The Arts for Youth Award is a $20,000 cash prize that celebrates an individual, collective or organization that has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to engaging Toronto’s youth through the arts.

The Breakthrough Artist Award, formerly the Emerging Artist Award, is a $10,000 cash prize that celebrates the accomplishments and future potential of an emerging Toronto artist working in any discipline. Artists must be in the early stages of their professional career.


Previously the Emerging Jazz Artist Award, the Breakthrough Jazz Artist Award is a $10,000 cash prize that celebrates an outstanding Toronto-based jazz artist with two to seven years of experience in the field, as well as artists who may have devoted their career to supporting other artists and are now able to focus on their own solo work. 


The Celebration of Cultural Life Award is a $10,000 cash prize that recognizes excellence in a senior arts practitioner or leader (a performer, teacher, administrator and/or creator working in any arts discipline, including architecture and design), whose work is a celebration of life through the arts. 


The Che Kothari Artist & Instigator Award is a $10,000 cash prize that supports and encourages a young BIPOC artist who is recognized for their artistic contributions and is making positive change through cultural leadership.


The Community Arts Award is a $10,000 cash prize that celebrates celebrates an individual artist or arts organization or collective that has made a significant contribution in Toronto by working with, in and for communities, while increasing access to arts and culture. In 2024 the award will be presented to an individual. 


The Toronto Arts Foundation Indigenous Artist Award is a $20,000 cash prize, with professional artist mentor/Elder or mentee/protégée designated by the Award Recipient receiving $5,000, and finalists receiving $2,000. In addition to the prize money, the recipient will receive a complimentary week long stay at Valleyview Artist Retreat. The award recognizes an Indigenous professional artist or artist collective working in traditional or contemporary practices who has contributed significantly to arts and culture in Toronto and has demonstrated an ongoing association with Toronto.


The Muriel Sherrin Award is a $10,000 cash prize that celebrates an individual who has contributed to the cultural life of Toronto through outstanding achievement in music or dance, and who has demonstrated a global commitment to the arts. In 2024, the award will be presented in the field of dance.


The Margo Bindhardt and Rita Davies Award is a $10,000 cash prize that celebrates an individual who has demonstrated creative cultural leadership in the development of arts and culture in Toronto. 


The Newcomer Artist Award provides micro-awards of $2,500 to six newcomer (immigrant and refugee) artists. The award aids the integration of newcomer artists into Toronto and Canada by supporting their artistic careers.


The Newcomer Space Award focuses on providing creation, performance, and/or exhibition spaces to newcomer professional artists who are past recipients of the Newcomer Arts Award.