The Canada Council for the Arts Announces the 2026 Winners of the Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts
OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 16, 2026 /CNW/ -- Today, the Canada Council for the Arts celebrates the 2026 winners of the Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts (GGArts). Eight artists are being honoured for their exceptional careers and their significant contributions to visual arts, media arts and fine crafts in Canada. Chosen by their peers, this year's winners reflect the creativity, innovation and lasting impact of the arts in communities across the country.
Each winner will receive a $25,000 prize and a bronze medallion. In addition, professional Canadian filmmakers have created artistic video portraits celebrating the winners and their achievements.
"The 2026 Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts winners remind us of the essential role artists play in Canadian society, helping us understand ourselves and one another. Deeply rooted in their communities, their work sparks dialogue, reveals the richness of human experience and creates a stronger sense of belonging. Today, we celebrate these remarkable artists, whose creativity strengthens our connections across Canada and throughout the world."
-- Michelle Chawla, Director and CEO, Canada Council for the Arts
2026 Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts winners
Saidye Bronfman Award
- Chung-Im Kim, textile artist (Cookstown, Ontario)
Outstanding Contribution Award
- Roger Lee, art historian (Vancouver, British Columbia)
Artistic Achievement Awards
- Faye HeavyShield, visual artist (Kainai First Nation, Alberta)
- Carole Itter, visual and installation artist, filmmaker (Vancouver, British Columbia)
- Zacharias Kunuk, filmmaker (Igloolik, Nunavut)
- Lyne Lapointe, visual artist (Mansonville, Quebec)
- Marie-Jeanne Musiol, photography-based artist (Gatineau, Quebec)
- Skawennati, artist (Montréal, Quebec)
2026 Peer assessment committee members
Saidye Bronfman Award
- Lou Lynn, sculptor (Nelson, British Columbia)
- Kristin Nelson, artist (Kjipuktuk / Halifax, Nova Scotia)
- Claudio Pino, jewellery designer (Montréal, Quebec)
Artistic Achievement Awards and Outstanding Contribution Award
- Katie Bethune-Leamen, visual artist
- Luc Courchesne, artist, designer and professor (Montréal, Quebec)
- Craig Leonard, artist (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
- Jennifer Smith, curator, writer and cultural worker (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
- Winnie Truong, visual artist (Toronto, Ontario)
About the Awards
Saidye Bronfman Award
Established by the Bronfman family in 1977, the Saidye Bronfman Award is the most prestigious distinction in fine crafts in Canada. Every year, the Canadian Museum of History acquires either a single work or a series of works by the winner. In addition, Studio Magazine has a long-standing tradition of featuring stories about Saidye Bronfman Award recipients, helping bring greater visibility to their work and achievements. Read this year's feature.
Outstanding Contribution Award
The Outstanding Contribution Award is given to an individual or a group of individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to visual arts, media arts or fine crafts in a volunteer or professional capacity.
Artistic Achievement Awards
The Artistic Achievement Awards are given to artists in recognition of their body of work. It honours their contribution to contemporary visual or media arts.
Partners
- Canadian Museum of History
- National Gallery of Canada
- Royal Canadian Mint
- Air Canada
- Beaverbrook Art Gallery
Video portraits
Watch original video portraits celebrating each winner. Commissioned by the Canada Council for the Arts in partnership with the Independent Media Arts Alliance, the short films were created by filmmakers from across Canada. The videos are available on the Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts website and the Canada Council for the Arts' YouTube channel and will also be featured on Air Canada's in-flight entertainment system in the coming months.
Winner exhibition
An exhibition featuring a selection of works by the 2026 Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts recipients will be presented at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, New Brunswick, beginning on November 7, 2026.
2026 filmmakers
- Millefiore Clarkes, One Thousand Flowers Productions (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island) | Video portrait of Chung-Im Kim
- Kayla Jeanson and Damian Siqueiros, Collectif Terra Sapiens (Montréal, Quebec) | Video portrait of Roger Lee
- Christopher White (Edmonton, Alberta) | Video portrait of Faye HeavyShield
- Hân Phạm (Vancouver, British Columbia) | Video portrait of Carole Itter
- Conor McNally, Illiop Productions (Edmonton, Alberta) | Video portrait of Zacharias Kunuk
- Isabelle Darveau and Geneviève Philippon, Dedans Dehors (Montréal, Quebec) | Video portrait of Lyne Lapointe
- Achref Toumi (Ottawa, Ontario) | Video portrait of Marie-Jeanne Musiol
- Yuma Hester (Hamilton, Ontario) | Video portrait of Skawennati
About the Canada Council for the Arts
The Canada Council for the Arts' mandate is to "foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts." Through its grants, services, prizes, initiatives and payments, the Canada Council supports a dynamic and diverse arts and literary scene. These activities generate a meaningful cultural, social and economic impact for over 2,000 communities in all parts of the country and beyond. The investments and leadership of the Canada Council help advance public engagement in the arts from coast to coast to coast, while also contributing to the international recognition of artists and arts organizations from Canada.
SOURCE Canada Council for the Arts
Media relations contacts: For media requests, including interviews with artists, please contact: Megan Rivas-Gagnon, Media Relations, TACT, [email protected], 514 691-4376; Karine Charbonneau, Director, Communications, Canada Council for the Arts, [email protected], 613-239-3958, 1-800-263-5588, poste 5151
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