Orchestras Canada Betty Webster Award
Learn about past award winners here: Yvonne DeRoller (2025) | Heather Wootton (2024) | Janna Sailor (2023) | Katia Makdissi-Warren (2022) | Linda Penner (2021) | Yannick Nézet-Séguin (2020) | Claire Guimond (2019) | Bramwell Tovey (2018) | Ardyth Brott (2017) | John Gomez (2016).
The 2026 Nomination Period is now open.
Orchestras Canada has just opened nominations for the 2026 Betty Webster Award, our way of recognizing outstanding contributions to the Canadian orchestral community.
Supporting and sustaining an orchestra in Canada in the 21st century is a collective, collaborative effort, involving both high-profile artistic leaders and a significant number of people working tirelessly on stage and behind the scenes to create the conditions in which Canadian orchestras can flourish.
The Award specifically honours an individual who has made an under-recognized but sustained and significant contribution to the community of Canadian orchestras through their work, be it paid or volunteer.
To recognize meaningful leadership, service, and lasting impact within Canada’s orchestral community, the 2026 theme for the Orchestras Canada Betty Webster Award is Celebrating Canadian Creativity.
We know that the Canadian orchestral sector is richer because of the many people whose care, imagination, and commitment help Canadian music thrive, and this year, we want to honour those who support and champion creative projects by orchestras in ways both visible and behind the scenes.
Orchestras Canada now invites nominations for the 2026 Betty Webster Award. We’d like to hear about individuals who have collaborated with and celebrated Canadian composers, artists, and communities through one of, or a combination of, the following ways:
- Creating space for Indigenous artists and artists from equity-deserving and historically underrepresented communities on their own terms,
- Contributing to original Canadian programming, recording, touring, learning opportunities, and community partnerships, with impact in one or many Canadian geographic communities.
Orchestras Canada welcomes nominations from across the orchestral ecosystem, including artists, cultural workers, administrators, educators, community partners, volunteers, board members, and collaborators.
We recognize that impactful work happens in many roles and in many forms, and we encourage nominations that reflect the full diversity of people and practices shaping orchestral music in Canada today.
The Award includes a cash prize to be presented to the Canadian orchestra of the winner’s choice.
The nomination process is streamlined and simple. Just fill out the nomination form and send it to Boran Zaza (boran[at]oc[dot]ca) by 12:00pm Pacific Time/3:00pm Eastern Time on Friday, May 1, 2026, along with a biography of the nominee, letters of support, and a letter from the nominator outlining the qualifications of the nominee for this Award.
Please take a moment to reflect on the inspiring work being done by individuals and organizations in your community, and then take a few moments more to complete the nomination form. The Betty Webster Award is an excellent means of honouring our peers while advocating for orchestras in Canada.