Annual Award
A $15,000 cash prize established in 2007 by Martha Burns, Jim Fleck and Jim Pitblado, this award celebrates an individual, collective or organization that has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to engaging Toronto youth in the arts.
| 2007 | Arts for Children Under the leadership of Founding Director Lola Rasminsky, Arts for Children has pioneered arts programming for children and youth living in some of Toronto’s most vulnerable neighbourhoods by providing scholarships, gallery tours, and other free programs for their participants. |
A $5,000 cash prize presented to an emerging Toronto artist working in any medium or performing arts discipline in celebration of current accomplishments and future potential. Established in 2006 by the RBC Foundation, this award is intended to support development or completion of new work.
| 2007 | d'bi.young.anitafrika At age 29, already an internationally recognized dub poet, actor, playwright and community worker with two published books and four produced albums, d’bi goes even further by mentoring younger artists in a range of socio-economic, political and cultural settings. |
| 2006 | Natasha Mytnowych is a remarkable young theatre director and artistic leader who has already made a commendable mark on the theatre community as a passionate advocate for the arts. |
Annual Award
Recognizes a local business that has made a significant contribution to the arts in Toronto. Established in 2006, this award is presented by The Council for Business and the Arts in Canada. The recipient will receive an original work of art created by Nobuo Kubota.
| 2007 | Robert Lowrey's Piano Experts is a generous and committed supporter of artists and arts organizations, whether it’s through a children’s concert series or a TSO emerging artist competition, by sponsoring competitions and donating his time, pianos, moving and tuning services. |
| 2006 | CIBC Mellon is a privately owned, joint venture between CIBC and Mellon that provides trust services to approximately 650 issuers and global securities services to approximately 1,200 institutional clients. Its deep commitment to arts and culture is evidenced by its support of Tafelmusik, Roy Thomson Hall and Soulpepper Theatre Company. |
Awarded biennially
A $10,000 cash prize presented to an artist or creator who has made a contribution to the cultural life of Toronto through outstanding achievement in dance. The recipient will also have participated in international initiatives, including touring, studying abroad and artist exchanges.
| 2007 | Lawrence Cherney an internationally recognized oboist and the founding Artistic Director of Soundstreams Canada, developed Soundstreams into one of the world’s leading producers of concerts and festivals of new music. |
| 2006 | Peter Chin Artistic Director of Tribal Crackling Wind |
| 2004 | Marshall Pynkoski founder and co-artistic director of Opera Atelier |
| 2002 | Danny Grossman dancer, choreographer |
| 2000 | Joe Sealy Internationally renowned pianist, composer and music director |
| 1998 | David Earle dance artist, choreographer, co-founder of Toronto Dance Theatre and creator of Dancetheatre David Earle. |
| 1996 | Jeanne Lamon Music Director of Taflemusik Baroque Orchestra. |
Awarded biennially
Established in memory of the late William Kilbourn. A $5,000 cash prize presented to an individual performer, teacher, administrator or creator in any arts discipline, including architecture and design, whose work is a celebration of life through the arts in Toronto.
| 2006 | Albert Schultz actor, director, educator, producer and head of Soulpepper Theatre |
| 2004 | Djanet Sears award-winning playwright and director, producing such lauded works as Harlem Duet and The Adventures of A Black Girl In Search Of God, among others. She is also a Dora-nominated stage performer and a Gemini-nominated screen actor |
| 2002 | Joy Hughes an arts activist who has dedicated more than 22 years of her life to the development of the arts and arts awareness in the former City of Scarborough. |
| 2000 | Rina Singha internationally renowned professional dancer, choreographer, educator. |
| 1998 | Doris McCarthy artist, painter and interpreter of Canadian landscape, designer of the Scarborough flag, advocate for the arts. |
Awarded biennially
A $10,000 cash prize presented to an individual, ensemble or organization to recognize creative, performing, administrative, volunteer or philanthropic contributions to Toronto’s musical life.
| 2006 | Jeanne Lamon Music Director with Tafelmusik |
| 2004 | Molly Johnson singer, songwriter |
| 2002 | Roger D. Moore one of Toronto's most loved philanthropists |
Awarded biennially
A cash prize recognizing individuals who have demonstrated creative cultural leadership in the development of arts and culture in Toronto. Administrators, volunteers, artists and creators are eligible for consideration. Through the generosity of co-sponsor Margo Bindhardt, an additional $5,000 was added in 2007 to the original $5000 prize, sponsored by Toronto Arts Council Foundation.
| 2007 | Franco Boni As artistic director of The Theatre Centre, SummerWorks and Rhubarb! Festivals, and Director of Youth Initiatives at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Boni has been committed to cultivating new work, fostering fresh talent in the community and creating collaborations between artists, staff and the community. |
| 2002 | Layne Coleman actor, playwright, Artistic Director of Theatre Passe Muraille |
| 2000 | Tom Hendry playwright, theatre founder and arts policy analyst. Co-founded Toronto Free Theatre (now the Canadian Stage Company) and Playwrights Canada (now Playwrights Union of Canada) |
A cash prize of $10,000, made in partnership with
Margo Bindhardt and presented biennially to Toronto artists whose leadership
and vision, whether through their creative work or cultural activism, have
had a significant impact on the arts in Toronto.
Beginning in 2007, Margo Bindhardt is co-sponsoring the Rita
Davies Award. The Margo Bindhardt Award will no longer be presented.
| 2004 | Sky Gilbert playwright, poet, novelist, director, actor, and drag queen extraordinaire |
| 2002 | Peggy Baker dancer, choreographer |
| 2000 | Richard Fung video artist and community activist, recognized as the first artist to explore sexual orientation marked by race. |
| 1998 | Lillian Allen writer, musician and poet, one of the birth mothers of dub poetry |
| 1996 | George Luscombe theatre director and founder of Toronto Workshop Productions |
| 1995 | Michael Balser video artist, curator, arts administrator and community activist and Andy Fabo writer, curator, teacher and multimedia artist |