Toronto Arts Foundation is seeking nominations for eight awards! The awards spotlight and celebrate artists, arts organizations and individuals – from emerging artists to established cultural leaders – who make Toronto better through the arts. Toronto Arts Foundation Awards are presented to artists, cultural leaders and businesses in recognition of artistic excellence, cultural leadership and contribution to the arts. Learn more about each award below and nominate someone today!
Nominations for all the awards listed below close on November 25, 2024
Arts for Youth Award: Celebrating youth engagement through the arts!A $20,000 cash prize, with finalists receiving $2,000 each. The award celebrates an individual, collective or organization that has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to engaging Toronto’s youth through the arts. Click here to read the full eligibility guidelines!
Breakthrough Artist Award: A $10,000 cash prize, with finalists receiving $2,000 each. The award celebrates the accomplishments and future potential of an emerging Toronto artist working in any discipline, and is intended to support the development or completion of new work. Established in 2006 as the Emerging Artist Award, it was renamed the Breakthrough Artist Award in 2021 and the age restriction for finalists was removed. Learn more here!
Breakthrough Jazz Artist Award: A $10,000 cash prize with finalists receiving $2,000 each. The award celebrates either an outstanding Toronto-based jazz artist with two to seven years of experience in the field, or an artist who previously devoted their career to supporting other artists and are now able to focus on their own solo work. The intention of this award is to further the career of a breakthrough jazz artist. Examples of how this award could support career advancement include, but are not limited to professional development, projects, or marketing/promotion. Established in 2014 as the Emerging Jazz Artist Award, it was renamed the Breakthrough Jazz Artist Award in 2024 and the age restriction was eliminated in recognition that many artists embark on their jazz career at various points in their life. Read the full eligibility guidelines here!
Che Kothari Artist & Instigator Award: A $10,000 cash prize, with finalists receiving $1,000 each. The award supports and encourages a young BIPOC artist who is recognized for their artistic contributions and is making positive change through cultural leadership. Whether through starting a movement, creating an arts hub, collective, or organization, or through mentorship, events, or other creative activities, the recipient of the award must make an impact on people and/or the community through the arts beyond their artistic practice. Artists aged 18-35 working in any artistic discipline are eligible to receive the award. Learn more here!
Community Arts Award: A $10,000 cash prize, with finalists receiving $1,000 each. The award celebrates an individual artist or arts organization or collective that has made a significant contribution in Toronto by working with, in and for communities, while increasing access to arts and culture. Established in 2013 as the Diversity Award, it was renamed the Community Arts Award in 2018. Award eligibility rotates from individuals to organizations or collectives in alternating prize years. In 2025, the award will be presented to an organization or a collective. Click here to read the full eligibility criteria!
Indigenous Artist Award: A $20,000 cash prize which celebrates an Indigenous artist or artist collective that has made a recognized contribution to the creative cultural life of Toronto. In addition, the recipient selects an artist mentor/Elder or mentee/protégée to receive $5,000. In addition to the prize money, the 2025 recipient will receive a complimentary week long stay at Valleyview Artist Retreat. Learn more here!
Newcomer Artist Award: Provides micro-awards of $2,500 to six newcomer (immigrant and refugee) artists. The award aids the integration of newcomer artists into Toronto and Canada by supporting their artistic careers. Newcomer artists living across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and working in a range of disciplines are eligible for the award.The award is part of the Foundation’s Newcomer Spotlight Program. Read the full eligibility criteria here!
Margo Bindhardt and Rita Davies Award: A $10,000 cash prize, with finalists receiving $1,000. The award celebrates an individual artist, creator, volunteer or administrator who has demonstrated creative cultural leadership in the development of arts and culture in Toronto. Click here to learn more about the award!