Molson Prizes - 2026
The Canada Council for the Arts
The Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s public arts funder, with a mandate to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts.
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, disability 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.
- must have made a substantial and distinguished contribution over a significant period
- still be active and productive in their careers
Nomination Process
A complete nomination package will consist of:
- Nomination Statement (maximum 5,000 characters, including spaces). How has the candidate:
- contributed to the cultural or intellectual heritage of Canada
- shared their research and knowledge to a larger public, outside of their discipline
- changed or evolved their area of expertise
- made contributions towards a more equitable, diverse and inclusive society
- Biography (maximum 1,700 characters, inclusing spaces)
- Summarize the candidate's education, distinguished achievemnts, current professional or artistic activities, and honours or awards received
- Last details (maximum 1,700 characters, inclusing spaces). Consider these points:
- Does the candidate work in a particular regional or cultural context?
- Are there any specific needs related to the candidate’s artistic practice?
- Support Materials
- Candidate CV (maximum 10 pages). Consider 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 (maximum 1 page)
- The letter will address the eligibility criteria described in the candidate requirements
- Must be signed and dated by the candidate.
- Three Letters of Support
- Articles, excerpts of articles (maximum 10 pages)
- Documents that describe the candidate’s work and achievements
- Examples of artistic or academic work (maximum 3 items)
- Can include images, audio-visual elements and text, as applicable, to provide an overview of the candidate’s artistic or academic work
- Candidate CV (maximum 10 pages). Consider the following subheadings:
Assessment:
Nominations will be evaluated based the following criteria:
- Artistic or academic
- Impact
EDID Resources
Dedicated support and resources for Indigenous research and Equity Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization in research are available through the Inclusive Research Excellence and Impact team. You can complete a request for support form to receive more information or book a consultation. If you are unsure if your project involves Indigenous research, it is recommended that you contact the team early for determination and support.
Submission
Submit your nomination package through the Canada Council of the Arts portal.
Deadline(s)
Internal Notice of Intent (NOI) to Nominate: August 1, 2025
Email rwprizes@uwo.ca if you wish to have Western Research support and coordination of your application
The final submission deadline for the 2025 Molson Prizes: October 5, 2025.
Contact
Potential nominators and nominees are encouraged to contact Research Awards & Distinctions at rwprizes@uwo.ca regarding Western Research support and coordination of your nomination.
