The National Arts Centre, in partnership with the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Foundation, is pleased to announce a one-hour television special on CBC/Radio-Canada that will celebrate the 2021 laureates of Canada’s highest honour in the performing arts.

Normally an annual highlight of the Canadian performing arts calendar, the 2020 Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards gala at the NAC was postponed due to the pandemic. With the continuing uncertainty of the public health situation, this year the GGPAA celebration will instead become an exciting one-hour special broadcast on CBC Television, ICI TÉLÉ and the free CBC Gem and ICI TOU.TV streaming services on Friday, November 26 at 7 p.m. ET.

The bilingual, show, complete with moving tributes, exciting performances, and music by the National Arts Centre Orchestra, will celebrate the extraordinary achievements of the laureates, who are some of Canada’s greatest artists. The broadcast, produced by the National Arts Centre, and working with Vérité Films, will be led by a stellar artistic team that includes the award-winning Executive Producer Virginia Thompson, and the highly acclaimed Director Joel Ivany, co-creator of Messiah/Complex. It will be filmed in locations across the country and internationally, following all necessary health and safety protocols as required.