The Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts Awards (Buffys) is an annual program that recognizes and celebrates excellence across all artistic disciplines throughout our region. The Buffys highlight the extraordinary contributions artists make to the cultural and creative vibrancy of Wood Buffalo.
This year’s showcase will once again be delivered in-person, with ticketed entry for attendees. The event will also be professionally recorded for archival and promotional purposes.
Arts Council Wood Buffalo (ACWB) is seeking a local artist to design and create the Buffys 2026 Awards. These original works will be featured in a short documentary film as part of the Buffys Awards Showcase on October 17, 2026, and distributed to recipients following the event. You can view past award creations here and here.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Arts Council Wood Buffalo will select one Wood Buffalo-based artist to design and produce sixteen (16) unique awards, one for each of the following categories:
- Arts Administration Award
- Arts Education Award
- Creative Collaboration Award
- Ken Flaherty Music Award
- Dance Award
- Performing Arts Award
- Indigenous Artist Award
- Visual Arts Award
- Fine Craft Award
- Literary Arts Award
- Media Arts Award
- Rising Star Award
- Youth Leader in the Arts Award
- Arts Champion Award
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- “Buffys 2026” (to be retained by Arts Council Wood Buffalo)
Artist Responsibilities
- Report to the Programs Manager, Arts Council Wood Buffalo.
- Submit one design for all categories, or propose slight variations on the main design to reflect each award.
- Collaborate with a video artist (recruited and compensated by ACWB) to document the creation process for inclusion in a short documentary film.
- Produce 2D or 3D artwork or fine craft pieces that reflect:
- The Wood Buffalo region
- Excellence in the arts
- The culture of creativity
- Ensure each piece incorporates the title of its respective award.
- Deliver all final, finished awards to ACWB no later than 4:00 PM on August 28, 2026.
Ensure that all final designs are 100% original, royalty-free, and free from copyright risk.
ARTIST FEE
$150 per award for a total of $2,400 (inclusive of GST).
How to Submit
All proposals must be submitted through the Arts Council Wood Buffalo Opportunities Portal.
Steps to apply:
- Create an account or log in
- Select “Call for Awards Creation Artist: Buffys 2026” as your category
- Complete and submit your proposal
Submission Materials Required:
- Artist statement or brief description of your concept
- Past examples of your work (portfolio or images)
Proposed design concept for the awards (sketch, render, or mock-up)
SUBMISSION DEADLINE
Submissions must be received by 11:59PM on June 22, 2026.
Late submissions will not be considered.
SELECTION PROCESS
Selections will be made by Arts Council Wood Buffalo staff. All decisions are final.
Please note that only the selected artist will be contacted.
QUESTIONS & MORE INFORMATION
For questions and more information, contact ACWB Programs Manager Jenna Fewer at jenna@artscouncilwb.ca or (587) 674-1625 ext. 102.
