The Dora Mavor Moore Awards (also known as the Dora Awards or the Doras) are awards presented annually by the
Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) is an arts service organization representing professional theatre, dance and opera companies in the Toronto, City of Toronto. Amongst their 175 members are the Canadian Opera Company, Luminato, Factory ...
(TAPA), honouring theatre,
dance
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
and opera productions in
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
.
Named after
Dora Mavor Moore,
Awards
Awards are given in major divisions: General Theatre (Drama/Comedy/Play, budget over $100,000 and over 150 seats), Musical Theatre (Musical/Revue/Cabaret), Independent Theatre (budget under $100,000 and/or under 150 seats), Dance, Opera, Theatre for Young Audiences, and Touring. Each of these major categories is further sub-divided in an assorted number of awards. In 2018, the awards announced that beginning with the 2019 awards, it would discontinue gender-based performance categories, replacing its previous performance categories for men and women with "Outstanding Performance" categories.
General Theatre
*Production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stat ...
* Original Play
* Leading Performer
* Supporting Performer
*Direction
Direction may refer to:
*Body relative direction, for instance left, right, forward, backwards, up, and down
** Anatomical terms of location for those used in anatomy
** List of ship directions
*Cardinal direction
*Bearing (navigation)
Mathemat ...
* Scenic/Projection Design
*Costume Design
Costume design is the process of selecting or creating clothing for a performers. A costume may be designed from scratch or may be designed by combining existing garments. "Costume" may also refer to the style of dress particular to a nation, a ...
* Lighting Design
* Sound Design/Composition
*Leading Actor
A leading actor, leading actress, or leading man or lady or simply lead (), plays a main role in a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person w ...
(retired)
* Leading Actress (retired)
*Supporting Actor
A supporting actor or supporting actress is an actor who performs a role in a play or film below that of the leading actor(s), and above that of a bit part. In recognition of important nature of this work, the theater and film industries give ...
(retired)
* Supporting Actress (retired)
* Ensemble (retired)
*Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A chor ...
(retired)
Musical Theatre
*Production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stat ...
* Original Musical
* Leading Performer
* Supporting Performer
*Direction
Direction may refer to:
*Body relative direction, for instance left, right, forward, backwards, up, and down
** Anatomical terms of location for those used in anatomy
** List of ship directions
*Cardinal direction
*Bearing (navigation)
Mathemat ...
* Musical Direction
*Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A chor ...
*Design
A design is the concept or proposal for an object, process, or system. The word ''design'' refers to something that is or has been intentionally created by a thinking agent, and is sometimes used to refer to the inherent nature of something ...
*Leading Actor
A leading actor, leading actress, or leading man or lady or simply lead (), plays a main role in a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person w ...
(retired)
* Leading Actress (retired)
*Supporting Actor
A supporting actor or supporting actress is an actor who performs a role in a play or film below that of the leading actor(s), and above that of a bit part. In recognition of important nature of this work, the theater and film industries give ...
(retired)
* Supporting Actress (retired)
* Ensemble (retired)
*Scenic Design
Scenic design, also known as stage design or set design, is the creation of scenery for theatrical productions including Play (theatre), plays and Musical theatre, musicals. The term can also be applied to film and television productions, wher ...
(retired)
*Costume Design
Costume design is the process of selecting or creating clothing for a performers. A costume may be designed from scratch or may be designed by combining existing garments. "Costume" may also refer to the style of dress particular to a nation, a ...
(retired)
* Lighting Design (retired)
* Original Score (retired)
Independent theatre
*Production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stat ...
* Original Play
*Direction
Direction may refer to:
*Body relative direction, for instance left, right, forward, backwards, up, and down
** Anatomical terms of location for those used in anatomy
** List of ship directions
*Cardinal direction
*Bearing (navigation)
Mathemat ...
*Performer
The performing arts are The arts, arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art ob ...
* Ensemble
* Scenic/Projection Design
*Costume Design
Costume design is the process of selecting or creating clothing for a performers. A costume may be designed from scratch or may be designed by combining existing garments. "Costume" may also refer to the style of dress particular to a nation, a ...
* Lighting Design
* Sound Design/Composition
*Leading Actor
A leading actor, leading actress, or leading man or lady or simply lead (), plays a main role in a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person w ...
(retired)
* Leading Actress (retired)
* Supporting Performer/Ensemble (retired)
Dance
*Production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stat ...
*Performer
The performing arts are The arts, arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art ob ...
* Ensemble
*Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A chor ...
*Design
A design is the concept or proposal for an object, process, or system. The word ''design'' refers to something that is or has been intentionally created by a thinking agent, and is sometimes used to refer to the inherent nature of something ...
* Sound Design/Composition
*Actor
An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
(retired)
*Actress
An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
(retired)
Opera
*Production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stat ...
* Original Opera
*Performer
The performing arts are The arts, arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art ob ...
* Ensemble
*Direction
Direction may refer to:
*Body relative direction, for instance left, right, forward, backwards, up, and down
** Anatomical terms of location for those used in anatomy
** List of ship directions
*Cardinal direction
*Bearing (navigation)
Mathemat ...
* Musical Direction
*Design
A design is the concept or proposal for an object, process, or system. The word ''design'' refers to something that is or has been intentionally created by a thinking agent, and is sometimes used to refer to the inherent nature of something ...
*Actor
An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
(retired)
*Actress
An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
(retired)
Theatre for Young Audiences
*Production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stat ...
* Original Play
*Performer
The performing arts are The arts, arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art ob ...
* Ensemble
*Direction
Direction may refer to:
*Body relative direction, for instance left, right, forward, backwards, up, and down
** Anatomical terms of location for those used in anatomy
** List of ship directions
*Cardinal direction
*Bearing (navigation)
Mathemat ...
*Design
A design is the concept or proposal for an object, process, or system. The word ''design'' refers to something that is or has been intentionally created by a thinking agent, and is sometimes used to refer to the inherent nature of something ...
Touring
*Production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stat ...
Ancillary awards
In association with the Dora Awards, several ancillary awards are also administered and presented by TAPA.
Although the Doras were cancelled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
The COVID-19 pandemic in Canada is part of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (). It is caused by SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Most cases over the course o ...
shutting down theatre production in the 2020-21 season, ancillary awards were still presented that year as they are presented for the recipient's overall body of work rather than for specific shows within an eligibility period.
Pauline McGibbon Award
This award was established in 1981 in honour of former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
The lieutenant governor of Ontario (, in French: ''Lieutenant-gouverneur'' (if male) or ''Lieutenante-gouverneure'' (if female) ''de l'Ontario'') is the representative in Ontario of the monarch, who operates distinctly within the province but i ...
Pauline McGibbon. The winner is announced at the Dora Mavor Moore Award ceremony. This award is "Intended to assist a member of Ontario’s theatre community who has displayed a unique talent, a potential for excellence and who is in the early stages of his or her career." The Award recipient moves in a three-year cycle, rotating through individuals working as a director
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Director (band), an Irish rock band
* ''D ...
, a production craft person and a designer
A designer is a person who plans the form or structure of something before it is made, by preparing drawings or plans. In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, products, processes, laws, games, graphics, services, or exper ...
respectively. Each award winner receives $7,000 and a medal designed by Dora de Pedry Hunt.
Barbara Hamilton Award
Established in 1996 in recognition of Barbara Hamilton, this $1,000 prize, administered by the City of Toronto, is awarded to an individual who has "demonstrated excellence and professionalism in the performing arts." The winner of this award is announced during the press conference presenting the season's Dora Award nominees. Along with the cash prize, recipients also receive a scroll from the city of Toronto. Past winners include John Neville, Karen Kain
Karen Alexandria Kain (born March 28, 1951) is a Canadian former ballet dancer and was the Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Canada from 2005 to 2021.
Early training and childhood
Kain's mother enrolled her daughter in ballet trainin ...
, and Colin Mochrie
Colin Andrew Mochrie (; born November 30, 1957) is a Scottish-born Canadian actor, writer, producer and improvisational comedian, best known for his appearances on the British and American versions of the improvisational TV show ''Whose Line ...
George Luscombe Award
Named for George Luscombe
George may refer to:
Names
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
People
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE
* George, stage name of Gior ...
, founder and artistic director for 27 years of the Toronto Workshop Productions, this award is presented to an individual who has shown great mentorship in the realm of theatre. This award was first presented in 1999, and the recipient receives a framed print by artist Theo Dimson. The winner of this award is announced during the press conference announcing the Dora Award nominees.
Audience Choice Award
The Audience Choice Award was inaugurated in 2006 at the 27th Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards. Presented by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA), the Audience Choice Award for Outstanding Production is sponsored by '' Now Magazine'' Toronto and Yonge-Dundas Square. Facilitated and sponsored by ''Now Magazine'', the public was invited to vote online for a winner from the list of nominees in the General Theatre (Play and Musical), Independent Theatre, Opera and Theatre for Young Audiences Divisions; and Outstanding New Choreography in the Dance Division, or choose their show. The winner is announced at the Dora Awards ceremony and presented with a commemorative plaque.
Silver Ticket Award
Beginning in 1980, TAPA began presenting the silver ticket award to "an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the Toronto stage and the development of Canadian Theatre". Nominees for the award are submitted from individuals from the general performing arts community, and a committee composed of previous Silver Ticket winners. Along with the award, the winning individual is entitled to two free tickets, for life, to any production performed by a company belonging to the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts.
Awards and nominations for Outstanding Touring Production
The Dora Mavor Moore 'Award for Outstanding Touring Production' was an annual award celebrating achievements in live Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...
.
Past winners
Past winners have included Salome Bey, Kawa Ada, John Alcorn, BirdLand Theatre, Michel Marc Bouchard
Michel Marc Bouchard, (born February 2, 1958) is a Canadian playwright. He has received the Prix Journal de Montreal, Prix du Cercle des critiques de l'Outaouais, the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Play, the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian ...
, Valerie Buhagiar, Ronnie Burkett, Caroline Cave
Caroline Cave is a Canadian film, television and stage actor, known for her roles in the films '' This Beautiful City'', '' One Week'', '' The War Bride'', '' Six Figures'' and '' Saw VI'', and the television series '' Cra$h & Burn''. She has also ...
, Waawaate Fobister, Paul-André Fortier, David Hersey, Tomson Highway
Tomson Highway (born 6 December 1951) is an Indigenous peoples in Canada, Indigenous Canadian playwright, novelist, children's author and musician. He is best known for his plays ''The Rez Sisters'' and ''Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing'', ...
, Christopher House
Christopher House (born May 30, 1955) is a Canadian choreographer, performer and educator. For many years he was the artistic director of Toronto Dance Theatre.
Early life and education
House was born in St.John's, Newfoundland. He moved to Ott ...
, Stuart Hughes, John Krizanc
John Krizanc (born 1956) is a Canadians, Canadian playwright who established an international reputation with his non-linear work ''Tamara (play), Tamara''.
Early life
Krizanc was born in Lethbridge, Alberta, Lethbridge, Alberta in 1956. He is t ...
, Daniel MacIvor
Daniel MacIvor (born July 23, 1962) is a Canadian actor, playwright, theatre director, and film director. He is probably best known for his acting roles in independent films and the sitcom '' Twitch City''.
Personal
MacIvor was born in Sydney, ...
, Manitoba Theatre for Young People
Manitoba Theatre for Young People (MTYP) is a theatre for children and young adults in The Forks area of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. , MTYP's annual attendance regularly exceeds 100,000.
Within the theatre complex are two performance venues: a ...
, Diego Matamoros, Neil Munro, Julian Richings
Julian Richings (born 30 August 1956)''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at Ancestry.com is a British-Canadian character actor, having appeared in over 225 films and television series. He is best known for hi ...
, Roseneath Theatre, Tyley Ross, Djanet Sears
Djanet Sears is a Canadian playwright, nationally recognized for her work in African-Canadian theatre. Sears has many credits in writing and editing highly acclaimed dramas such as ''Afrika Solo'', the first stage play to be written by a Canadian ...
, Denis Simpson, Michel Tremblay
Michel Tremblay (born 25 June 1942) is a Canadian writer, novelist and playwright.
Tremblay was born in Montreal, Quebec, where he grew up in the French-speaking neighbourhood of Plateau Mont-Royal; at the time of his birth, a neighbourhood ...
and Jonathan Wilson.
In 2005, arts patron and philanthropist Bluma Appel received an Honorary Dora Award.
See also
* Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award
The Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award was a Canadian literary award given to Canadian plays produced by any professional Canadian theatre company, and having performances in the Toronto area.
The prize had a monetary value of $25,000, and wa ...
* Jessie Richardson Theatre Award
The Jessie Richardson Theatre Award (commonly known as the Jessie Awards) is given to recognize achievement in professional theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Jessies are presented by the Jessie Richardson Theatre Award Society, at an annu ...
* Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award
The Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award (also known as the Sterling Award) is a local Edmonton, Alberta award presented annually which honours excellence in theatre. The award covers a number of categories, including production, performance, direction ...
References
External links
Official site
Dora Awards Eligibility Requirement
Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts - Doras
{{Dora Awards
Awards established in 1978
1978 establishments in Canada
Canadian theatre awards