offered bilingually and reach more than 28 million Canadians annually. A registered national charitabl ...

), expanded the scope of the awards beyond simply school teachers to include others who taught history in other ways and venues. There are now five specific awards within the Governor General's History Awards: the Governor General's History Awards for Excellence in Teaching, the Governor General's History Award for Scholarly Research (Sir John A. Macdonald Prize), the Governor General's History Award for Popular Media (Pierre Berton Award), the Governor General's History Award for Excellence in Museums, and the Governor General's History Awards for Excellence in Community Programming.

Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts

The Governor General's Awards in

Visual Arts The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and textile art ...

and

Media Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass e ...

Arts were first presented in 2000. The

Canada Council for the Arts The Canada Council for the Arts (french: Conseil des arts du Canada), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It acts as the federal government's principal i ...

funds and administers the awards. Six prizes are awarded annually to visual and media artists for distinguished career achievement in fine arts (painting, drawing, photography, print-making and sculpture, including installation and other three-dimensional work), applied arts (architecture and fine crafts), independent film and video, or audio and new media. One prize is awarded annually for outstanding contributions to the visual or media arts in a volunteer or professional capacity. The value of each award is $15,000. An independent peer jury of senior visual and media arts professionals selects the winners.

Governor General's Award in Celebration of the Nation's Table

Conceived in 2006 by Jean-Daniel Lafond, husband of Governor General

Michaëlle Jean Michaëlle Jean (; born September 6, 1957) is a Canadian stateswoman and former journalist who served from 2005 to 2010 as governor general of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation. She is the first Haitian Canadian and black person ...

, the Governor General's Award in Celebration of the Nation's Table was created to recognize Canadians—as individuals or in groups—who improved the "quality, variety and sustainability of all elements and ingredients of our nation's table." Jean and Lafond consulted with many across Canada involved in the production of food products, as well as chefs, organizers of culinary festivals, sommeliers, and more. The award has six categories: Creativity and Innovation, recognizing those who contributed original, forward-thinking ideas, products, or techniques related to food or drink; Education and Awareness, recognizing those who helped give a broader profile to the "nation's table"; Leadership, recognizing those who led others to form stronger communities connected to the food and beverage industries; Mentorship and Inspiration, recognizing role models in the food and beverage industries; Stewardship and Sustainability, recognizing those who were at the forefront of developing and/or practicing safeguards around the environment, food security, and health; and Youth, recognizing young Canadians who have demonstrated a potential to improve the quality, variety, awareness, and sustainability of the food and beverage industries. An advisory committee of food and beverage experts reviews nominations. Recipients receive a lapel pin and a framed certificate bearing the

heraldic shield In heraldry, an escutcheon () is a shield that forms the main or focal element in an achievement of arms. The word can be used in two related senses. In the first sense, an escutcheon is the shield upon which a coat of arms is displayed. In the s ...

of the Governor General's Award in Celebration of the Nation's Table.

Other

* The

Governor General's Academic Medal The Governor General's Academic Medal is awarded to the student graduating with the highest grade point average from a Canadian high school, college or university program. They are presented by the educational institution on behalf of the Governor ...

* The Governor General's Award for Safety in the Workplace * The Governor General's Conservation Award * The Governor General's Award for Debate; created in 1981 to award the top orator at the National Debating Seminar of Canada * The Governor General's Flight For Freedom Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literacy; created by Governor General

. * The Governor General's Fencing Award; created in 1965 by Governor General

Georges Vanier Georges-Philias Vanier (23 April 1888 – 5 March 1967) was a Canadian military officer and diplomat who served as governor general of Canada, the first Quebecer and second Canadian-born person to hold the position. Vanier was born and ...

. * The

Governor General's International Award for Canadian Studies The Governor General's International Award for Canadian Studies is an award established in 1995 by the International Council for Canadian Studies. The support for this award by the Office of the Governor General of Canada was at the initiative of ...

; created in 1995 by Governor General

. * The Governor General's Caring Canadian Award; created in 1995 by Governor General

. It was restyled and added to the Canadian honours system as the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers in 2015. * The Governor General's Northern Medal, created in 2005 by Governor General Adrienne Clarkson. It was restyled and added to the Canadian honours system as the

Polar Medal The Polar Medal is a medal awarded by the Sovereign of the United Kingdom to individuals who have outstanding achievements in the field of polar research, and particularly for those who have worked over extended periods in harsh climates. It ...

in 2015.

References

External links

Governor General's Literary Awards: A Rare Book Collection of Fiction and Poetry
(ggawards.ca)
Governor General's Awards
at the Governor General of Canada (gg.ca)
Governor General's Literary Awards
(ggbooks.ca)
Governor General's Medals in Architecture
at Canada Council
Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts
at Canada Council
Governor General's Performing Arts Awards
(ggpaa.ca)
Governor General's History Awards
at Canada's History (canadashistory.ca) {{Governor General of Canada Canadian literary awards Canadian art awards Awards honoring women Awards established in 1937 1937 establishments in Canada Lifetime achievement awards Recurring events established in 1937 English-language literary awards