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.
In case you haven’t guessed it, the theme for the 2020 Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts Awards showcase is Midnight Steampunk. Save the date and prepare yourselves for a cinematic, steampunk Buffys experience. On October 17th at 7:30 p.m., this year’s event will be premiering on YouTube, Facebook and Shaw Spotlight.
Just like every Buffys extravaganza, the event will showcase local artists, performers, sponsors, arts champions, nominees and award recipients. This year, however, the event will be video broadcast on social media and television as a way of respecting physical distancing while still celebrating and acknowledging all of the amazing talent in the Wood Buffalo region.
Be sure to nominate or self-apply. It will be a night to remember as we recognize excellence in various arts disciplines and the incredible contributions these amazing artists make to our communities throughout the Wood Buffalo region.
Picture yourself in the mid-1800s, imagining what the future would look like through a Victorian lens. Some describe steampunk as retro-futuristic science fiction or fantasy, incorporating technology, and aesthetics inspired by 19th century industrial steam-powered machinery. Examples include: Wild Wild West (movie), SteamWorld (game series), Westworld (TV series), and much more.
Get your steampunk-inspired costumes, gear, makeup, props, and imagination ready, and prepare to share them online on October 17th by using the hashtag #buffys2020.
Be sure to nominate an artist (July 15) or self-apply (July 31). It will be a night to remember as we recognize excellence in various arts disciplines and the incredible contributions these amazing artists make to our communities throughout the Wood Buffalo region.
ACWB invites you to nominate or self-apply for a 2020 Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts Awards. Are you or do you know an artist, arts educator, arts administrator, youth, or other creative individual who deserves recognition for their pursuit of artistic excellence or contribution to the arts community in Wood Buffalo? Individuals and groups can be nominated or self-apply in 12 categories spanning a variety of disciplines. Nominate an artist or group by July 15, 2020 or self-apply by July 31, 2020. All nominee materials are due by July 31, 2020.
Nominate a deserving artist, arts group or arts organization. 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 portfolios, and allows them opportunities to compete and thrive as an artist in our community and beyond.
Also because you think they’re pretty fantastic. Or because, in fact, you are pretty fantastic.
All nominees receive recognition for their outstanding contribution to the arts in Wood Buffalo through ACWB’s marketing and during the awards event.
If nominating an artist or group:
If self-applying or completing a nomination:
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.
An administrator working in arts-related production, marketing, project/organizational management, development, research/curatorship, operations, facility management, etc.
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.
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 who performs, composes, writes songs, DJs, and/or works in technical production (all genres of music).
Artist or group working in photography, film, video, audio/sound art, podcast, graphic design, animation, digital art, web-based art, media art installation, new media, or any fusion thereof. The nominee must be the driving creative force of the project and must maintain complete creative and editorial control over the work.
Artist or group active in acting, directing, playwriting, comedy, and/or technical production (i.e. lighting, sound, costume design, stage management, 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.
A program, 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 performing or choreographing dance of any format, including cultural dance. Nominees must be 16 years old and up.
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.
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.).
Artist or group active in painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, 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.
Yes! You are allowed to enter more than one award category, as long as you are eligible and the work submitted 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 required. Make sure that all your entries are submitted by July 31, 2020 at midnight (MST).
To be eligible for a Buffy award, you need to have lived in the Wood Buffalo region since at least July 31, 2019. If you lived here on or before that date, you are eligible! If you moved here after that date, then you are not eligible, but may be eligible for an award next year.
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 by July 31, 2020 at midnight (MST).
Yes, 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 are submitted by July 31, 2020 at midnight (MST).
Yes! 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.
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.
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! It’s nice to be nice!
Yes! One of the goals of the Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts Awards is to encourage those who don’t view themselves as “artists” to begin seeing themselves as so. 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 a true “artist”!
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 (if quarantine restrictions remain).
We realize there is still some uncertainty in the world with respect to event planning, but we’re moving full steam ahead with the Buffys. The format of this celebration will be shared soon with considerations for physical distancing as recommended by the Government of Alberta.
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. 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.
One opportunity available.
Nine opportunities still available.
Rogers Media presenting Arts Education
Suncor presenting Creative Collaboration
Friends of the Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts presenting Theatre
Six opportunities available.
Are you interested in sponsoring the 2020 Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts awards?
Visit our Support Us page to view the different sponsorship opportunities or Download the full 2020 Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts Awards 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.
What our Artists have to say
