2024 Award Finalists & Recipients Announcement
April 17, 2024
We are pleased to announce the 2024 finalists and recipients for the Toronto Arts Foundation Awards. Five Awards celebrating Toronto’s exceptional artists, cultural leaders and arts organizations were presented at the Mayor’s Arts Lunch on Tuesday April 16, 2024. The Newcomer Artist Award and Breakthrough Jazz Artist Award will be presented on May 22 and June 26 respectively.
The finalists and recipients for 2024 showcase the creativity and range of Toronto’s arts landscape. Organizations that engage youth and community through the arts, as well as individuals leading organizations and those practicing in dance, visual arts and theatre, are being honoured.
The finalists and recipients of the 2024 Toronto Arts Foundation Awards are:
ARTS FOR YOUTH AWARD
Community Music Schools of Toronto - provides young people with access to high-quality music lessons and community building activitiesprovides young people with access to high-quality music lessons and community building activities
Pan Fantasy (Recipient) - a community-based organization that uses the steelpan to bring positive change
Xenia Concerts - designs and presents accessible concerts for young music lovers
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST AWARD
Destinie Adélakun (Recipient) - multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker
Jennifer Alicia - poet, playwright, theatre creator
Kanika Ambrose - playwright, librettist, screenwriter, mother and Associate Artistic Director of Necessary Angel Theatre Company
THE CELEBRATION OF CULTURAL LIFE AWARD
Rina Fraticelli (Recipient) - multidisciplinary cultural worker
David Anderson - multidisciplinary artist, Founding Artistic Director of Clay & Paper Theatre, Canadian pioneer of performance in public space
Beatriz Pizano - founder and artistic director of Aluna Theatre
THE COMMUNITY ARTS AWARD
Anthony Gebrehiwot (Recipient) - photographer, digital artist, community leader, arts educator, arts mentor
Sid Jackson - community engaged artist, member of Red Wagon Collective & the Monday Art Group (MAG)
Ashley McKenzie-Barnes - creative director, curator and founder of D.PE Agency
THE MURIEL SHERRIN AWARD
Laurence Lemieux (Recipient) - dancer, choreographer, teacher, presenter and artistic director of Citadel + Compagnie
Ronald Taylor - dancer, choreographer and artistic director of Ronald Taylor Dance
Lua Shayenne - choreographer, producer, dancer and artistic director of Lua Shayenne Dance Company
THE BREAKTHROUGH JAZZ ARTIST AWARD
Sanah Kadoura - drummer, composer, educator and producer
Virginia MacDonald - clarinetist, composer, educator
Dánae Olano - pianist, composer, arranger
THE NEWCOMER ARTIST AWARD
Mahsa Alikhani - photographer, installation artist
Gaby Al Botros - classical guitarist, music composer, conductor, music arranger, educator
Andrea Nirmala Widjajanto - writer, director
Jelica Mijanović - guitarist
Leandro Matos - writer
Niloufar Ziaee - filmmaker, multidisciplinary artist
Please visit our website for a comprehensive page with award descriptions, bios and quotes from the finalists.