The Governor General's Performing Arts Awards are an annual Canadian award, presented to honour distinguished achievements in Canadian performing arts and culture. Administered by the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Foundation in association with the National Arts Centre, they present lifetime achievement awards for work in all performing arts domains, including theatre, dance, film, television and radio broadcasting and both popular and classical music; the awards are, however, not necessarily presented exclusively to performers, and may also honour people who have had distinguished careers in the business side of cultural industries, such as film, television and theatre directors and producers.
The awards were created in 1992 under the patronage of then Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn and his wife Gerda Hnatyshyn.Rod Currie, "Governor-general unveils new lifetime awards for performing arts". Montreal Gazette, September 23, 1992.
From 1992 to 2014, they typically honoured six figures per year;Dianne Rinehart, "Canada honors its own with newly crafted prize". Vancouver Sun, November 9, 1992. since 2015 they have honoured five. In addition to the lifetime awards, they also present the National Arts Centre Award to honour a figure who has had significant career achievements within the past year but is not yet considered to be at the "lifetime achievement" stage of their career, the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts to honour people who have been active in voluntary service to the arts, and a Mentorship to an emerging figure in the arts.
Recipients of the lifetime achievement and NAC awards receive $25,000 and a commemorative medallion; recipients of the RJH award receive a medallion, but are not given money. The awards are presented at a live gala at the National Arts Centre, and are typically recorded for broadcast by CBC Television at a later date.
Once inducted into one of the main "lifetime achievement" categories, a recipient is not honoured again in future years; however, a recipient of the NAC or RJH awards may be later named as a lifetime achievement recipient.
Controversies In 1994, Paul Gessell of the Ottawa Citizen criticized the foundation for honouring Neil Young, on the grounds that he had lived in the United States for many years and had, according to Gessell, "turned his back" on Canada, and Gilles Vigneault due to his support of the Quebec sovereignty movement.Paul Gessell, "Back Canada or decline arts award". Ottawa Citizen, November 6, 1994. He further predicted, correctly, that Joni Mitchell would be an honoree in the near future, but opined that she was an inappropriate choice for the same reason as Young. In 2001 he criticized the awards for paying lip service to diversity in Canadian arts despite the fact that only two people of colour, pianists Oscar Peterson and Jon Kimura Parker, had ever been named as honorees as of that time.Paul Gessell, "Great Canadians, eh?: The Governor General's Performing Arts Awards are meant to be a celebration of the country's most important artists. But as Paul Gessell notes, they're not exactly a reflection of the new multicultural Canada". Ottawa Citizen, November 1, 2001.
One named honoree in 2005, singer-songwriter and poet Raymond Lévesque, declined the honour due to his support of the Quebec sovereignty movement."Poet rejects G-G arts award over sovereignty issues". Windsor Star, October 26, 2005. The awards proceeded that year with five lifetime honorees instead of six.Kelly Roesler, "Seven award winners revel in song and dance". Ottawa Citizen, November 6, 2005.
In 2018, Governor General Julie Payette faced controversy when she announced that she would not be presiding over the ceremony, the first time in the history of the awards that the sitting governor general did not attend.Brian Platt, "Julie Payette won't preside over 2018 Governor General's History Awards ceremony". National Post, September 26, 2018. Payette offered little clarification of her reasons for not attending, but had faced some criticism since the beginning of her term around her apparently limited workload.
One past recipient, singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie, has had her honour rescinded."Buffy Sainte-Marie loses honours including Junos, Hall of Fame induction". Global News, March 7, 2025.
Recipients 1990s YearRecipientDisciplineRef 1992 William Hutt Theatre "Awards honor elite in arts". Windsor Star, September 9, 1992. Gweneth Lloyd Dance Dominique Michel Broadcasting Mercedes Palomino Theatre Oscar Peterson Popular music Léopold Simoneau Classical music Norman Jewison Hnatyshyn Award Gilles Maheu, Carbone 14 National Arts Centre Award 1993 Ludmilla Chiriaeff Dance "Vigneault, Chiriaeff, Mercure, Cohen among Performing Arts honorees". Halifax Daily News, October 6, 1993. Leonard Cohen Popular music Don Haig Film Lois Marshall Classical music Monique Mercure Theatre Gilles Vigneault Popular music Joan Chalmers Hnatyshyn Award Michel Marc Bouchard and Les Deux Mondes National Arts Centre Award 1994 Frédéric Back Film "Charlebois, Neil Young receive arts awards from Hnatyshyn". Montreal Gazette, November 7, 1994. Robert Charlebois Popular music Celia Franca Dance Frances Hyland Theatre Jean Papineau-Couture Classical music Neil Young Popular music Sandra Kolber Hnatyshyn Award Robert Lepage National Arts Centre Award 1995 Denys Arcand Film Susan Riley, "Forrester, Murray head list of winners". Vancouver Sun, September 20, 1995. Maureen Forrester Classical music Peter Gzowski Broadcasting Paul Hébert Theatre Anne Murray Popular music Jeanne Renaud Dance Arthur Gelber Hnatyshyn Award Ben Heppner National Arts Centre Award 1996 François Barbeau Theatre "Governor General arts awards for six". Hamilton Spectator, September 18, 1996. Michel Brault Film Martha Henry Theatre Joni Mitchell Popular music Luc Plamondon Popular music Grant Strate Dance Martha Lou Henley Hnatyshyn Award Jon Kimura Parker National Arts Centre Award 1997 Gilles Carle Film Bonnie Malleck, "Governor General's Awards celebrate six outstanding artists". Waterloo Region Record, December 27, 1997. Nicholas Goldschmidt Classical music Monique Leyrac Popular music Gordon Lightfoot Popular music Betty Oliphant Dance Jean-Pierre Ronfard Theatre Maryvonne Kendergi Hnatyshyn Award Karen Kain National Arts Centre Award 1998 Paul Buissonneau Theatre Andrew Flynn, "It's no farce: Comedy troupe, Bruce Cockburn among recipients of Governor General's Performing Arts awards". St. Catharines Standard, September 22, 1998. Bruce Cockburn Popular music Rock Demers Film Royal Canadian Air Farce Broadcasting Arnold Spohr Dance Jon Vickers Classical music Joseph H. Shoctor Hnatyshyn Award Denis Marleau National Arts Centre Award 1999 David Cronenberg Film "Six get Governor General Performing Arts awards". Timmins Daily Press, September 29, 1999. Denise Filiatrault Broadcasting Mavor Moore Theatre Louis Quilico Classical music Ginette Reno Popular music Michel Tremblay Theatre Sam Sniderman Hnatyshyn Award Mario Bernardi National Arts Centre Award
2000s Due to a change in the award's scheduling from fall to spring, the awards were not presented in 2007."Performing arts awards pushed back to May". Waterloo Region Record, September 22, 2007.
YearRecipientDisciplineRef 2000 Janette Bertrand Broadcasting Bruce Deachman, "Stompin' Tom comes close to tears at Governor-General's Performing Arts Awards". National Post, November 6, 2000. Stompin' Tom Connors Popular music Fernand Nault Dance Christopher Newton Theatre Teresa Stratas Dance Donald Sutherland Film Walter Carsen Hnatyshyn Award Cirque du Soleil National Arts Centre Award 2001 Mario Bernardi Classical music "Plummer, Max Ferguson among those receiving Gov-Gen. awards". Nanaimo Daily News, September 29, 2001. Diane Dufresne Popular music Max Ferguson Broadcasting Evelyn Hart Dance Christopher Plummer Theatre Anne Claire Poirier Film Thea Borlase Hnatyshyn Award Édouard Lock and La La La Human Steps National Arts Centre Award 2002 André Brassard Theatre "Kain heads list of GG winners". Peterborough Examiner, November 2, 2002. Joy Coghill Theatre The Guess Who Popular music Karen Kain Dance Phil Nimmons Popular music Jean-Pierre Perreault Dance Fernand Lindsay Hnatyshyn Award Angela Hewitt National Arts Centre Award 2003 Pierrette Alarie Classical music John McKay, "Governor General's Awards announced". Welland Tribune, October 1, 2003. Dave Broadfoot Broadcasting Douglas Campbell Theatre Norman Jewison Film Micheline Lanctôt Film Ian Tyson Popular music Sandra Pitblado, Jim Pitblado Hnatyshyn Award Marie Chouinard National Arts Centre Award 2004 Kate & Anna McGarrigle Popular music "Governor General winners honoured for life achievement". Guelph Mercury, September 22, 2004. Gordon Pinsent Film Jean-Louis Roux Theatre Joseph Rouleau Classical music Veronica Tennant Dance Eric Till Film Constance Pathy Hnatyshyn Award Rick Mercer National Arts Centre Award 2005 Peter Boneham Dance Kelly Roesler, "Seven award winners revel in song and dance". Ottawa Citizen, November 6, 2005. Jackie Burroughs Film Marcel Dubé Theatre Oliver Jones Popular music Moses Znaimer Broadcasting Gail Asper Hnatyshyn Award k.d. lang National Arts Centre Award 2006 Jacques Languirand Broadcasting Paul Gessell, "Robbie Robertson, Lorne Michaels among those to win Governor General's Performing Arts Awards". Victoria Times-Colonist, September 20, 2006. Lorne Michaels Broadcasting Albert Millaire Theatre Robbie Robertson Popular music Joysanne Sidimus Dance Mark Starowicz Broadcasting Georges Laoun, Sherif Laoun Hnatyshyn Award Richard Bradshaw National Arts Centre Award 2007 Not presented 2008 Anton Kuerti Classical music "Eugene Levy, Tragically Hip to receive performing arts awards". Whitehorse Star, May 2, 2008. Eugene Levy Broadcasting Brian Macdonald Dance John Murrell Theatre Alanis Obomsawin Film Michel Pagliaro Popular music Eric Charman Hnatyshyn Award The Tragically Hip National Arts Centre Award Crystal Pite Mentorship 2009 Peggy Baker Dance Maria Cook, "Gross, Lepage receive performing arts awards". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, March 3, 2009. Édith Butler Popular music Clémence DesRochers Broadcasting Robert Lepage Theatre R. Murray Schafer Classical music George F. Walker Theatre James D. Fleck Hnatyshyn Award Paul Gross National Arts Centre Award Dione Taylor Mentorship
2010s Jazz singer Michael Bublé was named as the recipient of the National Arts Centre award in 2016;Morgan Lowrie, "Buble and Lantos among winners of Governor General's Performing Arts Awards". Canadian Press, April 14, 2016. however, as he was unable to attend the gala due to vocal cord surgery, he received the award at the 2017 gala instead."Surgery delays Buble's NAC prize; Pending vocal cord repair sidelines singer". Ottawa Citizen, May 19, 2016.