Canada Council for the Arts Molson Prizes
Two Canada Council for the Arts Molson Prizes, in the amount of $50,000 each, are awarded annually to distinguished individuals (one in the arts and one in the social sciences and humanities). The prizes are intended to encourage continuing contributions to the cultural and intellectual heritage of Canada.
The prizes are funded by an endowment from the Molson Foundation, and they are administered by the Canada Council for the Arts in cooperation with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). The laureates are chosen by a peer assessment committee, which is appointed jointly by the Canada Council and the SSHRC.
Eligibility
Candidates may not apply for a Canada Council for the Arts Molson Prize: they must be nominated.
Eligible Nominators
Candidates must be nominated by one nominator; either an individual or an organization. Anyone or any organization with an interest in, and capacity for, nominating appropriate individuals is eligible to do so.
Eligible Candidates
Molson prizes cannot be awarded posthumously. Candidates must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, as defined by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
To be nominated, candidates must have made a substantial and distinguished contribution over a significant period. In the words of the deed of the gift, the prizes are intended “to encourage Canadians of outstanding achievement in the fields of the Arts, the Humanities or the Social Sciences to make further contribution to the cultural or intellectual heritage of Canada....”
These terms of reference are interpreted as follows:
- candidates must have clearly demonstrated “outstanding achievement” in order to be nominated, and
- “further contribution” indicates that the candidates should still be very active and productive.
In other words, the prize is not intended as an “end of service” reward or as recognition for one great accomplishment. Past assessment committees have been quite consistent in choosing laureates who are close to the top of an outstanding career.
The prizes are accessible to Aboriginal people and those from diverse cultural and regional communities who meet the eligibility requirements.
Ineligible Candidates
These prizes are for individuals: corporations and other organizations are not eligible for consideration.
Members of the board of the Canada Council for the Arts or the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada are not eligible during their term as board members, and for six months following the end of their term.
A candidate is not eligible for the prize if either the candidate or the nominator has failed to submit a final report or financial accounting for a previous Canada Council grant or prize.
If a support letter is authored by an individual who has failed to submit a final report or financial accounting for a previous Canada Council grant or prize, the letter will not be forwarded to the jury.
No individual may be awarded the prize more than once.
Nomination Deadline
1 December 2009
Nominations and all required support documentation (including letters of support) must be postmarked before or on the deadline date. If this date falls on a weekend or statutory holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.
The Canada Council will not accept late nominations or nominations submitted by fax or email. Submissions that are missing any of the required support documentation or that do not meet the requirements will not be accepted.
Nomination Process
Nominators are responsible for gathering the relevant documentation, including support letters, and sending it to the Canada Council. All nominations, whether for individuals in the arts or the social sciences and humanities, must be sent to the Canada Council for the Arts.
Further Information
Further information about the Canada Council for the Arts Molson Prizes can be obtained from Luisa Guglielmo, Program Officer, Endowments and Prizes. General information about prizes and awards is available on the Canada Council website.
Canada Council for the Arts
P.O. Box 1047, 350 Albert Street
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
Telephone: 1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or 613-566-4414, ext. 4116 or 4086
TTY: 1-866-585-5559
Fax: 613-566-4430
September 2009