Call for Nominations: Saunderson Prizes for Emerging Artists
January 28, 2026
The Hnatyshyn Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2026 William and Meredith Saunderson Prizes for Emerging Visual Artists.
Deadline to nominate: March 18, 2026
About the Saunderson Prizes
The William and Meredith Saunderson Prizes for Emerging Visual Artists support Canadian emerging visual artists whose practices show potential and who are deemed to have the determination and talent to contribute to the legacy of art in Canada. Each year, three Saunderson Prizes of $10,000 each are awarded, as well as three finalists’ prizes of $4,000 each.
Please be advised that the guidelines for this program have been updated. Please read the revised guidelines on our website prior to submitting a nomination.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for a Saunderson Prize, candidates must be:
Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada;
Emerging professional artists*
* Although the definition of “emerging artist” is subjective, for the purposes of the Saunderson Prizes, the Foundation has established a set of criteria. Please consult the full guidelines at the link below.
Guidelines - Saunderson Prizes
Nomination procedure
Candidates must be nominated to be considered for a Saunderson Prize. Representatives of public and private galleries, fine arts training institutions, and artist-run-centres, are invited to submit a nomination. An institution may only nominate one candidate per year.
To submit a nomination, the nominator must send an email to director@rjhf.com with the subject line “Saunderson Prize nomination [candidate’s name]” and attach:
A letter of nomination of no more than two pages;
An up-to-date copy of the candidate’s curriculum vitae, including a comprehensive history of the artist’s exhibitions, education, acquisitions by galleries, and awards received.
The letter of nomination must include:
The institution’s name;
The nominator’s name and position at their institution;
The nominator’s phone number;
The candidate’s current city of residence and/or work;
The candidate’s email address and phone number;
A brief biography of the artist and/or a web link where their bio may be found;
An explanation of why, in the nominator’s opinion, the candidate is deserving of a Saunderson Prize;
Confirmation that the candidate has been notified of their nomination and consented to the nominator sharing their information with The Hnatyshyn Foundation;
How the nominator heard about the program.
Candidate submissions
Eligible nominees will be invited to upload the following documents to SlideRoom:
10-15 digital images/videos of completed work, at least 8 of which must be self-initiated (completed outside the context of training at an artistic training institution);
An artistic CV highlighting their exhibition history, education, publications, acquisitions, arts-related employment, grants received, awards received, commissions, residency programs, and any other relevant professional experience as an artist;
Links to an artist website and/or social media (optional);
1-5 installation images from exhibitions featuring their work;
An artist statement;
A short bio.
Adjudication
Submissions will be evaluated by an independent jury of arts professionals hired by the Foundation. No jury comments will be provided. Incomplete submissions will not be considered. If the jury members do not speak both English and French, submissions that are in the language not spoken by the juror(s) will be translated by the Foundation to make it possible for them to complete evaluations. Candidates may request to proofread and suggest edits to their translated submission before it is sent to the jury.
All candidates and nominators will be contacted with their results, likely in late June or July.
Previous laureates - Saunderson Prizes
We look forward to receiving and reviewing this year’s applications!
Please direct any questions about this program to:
Marianne Brown, Executive Director
