For more the 30 years, the ArtsNL Arts Awards (formerly the NLAC Awards) have celebrated all disciplines of arts in the province, and those who help foster the industry.  of the arts in Newfoundland and Labrador. Awards and honours are presented in six categories:

Memorial University Arts in Education 2015
This award recognizes an artist who has made an outstanding contribution to arts in education in Newfoundland and Labrador over a number of years. The finalists are:

  • Tara Manuel
  • Fergus O’Byrne
  • Anita Singh

 Cox & Palmer Arts Achievement 2015
This award recognizes a practicing artist who has made an outstanding contribution to the cultural life of Newfoundland and Labrador over a number of years. The finalists are:

  • Michael Crummey
  • Shirley Montague

CBC Emerging Artist 2015
This award recognizes new and undisputed talent. It is awarded to an emerging artist, group, or arts organization that has earned significant recognition for a piece of work or a generally out-sized impact on the scene. The finalists are:

  • Megan Gail Coles
  • Latonia Hartery
  • Alison White

BMO Bank of Montreal Artist of the Year 2015
This award recognizes the art or activity of a person, group, or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to the cultural life of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2015.

  • Mark Critch
  • Danielle Irvine
  • Phillipa Jones

ArtsNL Hall of Honour
Also announced today was the 2016 inductee into the ArtsNL Hall of Honour. This award recognizes a person, group, or organization that has made a distinguished lifetime contribution to the cultural life of Newfoundland and Labrador. The inductee for 2016 is Jim Payne.

Patron of the Arts
In addition to the above awards, ArtsNL also announced this year’s Patron of the Arts, Stewart McKelvey. This award, given to a person, business, or organization, recognizes an ongoing commitment to the arts in Newfoundland and Labrador through innovative, community, or sustained support of artistic activity.

Artwork and Prizes
Each year, the ArtsNL award winners also receive a piece of artwork from a local artist. This year’s lucky winners will receive a piece created by visual artist Mike Gough. Gough has created a custom series of paintings called At Night for the awards this year. The series is a set of nocturnal paintings designed to explore relationship between land, sky, and water, It was inspired by the idea that islanders always feel the ‘pull of the island’ while away. Each piece in the series is 20” x 20” on cradled birch panel done in acrylic, pastel, and graphite with gold leaf accents.

 The 31st ArtsNL Arts Awards will take place 7:30pm Saturday, May 28, 2016 at the Arts and Culture Centre in Stephenville, NL.