Awards & Tributes
Arts Awards Recipients
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Arts Awards
2025 Arts Awards Nominations
Nominate local artists, arts community leaders and arts champions for a 2025 Arts Award! Nominees are considered based on their work, impact on their field and contributions to the arts community in Hamilton.
Nomination deadline December 9, 2024
Review the
2024 Award Recipients
One Lifetime Achievement Award is conferred annually to recognize living artists or arts managers who have contributed substantially to the artistic vitality of the city over the course of a career, and have inspired others through their leadership, creativity and artistic excellence. These individuals’ experience and impact may be local, national or international in scope.
Astrid Hepner
Astrid Hepner, a seasoned performer, educator, and music executive, relocated from New York City to Hamilton in 2005. As Founder/CEO of the Hamilton Music Collective, she's shaped the city's cultural landscape. Notably, her leadership introduced the acclaimed program "An Instrument For Every Child," offering over $2.4 million worth of music lessons to 9000+ children since 2008.
The Creator Awards recognize living artists or artistic collectives working in any artistic discipline and at any career level. A minimum of eight Creator Awards will be given each year to recognize artistic excellence and / or innovation that contributes to artistic growth in the city, progresses the artform and expresses the cultural vitality and diversity of Hamilton’s art scene.
Aeris Körper Contemporary Dance
Aeris Körper is a professional dance company that creates, presents, and facilitates dance that explores, questions, reflects and reveals connections across race, gender, sexuality, age, identity, ability and experience. Since 2014, Aeris Körper has been presenting thought-provoking live choreographic works, hosting community platforms, and leading accessible movement workshops.
Steacy Easton
Steacy Easton is a writer and visual artist, originally from Edmonton, who has lived in Hamilton for more than seven years. They have written on gender, sexuality, and country music for publications including Slate, NPR, and the Atlantic Online. Upcoming books include Why Tammy Wynette Matters for University of Texas, a 33 ⅓Volume for Bloomsbury on Dolly’s White Limozeen, and a queer antimemoir of the west for Coach House. They were the 2022 Martha Street Artist Residence in Winnipeg.
Birdie Gerhl
Birdie Gerhl is an emerging multidisciplinary artist who makes things for weirdos who want to touch art. She creates interactive, multisensory installations combining drawing, video, textile, and zine projects that evolve over time and invite us to locate disability and difference not in our bodies, but in our relationships.
Alex Jacobs-Blum
Alex Jacobs-Blum is a Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ (Cayuga) and German visual artist and curator based in Hamilton, ON. Her research focuses on Indigenous futurities and accessing embodied Ancestral Hodinöhsö:ni' knowledge. The core of her practice and methodology is a strong foundation in community building, fostering relationships, empowering youth, and Indigenizing institutional spaces.
Kyle Joedicke
Kyle Joedicke is a self-taught Cayuga Woodland artist whose work conveys the stories of his Haudenosaunee cultural heritage. His work reflects the indigenous presence in the city and blends contemporary art forms with the traditional knowledge of his background.
Gordon Leverton
A self-taught artist, Gordon Leverton's love of the urban environment has informed his painting practice, placing landscape and architectural design at the forefront. His portrayal of the city’s architectural elements rendered with flattened perspective, bright colours, and strong play of light and shadow has become his signature style.
Lesley Loksi Chan
Lesley Loksi Chan has contributed to many arts organizations across Hamilton through her leadership and programming of artist-driven projects and events including exhibitions, workshops, residencies, artist talks, symposia and media productions. With a background in anthropology and filmmaking, she highlights diverse, experimental and collaborative practices in contemporary art and culture.
Monday Press
Monday Press is a collective of writers, artists, and book nerds with a mission to create exciting literary events within the Hamilton community. Through nurturing under-represented and emerging talent, Monday has created a platform that fosters dynamism between writers and other collaborators, providing opportunities to reach a broader audience.
Mr. Ben
A seasoned horn player turned children's musician, Mr. Ben has been delighting young audiences since 2011. His high-energy interactive live shows and family classes engage children and grown-ups alike. Praised by Fred Penner and Grammy nominee Justin Roberts, his seven albums blend musical styles with a fresh and unique approach.
Up to four Arts Champion Awards may be conferred annually to living individuals who are outstanding supporters of the arts in Hamilton as volunteers, advocates, or board members. This is a non-monetary award and recipients will be given a special gift of recognition. This award is open to students and youth over 14 years old.
Noelle Allen
Noelle Allen is the publisher of Wolsak and Wynn, a small press on James Street North. She is the organizer for Sharp Words: Hamilton’s Winter Book Fair and works with Supercrawl to program the author talks. She is the past-chair of gritLIT and has long contributed to the literary community.
Light Lounge (Carmella Dolmer & Trina Hetherington)
Carmella and Trina are writers, artists, and dear friends. As creators and co-hosts of a grassroots open-mic series named Light Lounge, they have created a safe space for both new and experienced readers to share in the magic of collective vulnerability.
Melanin Market (Khadija Hamidu)
Khadija Hamidu is the founder and creator of Melanin Market, a community artist page that promotes and champions a diverse group of melanated artist of all disciplines in the Hamilton region. As a leader in community and economic development in the city, Khadija spotlights and celebrates diversity in the arts.
Ken Wallis
Ken Wallis is the volunteer host of the syndicated radio show BluesSource Canada for 12 years on Mohawk’s INDI 101.5 FM and on the Sound Café global podcast. Ken writes for Hamilton City Magazine, the Sound Café Magazine, and is President of the local music incentive, The Escarpment Blues Society.
Arts Awards Selection Process
The Arts Awards are a joint effort amongst many, and we thank those who have contributed to this year’s program, including the nominees, nominators, sector review panel and jurors. The selection process for the 2024 Arts Awards was divided into 2 phases:
Phase 1 Arts Sector Review Panel
An Arts Sector Review Panel reviewed and ranked the Long List of nomination statements of support submitted by the public. These rankings were used to create the Short List.
Phase 2 Final Arts Awards Jury Adjudication
The Final Arts Awards Jury adjudicated the Short List’s full nomination packages to select the Arts Champion, Lifetime Achievement and Creator Award recipients through a consensus-based discussion process.
Read the 2024 Final Jury Reports detailing the jury’s discussion and decisions:
2024 Arts Sector Review Panel
- Alex MacLean
- Alma Sarai
- Amanda Rataj
- Andrew Scheglov
- Annie Shaw
- Anran Guo
- Ben Robinson
- Bernadette Connors
- Chris de Takacsy
- Clara Laratta
- Franny McCabe-Bennett
- Garrett Lajoie
- Heryka Miranda
- Jessica Rodriguez
- Joe Ollmann
- Jolie Phuong Hoang
- Jordan Delfs
- Judy Anderson
- Kevin Patrick Robbins
- Lynne Bebe
- Nancy Benoy
- Ron Eady
- Sumona Roy
2024 Arts Awards Final Jury
- Donna Akrey
- Stephen Altena
- Adam Bentley
- Trevor Copp
- Melanie Gillis
- Dayna Gedney
- Rose Hopkins
- Dayna Gedney
- Rose Hopkins
- Gary Joseph
- Laurie Kilgour-Walsh
- Gary Joseph
- Laurie Kilgour-Walsh
- Colin Lapsley
- Matthew MacFadzean
- Bernadette Rule
- Anuja Varghese
- Jessica Vinluan
Review the
Historical Award Recipients
From 1976 to 2000 only one artist was awarded per year, and there were no awards 2001, 2002, 2003, 2009 and 2010.
| Artist | Award |
|---|---|
| Judith Sandiford and Ron Weihs | Lifetime Achievement Award |
| Angela DeMontigny | Creator Award |
| Anuja Varghese | Creator Award |
| David Collier | Creator Award |
| Deepti Gupta | Creator Award |
| Hamilton Youth Steel Orchestra (HYSO) | Creator Award |
| Kareem–Anthony Ferreira | Creator Award |
| Nathan Eugene Carson | Creator Award |
| Open Heart Arts Theatre | Creator Award |
| Sarah Sproule | Creator Award |
| Chris Pannell | Arts Champion Award |
| Helen Graham | Arts Champion Award |
| Jessica Vinluan | Arts Champion Award |
| Luis Pereira | Arts Champion Award |
| Artist | Award |
|---|---|
| Harrison Kennedy | Lifetime Achievement |
| Donna-Michelle St. Bernard | Creator Award |
| Emma Smith | Creator Award |
| Jaclyn Desforges | Creator Award |
| Joe Ollman | Creator Award |
| Kristina Durka | Creator Award |
| Marla Panko | Creator Award |
| Santee Smith | Creator Award |
| Terrance Odette | Creator Award |
| Yuma Hester | Creator Award |
| Art to Go Podcast (Nancy Benoy, Cornelia Peckart) | Arts Champion Award |
| David Beresford | Arts Champion Award |
| Jamie Smith | Arts Champion Award |
| Alex MacLean | Shirley Elford Emerging Artist Commission Prize Presented by the Shirley Elford Fund at the Hamilton Community Foundation |
| Tania LaCaria | Shirley Elford Emerging Artist Commission Prize Presented by the Shirley Elford Fund at the Hamilton Community Foundation |
| Artist | Award |
|---|---|
| Tom Wilson | Lifetime Achievement |
| Jordi Alfaro | Creator Award |
| Karen Ancheta | Creator Award |
| Olivia Brouwer | Creator Award |
| Daniel Edmonds | Creator Award |
| Jennifer Gillies | Creator Award |
| Andrew McPhail | Creator Award |
| Leon Robinson | Creator Award |
| Jim Ruxton | Creator Award |
| stylo starr | Creator Award |
| Erica Commisso | Arts Champion Award |
| Bradley Henry | Arts Champion Award |
| Judy Marsales | Arts Champion Award |
| Nancy McKibbin Gray | Arts Champion Award |
| Fareh Malik | Shirley Elford Emerging Artist Commission Prize Presented by the Shirley Elford Fund at the Hamilton Community Foundation |
| Dylan Vandemaele | Shirley Elford Emerging Artist Commission Prize Presented by the Shirley Elford Fund at the Hamilton Community Foundation |
| Artist | Award |
|---|---|
| Susan Evans Shaw | Lifetime Achievement |
| Radha S. Menon | Arts Innovation |
| Jasmin Glaw | Shirley Elford Emerging Artist Prize - Arts Education and Community Arts Presented by the Shirley Elford Fund at the Hamilton Community Foundation |
| Abedar Kamgari | Arts Management (Established) |
| Mashal Khan | Arts Management (Emerging) |
| Josh Taylor | Dance & Performing Arts (Established) |
| Janessa Pudwell | Dance & Performaing Arts (Emerging) |
| Andrew Kellner | Fine Craft (Established) |
| Angela Busse | Fine Craft (Emerging) |
| Cher Obediah | Media Arts (Established) |
| Andréa Williams | Media Arts (Emerging) |
| Abigail Richardson-Schulte | Music (Established) |
| Liam Ritz | Music (Emerging) |
| Kelly Wolf | Theatre (Established) |
| Carlyn Rhamey | Theatre (Emerging) |
| Matt McInnes | Visual Arts (Established) |
| Michael Schnittker | Visual Arts (Emerging) |
| Anne Bokma | Writing (Established) |
| Jaclyn Desforges | Writing (Emerging) |
| Artist | Award |
|---|---|
| Bob Doidge | Lifetime Achievement |
| Briana Palmer | Arts Innovation |
| Aaron Hutchinson | Shirley Elford Emerging Artist Prize - Music Presented by the Shirley Elford Fund at the Hamilton Community Foundation |
| Sue Crowe Connolly | Arts Education and Community Arts (Established) |
| Hanna Bech Mathieson | Arts Education and Community Arts (Emerging) |
| Stephen Near | Arts Management (Established) |
| Jo Johnson | Arts Management (Emerging) |
| Jay Jillard | Fine Craft (Established) |
| Jonny Aplin | Fine Craft (Emerging) |
| Taien Ng-Chan | Media Arts (Established) |
| Sonali Menezes | Media Arts (Emerging) |
| Amy King | Music (Established) |
| Alex Whorms | Music (Emerging) |
| Trevor Copp | Theatre (Established) |
| Jesse Horvath | Theatre (Emerging) |
| Carmela Laganse | Visual Arts (Established) |
| Kiera Boult | Visual Arts (Emerging) |
| Artist | Award |
|---|---|
| Kosha Braun | Lifetime Achievement |
| Astrid Hepner | Arts Innovation |
| Jeff “Fuzzy” Mall | Shirley Elford Emerging Artist Prize - Fine Craft Presented by the Shirley Elford Fund at the Hamilton Community Foundation |
| Becky Katz | Arts Education and Community Arts (Established) |
| Christina Tarsitano | Arts Education and Community Arts (Emerging) |
| Becca Dowden | Arts Management (Established) |
| Christina Tarsitano | Arts Management (Emerging) |
| Hitoko Okada | Fine Craft (Established) |
| Amina Z. Suhrwardy | Fine Craft (Emerging) |
| Vanessa Crosbie Ramsay | Media Arts (Established) |
| Dima Matar | Media Arts (Emerging) |
| Harrison Kennedy | Music (Established) |
| Jason Hachey | Music (Emerging) |
| Marilo Nuñez | Theatre (Established) |
| Jenny Vasquez | Theatre (Emerging) |
| Sylvia Nickerson | Visual Arts (Established) |
| Benita Whyte | Visual Arts (Emerging) |
| Jamie Tennant | Writing (Established) |
| Benjamin Robinson | Writing (Emerging) |
| Artist | Award |
|---|---|
| Valerie Tryon | Lifetime Achievement |
| Claire Calnan | Arts Innovation |
| Melania Pawliw | Arts Education and Community Arts (Established) |
| Masami Clarke | Arts Education and Community Arts (Emerging) |
| Paul Lisson | Arts Management (Established) |
| Ryan Ferguson | Arts Management (Emerging) |
| Lori Le Mare | Dance & Performing Arts (Established) |
| Pamela Gardner | Dance & Performaing Arts (Emerging) |
| Duncan Aird | Fine Craft (Established) |
| Emma Smith | Fine Craft (Emerging) |
| Dan Zen | Media Arts (Established) |
| Andrew O'Connor | Media Arts (Emerging) |
| Kirk Starkey | Music (Established) |
| Hanna Bech | Music (Emerging) |
| Anna Chatterton | Theatre (Established) |
| Rex Emerson Jackson | Theatre (Emerging) |
| Donna Akrey | Visual Arts (Established) |
| Margaret Flood | Visual Arts (Emerging) |
| Bernadette Rule | Writing (Established) |
| Richard Van Holst | Writing (Emerging) |
| Artist | Award |
|---|---|
| Scott Barnim | Lifetime Achievement |
| Jody Boston | Arts Innovation |
| Nea Reid | Arts Education and Community Arts (Established) |
| Eddie Lartey | Arts Education and Community Arts (Emerging) |
| Stephanie Vegh | Arts Management (Established) |
| Lesley Loksi Chan | Arts Management (Emerging) |
| Kyle Hytonen | Media Arts (Established) |
| Derek Lukosius | Media Arts (Emerging) |
| Lorraine Roy | Fine Craft (Established) |
| Diana Scholtens | Fine Craft (Emerging) |
| Diana Panton | Music (Established) |
| Troy Witherow | Music (Emerging) |
| Radha S. Menon | Theatre (Established) |
| Rose Hopkins | Theatre (Emerging) |
| C.Wells | Visual Arts (Established) |
| Colin Lyons | Visual Arts (Emerging) |
| John Terpstra | Writing (Established) |
| Marc di Saverio | Writing (Emerging) |
| Artist | Award |
|---|---|
| Bryan Prince | Lifetime Achievement (Established) |
| Dave Tabone | Arts Education (Established) |
| Nancy Vincic | Arts Education (Emerging) |
| Fiona Kinsella | Arts Management (Established) |
| Andrew O'Connor | Arts Management (Emerging) |
| Marco D'Andrea | Media Arts (Established) |
| Amy MacIntosh | Media Arts (Emerging) |
| Learie McNicolls | Dance & Performing Arts (Established) |
| Robin "Zee" Zilberg | Dance & Performaing Arts (Emerging) |
| Bud Roach | Music (Established) |
| Steve McKay | Music (Emerging) |
| Paula Grove | Theatre (Established) |
| Laura Ellis | Theatre (Emerging) |
| Laura Marotta | Visual Arts (Established) |
| Annie Fraser-Smith | Visual Arts (Emerging) |
| Amanda Jernigan (Luke Hathaway) | Writing (Established) |
| Joseph William Frank | Writing (Emerging) |
| Artist | Award |
|---|---|
| Dr. Alvin A. Lee | Lifetime Achievement |
| Emma Rush | Arts Education (Established) |
| Sarah Lawrence | Arts Education (Emerging) |
| Ian Jarvis | Community Arts (Established) |
| Thea Faulds | Community Arts (Emerging) |
| Astrid Hepner | Arts Management (Established) |
| Dejehan Hamilton | Arts Management (Emerging) |
| Tyler Tekatch | Media Arts (Established) |
| Kearon Roy Taylor | Media Arts (Emerging) |
| Lisa Pijuan-Nomura | Dance & Performing Arts (Established) |
| Clifford Myers | Dance & Performaing Arts (Emerging) |
| Tony Clennell | Fine Craft (Established) |
| Christine De Takascy | Fine Craft (Emerging) |
| Lori Yates | Music (Established) |
| Mimi Shaw | Music (Emerging) |
| Peter Lloyd | Theatre (Established) |
| Gregory Cruikshank | Theatre (Emerging) |
| Fiona Kinsella | Visual Arts (Established) |
| Kearon Roy Taylor | Visual Arts (Emerging) |
| Artist | Award |
|---|---|
| J.S. (John) Porter | Lifetime Achievement |
| Victoria Long-Wincza | Arts Education (Established) |
| Tyler Van Holst | Arts Education (Emerging) |
| Yvonne Felix | Community Arts (Established) |
| Leah Walker | Community Arts (Emerging) |
| Arthur Greenblatt | Arts Management (Established) |
| Dave Gould | Dance & Performing Arts (Established) |
| Nicole Christian | Dance & Performaing Arts (Emerging) |
| Catherine Weir | Fine Craft (Established) |
| Greg Voisin | Fine Craft (Emerging) |
| Steve Sinnicks | Music (Established) |
| Sarah Good | Music (Emerging) |
| Brian Morton | Theatre (Established) |
| Crystal Jonasson | Theatre (Emerging) |
| Simon Frank | Visual Arts (Established) |
| Steve Newberry | Visual Arts (Emerging) |
| Gary Barwin | Writing (Established) |
| Amy Kenny | Writing (Emerging) |
| Artist | Award |
| Richard Owen | Lifetime Achievement |
| Matt McInnes | Arts Education (Established) |
| Becky Katz | Arts Education (Emerging) |
| Vitek Wincza | Community Arts (Established) |
| Renee Jackson | Community Arts (Emerging) |
| Emma Rush | Arts Management (Established) |
| Christian Cowsill | Arts Management (Emerging) |
| Nora Hutchinson* | Media Arts (Established) |
| Aaron Hutchinson* | Media Arts (Emerging) |
| Christopher Reid Flock | Fine Craft (Established) |
| Paul Blair Leithwood | Fine Craft (Emerging) |
| Jeffrey McFadden | Music (Established) |
| Sara Traficante | Music (Emerging) |
| Colette Kendall | Theatre (Established) |
| Stephanie Yantsis | Theatre (Emerging) |
| Liss Platt | Visual Arts (Established) |
| Laura Marotta | Visual Arts (Emerging) |
| Adam Getty | Writing (Established) |
| Jennifer Jones | Writing (Emerging) |
*Recipients unrelated
| Artist | Award |
|---|---|
| Kerry J. Schooley | Lifetime Achievement (Established) |
| Dave Kuruc | Lifetime Achievement (Emerging) |
| Jude Johnson | Arts Education (Established) |
| Matt Szpirglas | Arts Education (Emerging) |
| Ingrid Mayrhofer | Community Arts (Established) |
| Paula Krochak | Community Arts (Emerging) |
| Colina Maxwell | Arts Management (Established) |
| Sally Frater | Arts Management (Emerging) |
| Olga Barrios | Dance & Performing Arts (Established) |
| Snjezana Pruginic | Dance & Performaing Arts (Emerging) |
| Tara Lynne Franco | Fine Craft (Established) |
| Siobhan Lynch | Fine Craft (Emerging) |
| Emma Rush | Music (Established) |
| Katie Bulley | Music (Emerging) |
| Jason Dick | Theatre (Established) |
| Matthew Bergen | Theatre (Emerging) |
| Alan Flint | Visual Arts (Established) |
| Paul Antic | Visual Arts (Emerging) |
| Jeffery Donaldson | Writing (Established) |
| Christine Miscione | Writing (Emerging) |
| Year | Artist | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Barbara Milne & Gary Santucci | Lifetime Achievement |
| 2008 | Stephen Newman | Theatre |
| 2008 | Max Ratevossian | Dance & Performing Arts |
| 2008 | John Laing | Music |
| 2008 | Tor Lukasik-Foss | Visual Arts |
| 2007 | Boris Brott | Lifetime Achievement |
| 2007 | John Fanning | Music |
| 2007 | Tom Mackan | Theatre |
| 2007 | Denis McGreal | Visual Arts |
| 2007 | Jeff Seffinga | Writing |
| 2006 | Dani Podetz | Theatre |
| 2006 | Rachael Preston | Writing |
| 2006 | Cheryl Takacs | Visual Arts |
| 2005 | Lois Laxton | Lifetime Achievement |
| 2005 | Paul Anthony Gordon | Dance & Performing Arts |
| 2005 | Tom Wilson | Music |
| 2005 | Robert Gibb | Theatre |
| 2005 | Mary Toplack | Visual Arts |
| 2005 | Clyde Brooks (Klyde Broox) | Writing |
| 2004 | Lou Zamprogna | Lifetime Achievement |
| 2004 | Vitek Wincza | Dance & Performing Arts |
| 2004 | Gary Santucci | Music |
| 2004 | Max Reimer | Theatre |
| 2004 | Conrad Furey | Visual Arts |
| 2004 | Trevor Cole | Writing |
| Year | Artist | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Wesley Bates | Visual Arts |
| 1999 | Pam Norman | Fine Craft |
| 1998 | V. Jane Gordon | Visual Arts |
| 1997 | Paul Lisson | Visual Arts |
| 1996 | Robert Mason | Visual Arts |
| 1995 | Russ Weil | Music |
| 1994 | Bryce Kanbara | Visual Arts |
| 1993 | Jude Johnson | Music |
| 1992 | James Strecker | Writing |
| 1991 | Trevor Hodgson | Visual Arts |
| 1990 | Mike Woods | Music |
| 1989 | Alan Oddy | Visual Arts |
| 1988 | Herb Barrett | Writing |
| 1987 | Stan Rogers | Music |
| 1986 | Pat Dawson | Theatre |
| 1985 | Christine Hamilton | Theatre |
| 1984 | Jackie Washington | Music |
| 1983 | Spencer Dunmore | Writing |
| 1982 | Bill Powell | Visual Arts |
| 1981 | Elsie E. Thomson | Theatre |
| 1980 | Emily Dutton & Marion Farnan | Visual Arts |
| 1979 | Archibald C.R. Mullock | Theatre |
| 1978 | Glenn A. Mallory | Music |
| 1977 | Thomas Reid MacDonald | Visual Arts |
| 1976 | Jessie L. Beattie | Writing |
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