Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards

Mayor's Arts Award statue, logo, and 2020 recipient holding award

2026 Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards and Windsor Endowment for the Arts 

The Windsor Endowment for the Arts (WEA) and the City of Windsor are partnering once again to deliver the 2026 WEA awards and grants celebration as well as the Windsor Mayor’s Arts Awards (WMAA). The biennial awards and grants were last presented in 2024. This year, WEA and the City will present the awards in late May/early June 2026. Details of that celebration are still being worked out between the partners and will be shared closer to the event date. 

2026 Deadline to Apply or Nominate: Submissions accepted from Friday, February 6, 2026, to Tuesday, March 31, 2026. 

Submission Form: 2026 Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards Submission Form

About the Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards

The Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards (WMAAs) celebrate and recognize those individuals and organizations that support locally developed arts — providing exciting, surprising, and meaningful opportunities to strengthen Windsor’s creative community. Only Windsor residents are eligible for the WMAAs. There are three categories for the WMAAs:

  • Individual Artist - $1,500, plus a keepsake award. Presented to an individual artist engaged in a broad spectrum of activities having to do with creating, practising or demonstrating art. Art is broadly conceived to include all genres and disciplines, including performance, visual, literary, media, and design.
  • Arts Organization - $1,500, plus a keepsake award. Presented to an arts organization that demonstrates a clear commitment to creating, practising and demonstrating art within the community. 
  • Arts Volunteer - $1,000, plus a keepsake award. Presented to an individual that supports the arts by providing their own time and services without receiving payment for their volunteer work. 

Submission Guidelines — Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards

  • Submission Form - Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards
  • Nominees must be Windsor residents
  • Nominees may be self-nominated or nominated by a peer
  • Nominees must be engaged in their art or arts organization within the city of Windsor
  • A nominee may be nominated for only one award per award year 
  • City of Windsor staff members are not eligible for an award

Submission information must include:

  • One 5 x 7 digital photograph of the nominee. Please note, the image may be used in marketing materials to promote the Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards. 

Please provide one electronic copy of each of the following:

  • Signed and fully completed Submission Form
  • Support documents as requested below
  • A brief description (maximum 250 words) highlighting the contribution you believe the candidate (nominee) has made to the arts and the arts community in the city of Windsor

Please provide one electronic copy of support documents, which could include the following:

  • List of accomplishments, awards or recognition relevant to the submission
  • List of published works and/or performance appearances
  • Sample of the nominee's commitment of time and energy to an organization
  • Sample of the nominee's work (photocopies — please do not send originals)
  • Other relevant materials that would support the success of the application

Please note that support documents should not be more than a maximum of 5 pages/attachments in total.

Submitting your form electronically

Please send your Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards Submission Form and all required support materials to culturalaffairs@citywindsor.ca by email.
Please type Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards Nomination/Application in the subject line of your email.

Submissions to the City of Windsor’s Windsor Mayor’s Arts Awards are subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The personal information is collected under the authority of the Municipal Act, Section 10. This personal information may be used for the purpose of processing the submission form and may become part of the public agenda at a City Council meeting or committee meeting. Questions about this collection may be directed to the Manager of Culture & Events, 519-253-2300 ext. 2726 or by mail to Freedom of Information Coordinator, Office of the City Clerk, Room 530, 350 City Hall Square West, Windsor, ON, N9A 6S1. If someone is nominating someone else for one of these awards, we ask that they inform the nominee in advance so that the nominee has adequate time to submit the supporting documents along with the nomination/application package.

Previous Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards Recipients

2024

  • Individual Artist - Marty Gervais
  • Arts Organization - Windsor Light Music Theatre
  • Arts Volunteer - Capitol Theatre Volunteer Group

2022

  • Individual Artist - Kaitlyn Karns 
  • Arts Organization - Windsor Feminist Theatre
  • Arts Volunteer - Pam Rodzik, Art Windsor-Essex (formerly Art Gallery of Windsor)

2020

  • Individual Artist - Christy Litster
  • Arts Organization - Arts Collective Theatre (ACT)
  • Arts Volunteer - Rod Turton, Windsor Light Music Theatre

2018

  • Individual Artist - Dr. Bruce Kotovich
  • Arts Organization - Arts Council Windsor & Region (ACWR)
  • Arts Volunteer - Mr. Peter Wasylyk, Art Windsor-Essex (formerly Art Gallery of Windsor)

2016

  • Individual Artist - Erin Armstrong
  • Arts Organization - Literary Arts Windsor, BookFest Windsor
  • Arts Volunteer - Elissa Abboud, Windsor Women Working With Immigrant Women

2014

  • Individual Artist - Leslie McCurdy
  • Arts Organization - Downtown Music Initiative
  • Arts Volunteer - Peter Coady, Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF)