2026 Governor General Awards Honor Eight Canadian Artists
Eight artists have won the 2026 Governor General Awards, each receiving a C$25,000 prize and a bronze medallion.
The eight winners of the 2026 Governor General Awards were announced on 16 September. Each winner receives a bronze medallion and C$25,000 ($18,000).
The awards, created in 1999 by the Canada Council for the Arts and the Governor General of Canada, are among the country's most prestigious arts prizes. Up to eight are given annually across three categories.
The 2026 Laureates
The winners are textile artist Chung-Im Kim, art historian Roger Lee, sculptor Faye HeavyShield, artist Carole Itter, film-maker Zacharias Kunuk, artist Lyne Lapointe, photographer Marie-Jeanne Musiol, and artist Skawennati.
Chung-Im Kim, a Korean-born textile artist based in Ontario, received the Saidye Bronfman Award for craft. The Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau acquires work from this award's winner each year.
Roger Lee won the outstanding contribution award. The Vancouver-based art historian and collector shaped Asian and diasporic art history in Canada. He was the first Chinese Canadian to teach Western art history in China.
Veteran Artists Honored
Carole Itter, a veteran interdisciplinary artist from Vancouver, won an artistic achievement award. She is known for a 1972 work where she transported a cedar log from British Columbia to Nova Scotia. Itter previously won the Viva Award in 1989 and the Audain Prize in 2017.
Another artistic achievement winner is Inuit film-maker Zacharias Kunuk. He began as a carver, selling sculptures in 1981 to buy video equipment for his community. He co-founded Igloolik Isuma Productions in 1990 and has directed more than 30 films, including the epic Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner.
A Celebration of Impact
Michelle Chawla, director of the Canada Council for the Arts, praised the winners in a statement. "The 2026 Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts winners remind us of the essential role artists play in Canadian society," she said. "Deeply rooted in their communities, their work sparks dialogue, reveals the richness of human experience and creates a stronger sense of belonging."
Other winners include Kainai First Nations sculptor Faye HeavyShield, Québec-based artists Lyne Lapointe and Marie-Jeanne Musiol, and Montréal-based Kanien'kehá:ka artist Skawennati. Musiol creates photograms and videos using the electromagnetic imprints of plants.
An exhibition of the winners' work opens at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton on 7 November.
