2025 Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts Awards
The 2025 Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts Awards marked a milestone tenth edition of the Buffys, held on October 17, 2025, at Keyano Theatre. Arts Council Wood Buffalo was thrilled to have Wood Buffalo Media Group as the Presenting Partner, supporting the celebration of local arts and culture in an unprecedented way.
The Buffys brings the community together each year to recognize the achievements of local artists while showcasing the creativity and cultural vitality that shapes life in Wood Buffalo. More than an awards presentation, it is an immersive experience designed to surprise, inspire, and elevate talent—strengthening professional portfolios, expanding networks, and opening doors to new opportunities locally, across Alberta, and beyond.
The 2025 theme, Ten Years of Midnight at the Black and White Ball, was inspired by Truman Capote and his legendary 1966 Black and White Ball at New York’s Plaza Hotel. Known for its glamour, intrigue, and mingling of artists, socialites, and dreamers, the theme guided the evening’s design, performances, and atmosphere. Guests were invited into a world of elegance, mystery, and creative expression, celebrating a decade of Buffys magic while imagining the next chapter of the arts in Wood Buffalo.
Buffys 2025: Award Recipients
- The Arts Administration Award, presented by the Rozsa Foundation: McMurray Métis
- The Arts Education Award, presented by CEDA: Shannon Whitbread
- The Craft Award: Nicole Wismann
- The Creative Collaboration Award, presented by Play 103.7 & 100.5 Cruz FM: Northern Lights Christmas Album
- The Dance Award: Fort McMurray Avrora Ukrainian Dance Club
- The Indigenous Artist Award, presented by McMurray Métis: Stacey Grant
- The Ken Flaherty Music Award: Katie Williams
- The Literary Arts Award: Juleus Ghunta
- The Media Arts Award, presented by Country 93.3 & 97.9 Rock: Matt Salem
- The Performing Arts Award: Alan Roberts
- The Rising Star Award: Arianna Dakin
- The Visual Arts Award: Alexandra Kavanagh
- The Arts Champion Award: Jessie Stecyk, Tavern on Main
- The Youth Leader in the Arts Award, presented by Muessle Flett Law LLP: Ashton Morehouse
- The Lifetime Achievement Award: Fort McMurray Potters Guild
The Buffys Awards
Each year, Arts Council Wood Buffalo puts out a call for artists interested in creating bespoke works of art to serve as the physical awards at the Buffys.
The 2025 Buffy Awards were created by Meagan Magson, a Fort McMurray-born visual artists specialising in sculpture and textile art. Meagan holds a diploma in Visual Arts and Design from Keyano College. Since becoming a full-time artist in 2022, she has taught workshops, sold her work, and created commissioned pet portraits. Meagan was honoured with the Craft Award at the 2023 Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts Awards.
Each award took the form of a needle-felted swan sculpture, each uniquely stylized and displayed under glass domes. The pieces were inspired by Capote's swans, the social circle of wealthy, influential women surrounding Truman Capote. Capote moved freely within their elegant world of high-society parties and gossip, only to later betray their trust by publishing their secrets in Esquire magazine. Meagan's swans capture the beauty and grace of the natural world while nodding to the theme.
