Our
last blog featured all the excitement from the first part of Gala weekend. In our latest blog post, read all about the Gala and more.
On Saturday, May 30, the current recipients, and any past recipients who were in Ottawa for the Gala, sat down with GGPAA Foundation board members
Paul-André Fortier (GGPAA 2012) and Denise Donlon to talk about their award, inspiration and advice. These
Legacy Interviews are now available on our website.
Then, of course, it was time for the Gala! Our sincere thanks to presenting sponsor
Enbridge for their support and generosity. Many thanks as well to the
National Arts Centre team that works so hard to produce and host the gala every year. We must also thank the
Canada Council for the Arts, which provides the prize money for our laureates and is a great supporter of the GGPAA Foundation.
It was truly a night to remember. Our recipients made their red carpet entrances, spoke to members of the media and enjoyed the glamour and excitement. The Southam Hall stage was filled with stellar performances and presentations. Touching, and sometimes humorous, speeches were made in honour of each laureate; the presenters included Piers Handling, Director and Chief Executive Officer of TIFF, actor Danielle Proulx, and Dr. Peter Simon, President of the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Among the riveting performers were Guy Mignault, artistic director of the Théâtre français de Toronto, for Diana Leblanc; Eric Peterson (GGPAA 2013) in an excerpt from R. H. Thomson’s The Lost Boys; Montreal band Half Moon Run in tribute to Jean-Marc Vallée; and mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta for Atom Egoyan. Unforgettably, Walter Boudreau, in his signature red shoes, conducted the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) playing his own composition, Asylum Waltz, accompanied on piano by his friend and collaborator Alain Lefèvre. Serena Ryder sang a beautiful version of Sarah McLachlan’s I Will Remember You with the NACO. The night’s surprise finale was when Serena took the stage to perform her own hit What I Wouldn’t Do. And those are just a few highlights of the exhilarating Gala show. Hats off to our new Executive Producer, Virginia Thompson, and her fantastic team. We have many
beautiful photos from the Gala, all of which are available on our website.
A much-anticipated highlight each year is the premiere of the
National Film Board of Canada’s short films, a wonderful way to recognize each laureate, and this year was no exception. The films were touching, thought-provoking and sometimes funny. Thank you to the NFB for creating these exquisite works. All the short films from 2008 to 2015 are posted on our website.
Now that the Gala is over, it’s time to start thinking about who will receive a GGPAA in 2016. We count on quality nominations from artists, arts volunteers and the general public, and we’d love to receive many more great nominations. The deadline for nominations is September 18, and we’re happy to report that our nomination forms are simpler and more streamlined this year.
Nominate today!
Our congratulations again to the 2015 laureates. We’re already looking forward to next year’s Gala at the National Arts Centre on
June 11, 2016. Save the date!
Photos: Blog thumbnail - Jean-Marc Vallée on the red carpet by George Pimentel
Top - Walter Boudreau and Alain Lefèvre on stage by Sophimage photographie
Serena Ryder performs in honour of Sarah McLachlan by Greg Kolz