Recipients of the 2010 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Announced
Governor General's Performing Arts Awards
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for Lifetime Artistic Achievement
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BRYAN ADAMS, FRANÇOISE FAUCHER, WALTER HOMBURGER,
EDOUARD LOCK, ROBIN PHILLIPS, BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE
Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts
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MOHAMMED AND YULANDA FARIS
National Arts Centre Award
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YANNICK NÉZET-SÉGUIN
MONTREAL, Feb. 23 /CNW Telbec/ - Bryan Adams, Françoise Faucher, Walter Homburger, Edouard Lock, Robin Phillips and Buffy Sainte-Marie have been named the 2010 recipients of the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards (GGPAA) for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, the most prestigious artistic honour bestowed in Canadian performing arts. The recipients have propelled their talent and vision to the highest level and made an enduring contribution to culture in Canada. Each year, the Awards shine a spotlight on these phenomenal people who, with their magic, enrich the lives of all Canadians.
The Lifetime Artistic Achievement Awards are accompanied by two special Awards which recognize individuals taking the performing arts in inspiring new directions. The Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts is given this year to Mohammed and Yulanda Faris, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin will receive the National Arts Centre (NAC) Award.
The Awards will be presented at Rideau Hall on April 30, 2010 by Governor General Michaëlle Jean. "Time will never erase the pathways that these great performing artists have traced, both for us the public and for young generations of creators. For they are pathways of light that cross through our lives and shed a brighter light on everything they touch. And so we thank them for all of those rays of hope they shine on our world, which would otherwise be a darker and duller place," said Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada.
This year's recipients of the six Governor General's Performing Arts Awards for Lifetime Artistic Achievement are:
- Bryan Adams (Singer/songwriter, photographer and social activist):
One of Canada's most successful recording artists, rock singers and
songwriters, he has established himself as a leading figure on the
international popular music scene. With numerous awards and millions
of album sales and sold-out concerts worldwide, he is also an
accomplished photographer and is actively involved with many social
and humanitarian causes through The Bryan Adams Foundation.
- Françoise Faucher (Actress, director and broadcaster): From her stage
debut in Montreal in 1951, she has personified the dynamic vitality
of Quebec theatre. A veritable living legend, she has played a
central role in the development of Quebec culture and inspired an
entire generation of theatre artists (particularly women) with the
unquenchable passion and boundless dedication she has shown for over
60 years. On stage and on screen, she attracted - and, with
remarkable energy, continues to attract - a wide and diverse audience
of loyal fans.
- Walter Homburger (Orchestra manager, impresario and artist manager):
A driving force in the development of orchestras and classical music
in Canada for over half a century, he has promoted a succession of
extraordinary artists (including Glenn Gould, Victor Braun, Jan
Rubes, Louis Lortie, and James Ehnes). His unrivalled 25-year term as
managing director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra set new standards
for orchestra management in Canada and became a model for following
generations of music directors and managers.
- Edouard Lock (Choreographer): A brilliant innovator whose originality
and daring have transformed contemporary dance, he has reinvented the
art form, bridging contemporary dance and classical ballet to create
a unique choreographic language. His influence over the past 30 years
has been phenomenal: he has built his company, La La La Human Steps,
into one of the world's most exciting and original dance troupes, and
has put Quebec and Canada firmly on the international cultural map.
- Robin Phillips (Director, actor, designer and teacher): One of
Canada's greatest English-language stage directors, he has inspired
an entire generation of Canadian actors, designers and directors with
his creative vision, passion, and discipline, and has set the
standard for excellence in staging works both classical and
contemporary. In his six seasons with the Stratford Shakespeare
Festival he directed 35 productions featuring such outstanding
artists as Martha Henry, William Hutt, Brian Bedford, Maggie Smith,
Jessica Tandy, and Colm Feore.
- Buffy Sainte-Marie (Singer/songwriter, visual artist, educator and
social activist): She has achieved international acclaim as a
singer/songwriter, visual artist, advocate for Aboriginal rights, and
mentor. Her powerful songs of love, hope, protest and triumph have
sensitized people around the world to important political and social
issues. She continues to tour extensively, capturing audiences
everywhere with the energy, intensity, and raw communicative power of
her performances.
Each recipient will receive a cash award of $25,000 contributed by the Canada Council for the Arts and a commemorative medallion struck by the Royal Canadian Mint.
Mohammed and Yulanda Faris are this year's recipients of the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts. They have been an active force in the Vancouver arts community for close to 40 years. They have liberally donated their time and financial support (often anonymously) to opera, dance, the visual arts, and literature, with a particular focus on young people, arts education, professional training opportunities, and legacy giving. The Farises will receive a specially commissioned work by Canadian glass artist Naoko Takenouchi of Vancouver, British Columbia, and a commemorative medallion struck by the Royal Canadian Mint.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin is this year's recipient of the National Arts Centre Award, presented for exceptional achievement over the past performance year. Yannick Nézet-Séguin is one of the fastest-rising stars on the international classical music scene. Acclaimed by musicians, audiences and critics alike for his musicality, dedication and charisma, he is in great demand as a symphonic and operatic conductor and has appeared with leading orchestras around the world. In addition to a commemorative medallion struck by the Royal Canadian Mint and a cash award of $25,000, Maestro Nézet-Séguin will receive an original piece of artwork designed by Canadian ceramic artist Paula Murray of Chelsea, Quebec.
In addition to honouring the 2010 recipients, the Awards feature a unique Mentorship Program, a partnership inaugurated in 2008 between the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation (GGPAAF) and Canada's National Arts Centre. Designed to unite past Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award recipients and talented mid-career artists, the program serves as a creative catalyst and as an investment in future Canadian artistic achievement. Distinguished actor Gordon Pinsent, who received a Governor General's Performing Arts Award in 2004 (film/theatre), has chosen to mentor Kevin Loring, an extraordinarily talented young actor. The program is a unique opportunity for the potential laureates of tomorrow to benefit from the creativity and experience of icons who have blazed the trail before them.
The 2010 recipients will be honoured at various events in Ottawa from April 29 to May 1. On April 29, the recipients will be introduced in the House of Commons, followed by a Parliamentary Reception. On April 30 at Rideau Hall, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, will present the country's highest performing arts honour to each recipient at a special ceremony and dinner. On May 1, the National Arts Centre will host a sparkling Gala to celebrate the 2010 recipients, a star-studded celebration featuring superb performances, evocative film portraits, and personal tributes by guest stars.
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB), an important creative concept partner for the Gala since 2008, will once again produce eight unforgettable short films to celebrate the lives of the 2010 recipients, which will be screened at the May 1 Gala. The NFB brings together some of Canada's most talented documentary filmmakers for this project to create signature films that capture the essence of each Award laureate.
The Awards continue to benefit from the significant partnership established in 2007 with the National Arts Centre (NAC). Dedicated to achieving the highest presence for the Awards, the NAC is responsible for the production of the annual Gala performance as well as the event's fundraising and marketing activities. The NAC's in-house expertise and experience in these key aspects of the annual celebrations significantly enhance the profile of the Awards and their distinguished recipients.
Created in 1992, the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards are the most prominent artistic honour bestowed upon Canadians in the performing arts. They are administered by the GGPAA Foundation, a private, not-for-profit charitable organization. Nominations for the awards are solicited from the public and the performing arts community. Peer selection committees, representing the various performing arts disciplines and regions of Canada, review the nominations and submit a short list of nominees in the seven award categories to the GGPAA Foundation Board of Directors, which makes the final selection of recipients of the Awards for Lifetime Artistic Achievement and the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts. Nominations for 2011 are now being accepted at www.ggpaa.ca. The recipient of the National Arts Centre Award is selected by the Board of Trustees of the NAC from a list of candidates proposed by a nominating committee of senior NAC artistic programmers.
The National Arts Centre is proud to produce the 2010 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Gala in partnership with the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation and the National Film Board of Canada. The Awards are presented with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canada Council for the Arts. The GGPAAF gratefully acknowledges National Partners McDonald's Restaurants of Canada, Pratt & Whitney Canada Corporation and Weber Shandwick Worldwide. The GGPAAF also acknowledges the significant contributions of Enbridge, Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP, technology partner IBM, Llama Communications, automobile sponsor Mark Motors of Ottawa, Optima, media partner The Ottawa Citizen, and The Royal Canadian Mint. Grateful thanks also go to the National Committee of volunteers, including Co-Chairs M. Ann McCaig, C.M., A.O.E., LL.D and James S. Kinnear.
Tickets for the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Gala on Saturday, May 1, 2010 go on sale to the general public on February 23, 2010 at the NAC Box Office and through Ticketmaster, 613-755-1111 or www.ticketmaster.ca.
For further information: David Barrett, Massy-Forget Public Relations, (514) 842-2455, ext. 15 (office), (514) 823-3726 (cell), [email protected]; Or visit the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation website: www.ggpaa.ca (English), www.pggas.ca (French)
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