National award is ‘pretty big’: singer
The Governor General honours artistic achievements by Canadians
Pop duo Tegan and Sara, classical pianist Angela Hewitt and folksinger Murray McLauchlan are among this year’s laureates named to the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards in recognition of their outstanding achievement in the arts.
“When they called me, I had to pour myself a single malt and sit down,” said McLauchlan, describing his reaction when he learned of the award. “I really didn’t expect it. It’s a thing where you feel you’re being recognized for the art. It’s not an industry kind of thing. The feeling of being honoured by your country for what you do is pretty big.”
Also on the list of lifetime achievement winners announced Thursday are behind-the-scenes operators such as comedy impresario Andrew Alexander and the National Arts Centre’s outgoing boss, Peter Herrndorf, who will receive a special award in recognition of his long career as an arts advocate and leader.
For Herrndorf, the award marks a full-circle moment: He was one of the people to propose the idea of a national performing-arts awards program to then- Gov. Gen. Ramon Hnatyshyn in 1992.
“There were several goals,” Herrndorf said. “One was to bring prestige and honour to artists who were doing exceptional work but may not have been as recognized as they needed to be. Another was to make sure that francophone artists became much better known in English-speaking Canada, and English-speaking artists became known in French- speaking Canada.”
Over the years, Herrndorf has spoken with many of the more than 200 artists whose work has been rewarded with a GGPA award. “In every case they tell me how moved and honoured they are,” he said. “I’m surprised to find myself in the same situation, deeply honoured and moved.”
During his 19 years at the helm of the NAC, Herrndorf is credited with transforming North America’s only multidisciplinary, bilingual performing arts centre into an artistically vibrant and financially viable entity. He also oversaw the recent $225.4-million architectural rejuvenation of the institution, and describes his tenure as one of the “greatest joys” of his professional life.
Rounding out the lifetimeachievement winners are Quebecborn actress Geneviève Bujold, who’s been lighting up Hollywood screens since the 1960s, and choreographer Ginette Laurin, founder of the Montreal dance company O Vertigo.
Meanwhile, recipients of two complementary awards were also announced. Tegan and Sara will receive the NAC Award, which recognizes “work of an extraordinary nature” in the past performance year, while longtime Quebec arts supporter Florence Junca Adenot is honoured with the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts.
The laureates will be feted at a black-tie gala to be held at the NAC on June 2, which marks Herrndorf ’s final day at the NAC.