Awards

Buddies Queer Emerging Artist Award

The Buddies Queer Emerging Artist Award recognizes and encourages the achievements of queer artists who are founding careers in the theatre while engaging with the community, and is made possible by a gift from the estate of John Alan Lee. Award recipients receive a $1,000 cash prize. Past recipients include Jordan Tannahill, Ill Nana DiverseCity Dance Company, Katie Sly, Izad Etemadi, and Monica Garrido.

Ken McDougall Award

Harold Awards

Established in 1995 by Buddies In Bad Times Theatre, Platform 9 and Theatre Passe Muraille, the annual Ken McDougall Award serves to acknowledge a promising emerging director. Previous recipients have been: Franco Boni, Cathy Gordon, Michael Waller, Chris Abraham, Simon Heath, Patrick Conner, Ellen Ray Hennessey, Rebecca Brown, Nina Aquino, Kimahli Powell, Brendan Healy, Bea Pizano, Evalyn Parry, Mitchell Cushman, Jiv Parasram, and Jacob Zimmer.

The Ken McDougall Award is given out annually at the Harold Awards, which since 1995 have come to represent the independent and hard­working spirit of Toronto’s vibrant theatre community – a kind of rabble­rousing alternative to the Dora Awards.

Buddies in Bad Times Vanguard Award for Risk and Innovation

SummerWorks Performance Festival

Sponsored by Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, this $500 cash prize is awarded to an individual or company in recognition of an artistic choice or choices exemplifying innovation and/or artistic risk.

Every year as part of the SummerWorks Performance Festival closing night celebrations, the festival acknowledges the achievements of festival artists with a series of awards sponsored by local arts organizations. All awards are adjudicated by a jury of three performance professionals.