The Buffys, also known as the Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts Awards, is an annual program that recognizes and celebrates excellence in various areas of the arts and builds awareness of the incredible contribution artists make to Wood Buffalo. The Buffys invest in the future of our growing arts community by supporting our most exceptional artists through appreciation and employment opportunities, and by connecting artists to the wider community.
Every October the Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts Awards Showcase entertains audiences with high energy performances and creatively crafted artworks by local artists. With a new theme each year, the awards showcase is Wood Buffalo's premier midnight event highlighting award recipients and nominees. Details on the event theme, dates, and more will be released on this page every year as they become available.
The Buffy Awards will be given out at the Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts Awards showcase on October 16, 2021, which highlights award recipients and shortlisted nominees, as well as all sorts of art and performances by local artists.
This year's celebration continues to be an online cinematic experience following the success of Buffys 2020, and will be put together with considerations for physical distancing as recommended by the Government of Alberta. Stay tuned for updates.
Nominations, sponsorship opportunities, and artist calls are now open for Buffys 2021.
Nominations Close: July 15 (at noon)
Self-Applying Deadline: July 30 (at noon)
Click on the “Nominate or Self-Apply” or “FAQ” tabs above to learn more and get some helpful tips to make your application more impactful. Click on the "Past Events" tab above to see past award recipients and event details.
Self-apply, or nominate an artist or group in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo for arts awards in one or more of the following categories: Arts Administration, Arts Education, Craft, Creative Collaboration, Dance, Indigenous Arts, Ken Flaherty Music Award, Literary Arts, Media Arts, Performing Arts, Rising Star, and Visual Arts.
Nominate a deserving artist, arts group or arts organization, or Self-Apply. Don’t forget to read the Nomination Guidelines.
ACWB will contact the nominee letting them know of their nomination and request nominee material.
Once nominee material deadline has passed, a shortlist of nominees will be selected by ACWB’s Board of Directors.
The shortlisted nominee submissions will be assessed and awards will be allocated by a selection committee consisting of professional artists, experts and community members.
Awards will be presented at the Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts Awards & Showcase.
The recognition received by each nominee and award recipient serves to raise their profile, helps build their portfolio, and allows them opportunities to compete and thrive as an artist in our community and beyond.
All nominees receive recognition for their outstanding contribution to the arts in Wood Buffalo through ACWB’s marketing leading up to and during the awards event.
Each award recipient will be presented with a $250 cheque, a certificate, and an award (called a “Buffy”) handcrafted by a local artist.
All completed nominations will be compiled for peer evaluation. Eligible nomination entries will be anonymized and shortlisted by the Arts Council’s Board of Directors. Award recipients will then be determined by a non-ACWB assessment committee representing the diverse artistic disciplines that make up the Buffy awards. Scoring will be based on the rubric as outlined in the Nomination Guidelines.
Award recipients will be announced at the Buffy Awards Showcase on October 16, 2021.
Arts Council Wood Buffalo is committed to equity and inclusion, and encourages applications and nominations from culturally diverse, Deaf, disability and official language minority artists, groups and organizations. Arts Council recognizes and affirms the treaty rights of the Indigenous peoples of this land, and encourages applications and nominations from First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals, groups, and organizations in all its programs.
Recognizes an administrator or group of administrators working in arts-related production, marketing, project or organizational management, development, research/curatorship, operations, facility management.
Artist or group creating functional and non-functional craft-based work including: beadwork, book arts, ceramics, textile, fashion and wearable art, cosplay, furniture, glass, jewellery, metal, or wood.
Artist or group performing or choreographing dance of any format, including cultural dance. Nominees must be 16 years old and up.
Artist or group who performs, composes, writes songs, DJs, and/or works in technical production (all genres of music).
Recognizes an artist or group working in film, video, podcasting, graphic design, animation, digital art, web-based art, audio/sound art, media art installation, new media, or any fusion thereof.
This award is intended to recognize the commitment of a youth artist (age 12-17) in any arts discipline to developing their craft. This typically includes performances and exhibitions and a demonstrated dedication to skill development (classes, workshops, competitions, etc.).
Recognizes an individual, small business, corporation, social profit, or foundation who has strengthened arts and culture in Wood Buffalo through their support and commitment to the sector. Support can be defined as advocacy, hiring local artists, offering skills and expertise, providing space for the arts, and financial. Recipients of this award are nominated by the Arts Council Wood Buffalo Board of Directors.
Recognizes a program, arts organization, artist, or teacher working in schools or the community which uses the arts to provide a meaningful learning experience (for any age).
Artist or group who was part of an innovative partnership to use the arts to contribute to a balanced community by highlighting or focusing on a community need or social issue.
Art or group that uses traditional skills, or contemporary mediums, or a combination, in a creative expression that reflects Indigenous culture, worldview, voice, history, and stories. No age requirement.
Artist or group active in poetry, short story, written journalism, fiction, non-fiction, blogging, or publishing.
Artist or group active in theatre, performance art, acting, directing, playwriting, theatre design, comedy, and/or technical production (such as stage management).
Recognizes an artist or group active in painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, photography, or installation art.
Recognizes the long-standing significant achievement of an artist over the course of an entire career. This typically includes artistic practice and achievement, recognition by peers, and the artist’s contribution to the local and broader artistic community. Recipients of this award are nominated by the Arts Council Wood Buffalo Board of Directors.
Bios created and photos/logos submitted in the nomination platform will be seen publicly on social media when ACWB shares and promotes Buffy nominations later in the year.
All submissions need to be entered through our online portal in order to be shared with our judges. We suggest that those who are unable to submit an application online, first ask a friend to help them do so. If that solution is not available to you, you are welcome to make an appointment with an ACWB staff member, who can help support you in submitting your application, either in person, or over the phone. To make an appointment, contact us at [email protected] or phone 587-674-1625.
Yes, you can. One of the goals of the Buffys is to encourage those who don’t view themselves as “artists” to begin seeing themselves as artists. The nomination process is designed to encourage people to self-reflect about their artistic practices and to expand their ability to speak about their artistic process. The nominations application form will also provide you with guiding questions along the way to help hone how you speak about your artistic practice. This alone is an excellent exercise for anyone questioning whether or not they are an “artist.”
Some artists may need a little push to know that their work is worth being considered for a Buffy award. They may be too humble or feel too shy to self-apply, and receiving a nomination from someone else just might give them the confidence they need to enter.
Do your best to select an award category that you think would suit the artistic practice of the artist or group you are nominating. After you submit your nomination, your nominee will have an opportunity to reselect the category that they feel they are best eligible for. You can nominate an artist or group here by July 15, 2021 at noon.
Yes, you can. If you were nominated for a certain category and you would also like to be considered for the Indigenous Arts category, an option will appear in your application form that will ask you if you would like your application to be considered for the Indigenous Arts category as well. Select ‘yes’ for this question, and you will automatically be entered into the running for both award categories.
Yes, you can. As an Indigenous Artist, you can apply for the Indigenous Arts category, as well as another discipline that best describes your work. (For example, a drummer may apply under Indigenous Arts, and Music). To make things easier, you can use the ‘copy’ feature on our online portal to create a copy of an existing entry, and change the content to suit your new category, as required. Make sure that all your entries and supporting materials are submitted by July 30, 2021 at noon.
You can nominate yourself. Self-applications for a Buffy Award are welcome. To get started, register an account on our online portal. Make sure you submit your entry and supporting materials by July 30, 2021 at noon.
To be eligible for a Buffy award, you need to have lived in the Wood Buffalo region since at least July 30 of the previous year. If you lived here on or before that date, you are eligible. (For example, for the 2021 awards, you need to have been in Wood Buffalo since July 30, 2020). If you moved here after that date, then you are not eligible, but may be eligible for an award next year.
Yes, you can. You are allowed to enter more than one award category, as long as you are eligible and the work submitted for your application matches the award description. To make things easier, you can use the ‘copy’ feature on our online portal to create a copy of an existing entry, and change the content to suit your new category as needed. Make sure that all your entries and supporting materials are submitted by July 30, 2021 at noon.
You don’t need to rewrite everything. If you applied in 2020 (or later), the online portal will allow you to copy your application and then update it.
We recommend that you watch this video from Buffys 2020 for tips on how to fill out your nomination. If you still have questions, you’re welcome to contact our Programs Manager, Luay Eljamal: [email protected] or 587-674-1625 (ext. 102).
What you’ve done last year might be very different this year. You are continuing to grow and gain more experience. Maybe you didn’t receive an award after a previous nomination, but that doesn’t mean you won’t this time. Give it a shot. You deserve it.
We realize there is still some uncertainty in the world with respect to event planning, but we’re moving ahead with the Buffys. The format of this celebration will an online cinematic experience similar to Buffys 2020, which was broadcasted free via YouTube and Facebook and Shaw Spotlight.
Being a nominee or recipient of a Buffy award is something artists can use as leverage to gain grants, admission into schools, or to beef-up their CVs (resume). Seeing as all entries are reviewed by like-minded artists in the community, it is an excellent display of peer recognition, and could be used to support being recognized as an arts professional, in accordance with the Canadian Artist Code.
Are you interested in sponsoring the Buffys 2021 (a.k.a. Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts Awards)?
Visit our Support Us page to view the different sponsorship opportunities or Download the full 2021 Sponsorship Package.
For more information on this premier arts showcase, or for questions on securing your sponsorship opportunity, please contact Executive Director Liana Wheeldon at [email protected] or 587-674-1625 ext 100.
Please review the Buffys 2021 Sponsorship Package for a full list of benefits for the Title Sponsor.
Please review the Buffys 2021 Sponsorship Package for a full list of benefits for Event Sponsors.
Media Sponsor presenting Arts Education Award:
Presenting Sponsor for Creative Collaboration Award:
Media Sponsor presenting Ken Flaherty Music Award:
Presenting Sponsor for Performing Arts Award:
What our Artists have to say
