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Molson Prizes
Presented by the Canada Council for the Arts, two Molson Prizes valued at $50,000 each are awarded annually to encourage continuing contributions to Canada's cultural and intellectual heritage. One is given in the arts, and one in the social sciences or humanities.
The Canada Council is committed to equity and inclusion, and encourages applications and nominations from culturally diverse, deaf, disabled, and official language minority artists, groups and organizations.
Eligibility
These prizes are for individual candidates. Nominees must:
- be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, but do not need to be residing in Canada.
- be living as of the nomination deadline.
- have made a substantial and distinguished contribution over a significant period.
- still be active and productive in their careers.
Nomination Process
A complete nomimation package will consist of:
- The online nomination form, containing:
- Nominee's Current CV (10 pages maximum), consider including the following subheadings:
- training and learning (including academic degrees)
- employment history
- professional affiliations and activities
- supervisory and/or mentoring history
- honours and awards
- funding history
- selected publications and/or works
- Candidate Confirmation Letter (one page): A letter from the candidate that confirms the eligibility criteria listed in the Candidate requirements section of this form (must be dated and signed by the candidate)
- Three original signed letters of support from experts in the field, must avoid repeating content already covered in the nomination statement (each maximum two pages)
- Articles, or excerpts of articles and reviews (10 pages maximum in total): Documents that describe the candidate’s work and achievements. If translated from another language, the original text must be included.
- Examples of artistic or academic work (3 items maximum): Examples include images, audio-visual elements and text, as applicable, to provide an overview of the candidate’s artistic or academic work.
- Nominee's Current CV (10 pages maximum), consider including the following subheadings:
Assessment
Nominations will be evaluated based on the following weighted criteria:
- Merit (50%)
- The quality of the candidate’s overall career achievements and, where appropriate, the international stature of the candidate. /50
- Impact (50%)
- The scope of the candidate’s contributions to the cultural or intellectual heritage of Canada, taking into account the context of their artistic discipline or academic field of study. /15
- Evidence of the candidate’s outstanding commitment, creativity and effort to share research and knowledge beyond the artistic or academic community. /15
- The candidate’s influence or that of their work with regard to enriching and evolving current thinking and practice in their area of expertise. /10
- The candidate’s contributions towards a more equitable, diverse and inclusive society. /10
Program Resources
Institutional Coordination & Support
Nominations supported by Awards & Distinctions will receive the following:
- Assistance with identifying suitable referees.
- Support for developing all written materials, and providing feedback and review (including access to templates, frameworks, and other resources).
- Assistance with navigating and completing required forms and documents.
- Document management: collecting and compiling all letters, forms, and written documents for submission to the Gairdner Nomination Portal.
Submission
Please submit nominations through the Canada Council's Portal.
Deadline(s)
| Date | Required Steps |
|---|---|
|
July 29, 2026 |
Email Notice of Intent to Nominate to rwprizes@uwo.ca if you wish to have Western Research support and coordination of your nomination. |
|
September 23, 2026 |
For full review and feedback, submit drafts (Word version) of all of your required nomination documents noted above to rwprizes@uwo.ca. |
|
October 7, 2026 |
Submission to Canada Council's Portal. |
EDID Supports
Western Research offers support and resources for knowledge mobilization, Indigenous Research, and Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization. You can complete a request for support form to receive more information or request additional support. If you are unsure if your project involves Indigenous research, it is recommended that you contact Western Research early for determination and support.
Contact Us
Potential nominators and nominees are encouraged to contact Research Awards & Distinctions at rwprizes@uwo.ca regarding Western Research support and coordination of your nomination.