Thanks to the generosity of the members of the NAC Orchestra, additional organizations and individuals, up to eight Finalists will be chosen from the Preliminary Auditions to compete in the Finals for the following prizes: The NAC Orchestra Bursary, The Crabtree Foundation Award, The Friends of the NAC Orchestra Award, The NAC Orchestra Vic Pomer Award, The Piccolo Prix, and The NAC Orchestra Special Prize for Excerpts.

The first NACO Bursary Competition was in 1981. The Bursary provides recognition and financial support to help further the development of young Canadian orchestral musicians who have connections to the National Capital Region. The first year, one prize of $1,000 was awarded. Thanks to the generosity of additional organizations and individuals, other prizes have been added for a total in 2016 of $19,750.