Governor General's Award for English-language drama

The Governor General's Award for English-language drama honours excellence in Canadian English-language playwriting. The award was created in 1981 when the Governor General's Award for English-language poetry or drama was divided.

Because the award is presented for plays published in print, a play's eligibility for the award can sometimes be several years later than its eligibility for awards, such as the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Play or the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award, which are based on the theatrical staging.[1] Titles which compile several works by the playwright into a single volume may also be nominated for or win the award.

Winners and nominees

[edit]

1980s

[edit]
Governor General's Award for English-language drama honorees, 1980-1989
Year Author Title Ref.
1981 Sharon Pollock Blood Relations [2]
Charles Tidler Straight Ahead and Blind Dancers [3]
George F. Walker Theatre of the Film Noir
1982 John Gray Billy Bishop Goes to War [4]
Lawrence Jeffery Clay [5]
Betty Lambert Jennie's Story
1983 Anne Chislett Quiet in the Land [6]
No advance shortlist was released this year. [7]
1984 Judith Thompson White Biting Dog [8]
James Reaney The Canadian Brothers or The Prophecy Fulfilled [9]
George Ryga A Letter to My Son
1985 George F. Walker Criminals in Love [10]
David French Salt-Water Moon [11]
Margaret Hollingsworth War Babies
Ken Mitchell Gone the Burning Sun
1986 Sharon Pollock Doc [12]
Frank Moher Odd Jobs [13]
Allan Stratton Papers
1987 John Krizanc Prague [14]
Wendy Lill The Occupation of Heather Rose [15]
Michael D.C. McKinlay Walt and Roy
Sharon Pollock Whiskey Six Cadenza
1988 George F. Walker Nothing Sacred [16]
Dennis Foon Skin [17]
Tomson Highway The Rez Sisters
Maureen Hunter Footprints on the Moon
1989 Judith Thompson The Other Side of the Dark [18]
Tomson Highway Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing [19]
John Krizanc Tamara

1990s

[edit]
Governor General's Award for English-language drama honorees, 1990-1999
Year Author Title Ref.
1990 Ann-Marie MacDonald Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) [20]
Audrey Butler Black Friday? [21]
John Mighton Scientific Americans
George F. Walker Love and Anger
1991 Joan MacLeod Amigo's Blue Guitar [22]
Sally Clark The Trial of Judith K. [23]
Don Druick Where Is Kabuki?
Linda Griffiths The Darling Family
Daniel David Moses Coyote City
1992 John Mighton Possible Worlds and A Short History of Night [24]
Daniel Brooks, Guillermo Verdecchia The Noam Chomsky Lectures [25]
Dave Carley Writing With Our Feet
Judith Thompson Lion in the Streets
Dianne Warren Serpent in the Night Sky
1993 Guillermo Verdecchia Fronteras Americanas [26]
Daniel MacIvor House Humans [27]
Raymond Storey The Saints and Apostles
David Young Glenn
1994 Morris Panych The Ends of the Earth [28]
Joanna McClelland Glass If We Are Women [29]
Wendy Lill All Fall Down
Bryden MacDonald Whale Riding Weather
1995 Jason Sherman Three in the Back, Two in the Head [30]
Brad Fraser Poor Super Man [31]
Deborah Kimmett Miracle Mother
Joan MacLeod The Hope Slide/Little Sister
Eugene Stickland Some Assembly Required
1996 Colleen Wagner The Monument [32]
Wendy Lill The Glace Bay Miners' Museum [33]
John Mighton The Little Years
Michael O'Brien Mad Boy Chronicle
Betty Quan Mother Tongue
1997 Ian Ross fareWel [34]
Maureen Hunter Atlantis [35]
Lee MacDougall High Life
Jason Sherman Reading Hebron
Judith Thompson Sled
1998 Djanet Sears Harlem Duet [36]
Bruce McManus Selkirk Avenue [37]
Richard Sanger Not Spain
Sandra Shamas Sandra Shamas: A Trilogy of Performances
David Young Inexpressible Island
1999 Michael Healey The Drawer Boy [38]
Wendy Lill Corker [39]
Daniel MacIvor Marion Bridge
Colleen Murphy Beating Heart Cadaver
Theresa Tova Still the Night

2000s

[edit]
Governor General's Award for English-language drama honorees, 2000-2009
Year Author Title Ref.
2000 Timothy Findley Elizabeth Rex [40]
George Boyd Consecrated Ground [41]
Linda Griffiths Alien Creature
Daniel MacIvor, Daniel Brooks Monster
Jason Sherman It's All True
2001 Kent Stetson The Harps of God [42]
Mark Brownell Monsieur d'Eon [43]
Clem Martini A Three Martini Lunch
Michael Redhill Building Jerusalem
Jason Sherman An Acre of Time
2002 Kevin Kerr Unity (1918) [44]
Claudia Dey The Gwendolyn Poems [45]
Lorena Gale Je me souviens
Michael MacLennan The Shooting Stage
2003 Vern Thiessen Einstein's Gift [46]
Marie Clements Burning Vision [47]
Brian Drader Prok
Sunil Kuruvilla Rice Boy
Michael MacLennan Last Romantics
2004 Morris Panych Girl in the Goldfish Bowl [48]
Robert Chafe Butler's Marsh and Tempting Providence [49]
Michael Healey Rune Arlidge
Karen Hines The Pochsy Plays
Mieko Ouchi The Red Priest (Eight Ways to Say Goodbye)
2005 John Mighton Half Life [50]
Marjorie Chan China Doll [51]
Don Druick Through the Eyes
Daniel MacIvor Cul-de-sac
Richard Sanger Two Words for Snow
2006 Daniel MacIvor I Still Love You [52]
Morwyn Brebner The Optimists [53]
Lisa Codrington Cast Iron
Jason Sherman Adapt or Die: Plays New and Used
Drew Hayden Taylor In a World Created by a Drunken God
2007 Colleen Murphy The December Man [54]
Salvatore Antonio In Gabriel's Kitchen [55]
Anosh Irani The Bombay Plays: The Matka King and Bombay Black
Rosa Labordé Léo
Morris Panych What Lies Before Us
2008 Catherine Banks Bone Cage [56]
Ronnie Burkett 10 Days on Earth [57]
Paul Ciufo Reverend Jonah
Marie Clements Copper Thunderbird
Judith Thompson Palace of the End
2009 Kevin Loring Where the Blood Mixes [58]
Beverley Cooper Innocence Lost: A Play about Steven Truscott [59]
Joan MacLeod Another Home Invasion
Hannah Moscovitch East of Berlin
Michael Nathanson Talk

2010s

[edit]
Governor General's Award for English-language drama honorees, 2010-2019
Year Author Title Ref.
2010 Robert Chafe Afterimage [60]
Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman Scratch [61]
Michael Healey Courageous
Judith Thompson Such Creatures
David Yee lady in the red dress
2011 Erin Shields If We Were Birds [62]
Brendan Gall Minor Complications: Two Plays [63]
Jonathan Garfinkel House of Many Tongues
Donna-Michelle St. Bernard Gas Girls
Vern Thiessen Lenin’s Embalmers
2012 Catherine Banks It Is Solved by Walking [64]
Trina Davies The Romeo Initiative [65]
Karen Hines Drama: Pilot Episode
Cathy Ostlere, Dennis Garnhum Lost: A Memoir
Anusree Roy Brothel #9
2013 Nicolas Billon Fault Lines: Three Plays [66]
Meg Braem Blood: A Scientific Romance [67]
Kate Hewlett The Swearing Jar
Lawrence Jeffery Frenchtown
Joseph Jomo Pierre Shakespeare's Nigga
2014 Jordan Tannahill Age of Minority: Three Solo Plays [68]
Rick Chafe The Secret Mask [69]
Sean Dixon A God in Need of Help
Janet Munsil That Elusive Spark
2015 David Yee carried away on the crest of a wave [70]
Beth Graham The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble [71]
Tara Grammy, Tom Arthur Davis Mahmoud
Bryden MacDonald Odd Ducks
Marcus Youssef, James Long Winners and Losers
2016 Colleen Murphy Pig Girl [72]
Brad Fraser Kill Me Now [73]
Donna-Michelle St. Bernard A Man A Fish
Jordan Tannahill Concord Floral
Mary Vingoe Refuge
2017 Hiro Kanagawa Indian Arm [74]
Robert Chafe The Colony of Unrequited Dreams [75]
Anna Chatterton Within the Glass
Michael Healey 1979
Kate Hennig The Virgin Trial
2018 Jordan Tannahill Botticelli in the Fire and Sunday in Sodom [76]
Keith Barker This Is How We Got Here [77]
Anna Chatterton, Evalyn Parry, Karin Randoja Gertrude and Alice
Anosh Irani The Men in White
Erin Shields Paradise Lost
2019 Amanda Parris Other Side of the Game [78]
Kevin Loring Thanks for Giving [79]
Hannah Moscovitch What a Young Wife Ought to Know
Sean Harris Oliver The Fighting Season
Tetsuro Shigematsu 1 Hour Photo

2020s

[edit]
Year Author Title Ref.
2020 Kim Senklip Harvey Kamloopa: An Indigenous Matriarch Story [80]
Yolanda Bonnell bug [81]
Christopher Cook Quick Bright Things
Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman Guarded Girls
Donna-Michelle St. Bernard Sound of the Beast
2021 Hannah Moscovitch Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes [82]
Falen Johnson Two Indians [83]
Jivesh Parasram Take d Milk, Nah?
Paul David Power Crippled
Christine Quintana Selfie
2022 Dorothy Dittrich The Piano Teacher: A Healing Key [84]
Daniel Arnold, Darrell Dennis, Medina Hahn Inheritance: a pick-the-path experience [85]
Robert Chafe Everybody Just C@lm the F#ck Down
Marjorie Chan Lady Sunrise
Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho) Iphigenia and the Furies (On Taurian Land) & Antigone: 方
2023 Cliff Cardinal As You Like It, A Radical Retelling [86]
Darla Contois The War Being Waged [87]
Hiro Kanagawa Forgiveness
Suvendrini Lena The Enchanted Loom
Jordan Tannahill Is My Microphone On?
2024 Makram Ayache The Green Line [88]
Caleigh Crow There Is Violence and There Is Righteous Violence and There Is Death, or the Born-Again Crow
Scott Jones, Robert Chafe I Forgive You
Mishka Lavigne Shorelines
Pamela Mala Sinha New

Multiple winners and nominees

[edit]

2 Wins

[edit]
  • Catherine Banks
  • John Mighton
  • Colleen Murphy
  • Morris Panych
  • Sharon Pollock
  • Jordan Tannahill
  • Judith Thompson
  • George F. Walker

6 Nominations

[edit]
  • Judith Thompson (2 wins)

5 Nominations

[edit]
  • Robert Chafe (1 win)
  • Daniel MacIvor (1 win)
  • Jason Sherman (1 win)

4 Nominations

[edit]
  • Wendy Lill
  • Michael Healey (1 win)
  • John Mighton (2 wins)
  • Jordan Tannahill (2 wins)
  • George F. Walker (2 wins)

3 Nominations

[edit]
  • Joan MacLeod (1 win)
  • Hannah Moscovitch (1 win)
  • Colleen Murphy (2 wins)
  • Morris Panych (2 wins)
  • Sharon Pollock (2 wins)
  • Donna-Michelle St. Bernard

2 Nominations

[edit]
  • Catherine Banks (2 wins)
  • Daniel Brooks (both with cowriters)
  • Marjorie Chan
  • Anna Chatterton (consecutive, 1 with cowriters)
  • Marie Clements
  • Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman
  • Don Druick
  • Brad Fraser
  • Linda Griffiths
  • Tomson Highway (consecutive)
  • Karen Hines
  • Maureen Hunter
  • Anosh Irani
  • Lawrence Jeffrey
  • Hiro Kanagawa (1 win)
  • John Krizanc (1 win)
  • Kevin Loring (1 win)
  • Bryden MacDonald
  • Michael MacLennon (consecutive)
  • Richard Sanger
  • Erin Shields (1 win)
  • Vern Thiessen (1 win)
  • Guillermo Verdecchia (consecutive, 1 win)
  • David Yee (1 win)
  • David Young

Drew Hayden Taylor and Anosh Irani have also both been nominated for the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction.

James Reaney won the award three times before Poetry and Drama were split in 1981 into separate categories.

Mishka Lavigne is the first person to be nominated for both the English and French language awards for Drama.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Plays at the G-Gs: better late than never". The Globe and Mail, October 22, 2005.
  2. ^ "Governor General's literary awards announced". Ottawa Citizen, May 18, 1982.
  3. ^ Brian Brennan, "Sharon Pollock delighted; David Cassidy plays West". Calgary Herald, May 18, 1982.
  4. ^ Sheila Robertson, "Author's first novel started at age 11". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, July 16, 1983.
  5. ^ "B.C. authors considered for awards". The Province, May 26, 1983.
  6. ^ "CanLit fiction's leading award goes to the Dog". The Globe and Mail, June 21, 1984.
  7. ^ "Governor-General's Awards 22 authors named finalists". The Globe and Mail, May 19, 1984.
  8. ^ Rod Currie, "Former Kingstonian Judith Thompson wins Governor General's Award". Kingston Whig-Standard, June 7, 1985.
  9. ^ James Adams, "Local writers nominated for award". Edmonton Journal, May 16, 1985.
  10. ^ "Margaret Atwood lifts second Governor General's award". Edmonton Journal, June 4, 1986.
  11. ^ "Literary prize nominees named". Red Deer Advocate, May 13, 1986.
  12. ^ Lisa Rochon, "Yvon Rivard honored for French-language fiction: Munro wins top literary prize". The Globe and Mail, May 28, 1987.
  13. ^ "Awards finalists announced". The Globe and Mail, May 1, 1987.
  14. ^ "Literary awards held at Calgary festival". Regina Leader-Post, February 13, 1988.
  15. ^ "Victoria's Gurr, Page nominated for book awards". Vancouver Sun, January 13, 1988.
  16. ^ "New Brunswick writer wins national race for top literary prize". The Globe and Mail, March 4, 1989.
  17. ^ "Atwood, Berton top lists as nominees announced for national literary awards". Montreal Gazette, February 1, 1989.
  18. ^ "Governor General's awards announced". North Bay Nugget, March 10, 1990.
  19. ^ "Three B.C. writers in running for awards". Vancouver Sun, February 7, 1990.
  20. ^ Philip Marchand, "Toronto's Nino Ricci wins top book prize". Toronto Star, January 23, 1991.
  21. ^ "Prominent names among nominees". Windsor Star, November 17, 1990.
  22. ^ "First novel earns top literary honor". Windsor Star, December 4, 1991.
  23. ^ "Atwood leads G-G Award nominees". Hamilton Spectator, November 9, 1991.
  24. ^ Mark Abley, "Ondaatje wins Governor-General's Award, denounces GST in speech". Montreal Gazette, December 2, 1992.
  25. ^ Jamie Portman, "Three from Ottawa area among finalists". Ottawa Citizen, November 6, 1992.
  26. ^ "This time, Stone Diaries on top: Governor General's award atones for loss in Booker". Windsor Star, November 17, 1993.
  27. ^ "Shields in running for Governor General Award; Nomination comes just after Booker Prize loss". Halifax Daily News, October 29, 1993.
  28. ^ John Geddes, "Wiebe wins Canada's heart with love of history". Financial Post, November 19, 1994.
  29. ^ Conway Daly, "Munro, Atwood lead familiar names in race for Governor General's award". Kingston Whig-Standard, October 28, 1994.
  30. ^ "Writer's Roaring success: Greg Hollingshead wins Governor-General's Award for fiction". Vancouver Sun, November 15, 1995.
  31. ^ "68 finalists for literary awards". Vancouver Sun, October 27, 1995.
  32. ^ Philip Marchand, "Vanderhaeghe wins second fiction prize". Toronto Star, November 13, 1996.
  33. ^ Judy Stoffman, "It's Atwood ahead again in book race". Toronto Star, October 18, 1996.
  34. ^ Robert Reid, "Jane Urquhart wins Governor General's Award for fiction". Waterloo Region Record, November 19, 1997.
  35. ^ Paul Gessell, "Urquhart, Hay nominated for Governor General's prize". St. Catharines Standard, October 23, 1997.
  36. ^ Anne-Marie Tobin, "Kingston author savours literary award". Kingston Whig-Standard, November 18, 1998.
  37. ^ "Montrealers deluge list of nominees". Montreal Gazette, October 21, 1998.
  38. ^ "Matt Cohen, Marq de Villiers win GG literary awards". The Western Star, November 17, 1999.
  39. ^ "Governor General's Award nominees: Clarkson hands them out Nov. 16". Moose Jaw Times-Herald, October 24, 1999.
  40. ^ "Governor General's Awards handed out". Barrie Examiner, November 15, 2000.
  41. ^ Anne-Marie Tobin, "Atwood, Ondaatje, among nominees for Governor General's awards". Prince Albert Daily Herald, October 26, 2000.
  42. ^ "Governor General's award follows on top of the Giller: Novelist Richard Wright has good week". Prince George Citizen, November 15, 2001.
  43. ^ "Urquhart, Wright get GG award nominations". The Telegram, October 24, 2001.
  44. ^ Diane Menzies, "Gloria Sawai, 70, wins Gov. Gen.'s literary award". Welland Tribune, November 13, 2002.
  45. ^ "Shields, Johnston lead fiction list for GG awards". Timmins Daily Press, October 22, 2002.
  46. ^ "Douglas Glover wins Gov. Gen.'s Literary Award for English fiction: Canadian living in New York State won prize for Elle, a fictionalized account of Gulf of St. Lawrence castaway". Cape Breton Post, November 13, 2003.
  47. ^ Anne-Marie Tobin, "Stellar year for Atwood: Writer makes short list for Gov-Gen's fiction award". Brantford Expositor, October 25, 2003.
  48. ^ "Dallaire, Toews among award winners". Sudbury Star, November 17, 2004.
  49. ^ "Governor General award nominee 'hugely relieved' with book reviews". Guelph Mercury, November 13, 2004.
  50. ^ "Gilmour wins fiction prize". Prince George Citizen, November 15, 2005.
  51. ^ Vanessa Farquharson, "The 2005 G-G nominees: all killer, no Giller: Literary awards". National Post, October 18, 2005.
  52. ^ "First-time author beats out experienced peers". Nanaimo Daily News, November 22, 2006.
  53. ^ "Cole, Gaston among nominees for Governor General's awards". Whitehorse Star, October 16, 2006.
  54. ^ "Michael Ondaatje wins again". North Bay Nugget, November 28, 2007.
  55. ^ Cassandra Szklarski, "Ondaatje and Vassanji among literary stars on Governor General's short list; Books Notable literary heavyweights include Margaret Atwood, David Chariandy, Barbara Gowdy and Heather O'Neill". The Daily Gleaner, October 17, 2007.
  56. ^ Paul Gessell, "Ricci repeats as GG Literary Award winner". Ottawa Citizen, November 19, 2008.
  57. ^ "Hage, Ricci finalists for literary prize". Waterloo Region Record, October 22, 2008.
  58. ^ Pat Donnelly and Kathryn Greenaway, "A fiction win via a Yukon copper mine; Kate Pullinger wins Governor General's Award". National Post, November 18, 2009.
  59. ^ Adrian Chamberlain, "Bookstore clerk's first offering vies with Alice Munro for top prize". Victoria Times-Colonist, October 15, 2009.
  60. ^ Mark Medley, "Cool Water wins GG award for fiction; Dianne Warren beat out Room, among others". National Post, November 17, 2010.
  61. ^ "GG lit-award finalists include Emma Donoghue, Kathleen Winter". Alaska Highway News, October 14, 2010.
  62. ^ "Literary gold rush: Patrick deWitt's 'Sisters Brothers' wins Gov-Gen prize". Whitehorse Star, November 15, 2011.
  63. ^ Mark Medley, "Literary hat tricks; G-G Awards; Two authors make three fiction prize lists". National Post, October 12, 2011.
  64. ^ Greg Quill, "Spalding's slave tale gets GG fiction nod: Toronto writer also nominated for Writers' Trust Prize". Toronto Star, November 14, 2012.
  65. ^ Paul Irish, "Vincent Lam on Governor General's short list". Toronto Star, October 3, 2012.
  66. ^ "Eleanor Catton wins Governor General’s Literary Award for The Luminaries". Toronto Star, November 13, 2013.
  67. ^ "Governor General Literary Award finalists announced". Vancouver Sun, October 2, 2013.
  68. ^ Medley, Mark (2014-11-18). "Thomas King wins Governor-General's Award for fiction". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  69. ^ "Thomas, Chafe on shortlists for Governor General's awards". Winnipeg Free Press, October 7, 2014.
  70. ^ Cam Fuller, "Modest Vanderhaeghe joins exclusive company with third GG win". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, October 29, 2015.
  71. ^ "Guelph author shortlisted for Governor General's Literary Award". Guelph Tribune, October 8, 2015.
  72. ^ "Madeline Thien wins Governor-General’s award for English fiction". The Globe and Mail, October 25, 2016.
  73. ^ Ian McGillis, "Thien makes short list for third time; Adds GG nod to Booker, Giller nominations". Sarnia Observer, October 5, 2016.
  74. ^ "Governor General Literary Awards announced: Joel Thomas Hynes wins top English fiction prize". CBC News, November 1, 2017.
  75. ^ "Winter, Hynes up for Governor General's Award". Halifax Chronicle-Herald, October 7, 2017.
  76. ^ "Here are the winners of the 2018 Governor General's Literary Awards". CBC Books, November 9, 2018.
  77. ^ "Hage, Toews among finalists for Governor General's Literary Awards". Peterborough Examiner, October 4, 2018.
  78. ^ Jane van Koeverden, "Here are the winners of the 2019 Governor General's Literary Awards". CBC Books, October 29, 2019.
  79. ^ "Literary finalists named; 70 books vie for $450,000 in prizes at 2019 Governor General's awards". Windsor Star, October 7, 2019.
  80. ^ "Michelle Good says celebrating fiction win feels 'petty and selfish' after residential school discovery". CTV News, June 1, 2021.
  81. ^ "Francesca Ekwuyasi, Billy-Ray Belcourt & Anne Carson among 2020 Governor General's Literary Awards finalists". CBC Books, May 4, 2021.
  82. ^ "Inuk author Norma Dunning wins $25K Governor General's fiction prize" Archived 2021-11-17 at the Wayback Machine. Coast Reporter, November 17, 2021.
  83. ^ "Rachel Cusk among fiction finalists for Governor General’s Literary Awards". Toronto Star, October 14, 2021.
  84. ^ Deborah Dundas, "Sheila Heti, Eli Baxter win 2022 Governor General’s Literary Awards for fiction and non-fiction". Toronto Star, November 16, 2022.
  85. ^ "The finalists for the 2022 Governor General's Literary Award for drama". CBC Books, October 12, 2022.
  86. ^ "Anuja Varghese wins Governor General's literary award for fiction". Toronto Star, November 8, 2023.
  87. ^ "Suzette Mayr, Iain Reid among finalists for $25K Governor General's Literary Awards". CBC Books, October 25, 2023.
  88. ^ Cassandra Drudi, "Canisia Lubrin, Danny Ramadan among 2024 Governor General’s Literary Award finalists". Quill & Quire, October 8, 2024.
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