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March 8, 2018 – OTTAWA (Canada) – The National Arts Centre is delighted to announce it will present the 2018 National Arts Centre Award to Tegan and Sara. The acclaimed musicians, songwriters and activists will be honoured at the 26th annual Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards show on June 2, 2018. This prestigious award is presented annually in recognition of exceptional work by a performing artist or artists in the previous performance year.
Twin sisters Tegan and Sara were born in Calgary, Alberta, and are now based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Their career numbers are impressive: more than one million albums sold, seven Gold certifications, one Double Platinum certification, three Juno Awards, two Polaris Prize nominations, and a Grammy nomination. But even more impressive is the conviction that has driven Tegan and Sara’s continuous evolution as artists.
Transitioning from acoustic roots to indie rock stars in the mid-2000s with their widely acclaimed albums So Jealous (2004) and The Con (2007), Tegan and Sara began the path of reinvention that continues to inform their creative identity today. Rolling Stone magazine called their 2016 album Love You to Death “their most sophisticated album yet.” Last fall Tegan and Sara released The Con X: Covers, featuring 14 of their favourite artists covering all 14 songs from their 2007 album The Con, in honour of its 10th anniversary. Album proceeds are being donated to The Tegan and Sara Foundation, which fights for health, economic justice and representation for LGBTQ girls and women, and raises awareness and funds to address the inequalities currently preventing LGBTQ girls and women from reaching their full potential.
“Tegan and Sara have been extremely successful Canadian singer-songwriters for more than a decade,” said NAC President and CEO Peter Herrndorf. “Their music has captured the imaginations of folk and pop music fans worldwide, while being important advocates for LGBTQ women and girls. We are delighted to honour their tremendous accomplishments this past year with the National Arts Centre Award.”
ABOUT THE GOVERNOR GENERAL’S PERFORMING ARTS AWARDS
Created in 1992, the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards are Canada’s highest honour in the performing arts. This year’s laureates for Lifetime Artistic Achievement are Andrew Alexander, Geneviève Bujold, Peter Herrndorf, Angela Hewitt, Ginette Laurin and Murray McLauchlan. Florence Junca Adenot will receive the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts. The laureates will be honoured in the House of Commons on Thursday, May 31. They will receive the Awards at a special ceremony and reception at Rideau Hall on Friday, June 1. Then on Saturday, June 2, the NAC will host a star-studded awards show featuring superb performances, evocative short films by the National Film Board, and personal tributes by special guest stars.
PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre is proud to produce the 2018 Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards show in partnership with the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Foundation. The Awards are presented with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canada Council for the Arts. The GGPAAF gratefully acknowledges Birks as Presenting Sponsor of the GGPAA. Grateful thanks also go to the GGPAA Gala’s National Committee of volunteers, led by Honorary Chair Emmanuelle Gattuso.
GALA TICKETS
Tickets for the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards show go on sale to the general public on March 8, 2018, at 11 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time at the NAC Box Office and through Ticketmaster, 1-888-991-2787 or online at
https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/18578
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre collaborates with artists and arts organizations across Canada to help create a national stage for the performing arts, and acts as a catalyst for performance, creation and learning across the country. A home for Canada’s most creative artists, the NAC strives to be artistically adventurous in each of its programming streams: the NAC Orchestra, English Theatre, French Theatre and Dance, as well as the Scene festivals and NAC Presents, which showcase established and emerging Canadian artists. The organization is at the forefront of youth and educational activities, offering artist training, programs for children and youth, and resources for teachers in communities across Canada. The NAC is also a pioneer in new media, using technology to teach students and young artists around the globe by creating top-rated podcasts and providing a wide range of NAC Orchestra concerts on demand. The NAC is the only bilingual, multidisciplinary performing arts centre in Canada, and one of the largest in the world.
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