
About the
Lieutenant
Governor of
Alberta
Arts Awards
The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards Foundation was established in 2003 and its first awards program for Distinguished Artists was launched in 2005. The Emerging Artist Awards program began in 2008.
Since then, 63 Emerging and 20 Distinguished Artists have been recognized with this prestigious award. Recipients span the rich offering of visual, performing, film, design and literary professional arts in the province. These outstanding artists continue to contribute to Alberta’s rich cultural fabric in communities across the province – and across Canada.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF ALBERTA
Salma Lakhani is a community leader and volunteer who is guided by her deep commitment to the values of pluralism and inclusion and her dedication to championing those who face barriers in life. Born and raised in Kampala, Uganda, she came to Canada in 1977 as a stateless person after all Ugandans of Asian origin were expelled from that country. She is a proud Ismaili Muslim who has offered longstanding service to a range of organizations, including NorQuest College, the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, the Lois Hole Hospital for Women, the Aga Khan Foundation Canada, Kids Kottage, Sorrentino’s Compassion House, the Alberta Cancer Board and the Zebra Foundation.
She began her duties as the 19th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta on August 26, 2020. She serves as Patron of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards.

The shape of 2020 – John Estacio, composer
2017 Distinguished Artist John Estacio’s 2020 calendar was full of plans for a busy creative year. They included an intense workshop process for his new opera The Cipher

Peter von Tiesenhausen’s Epic Art
Peter von Tiesenhausen, a Lieutenant Governor of Alberta 2015 Distinguished Artist, spent the past six months hunkered down in Demmit Alberta

Emerging Artist Awards Video Announcement
Download Video Transcript Hello and welcome to the 2020 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist awards! Though we cannot gather in person to recognize

Alberta’s 2020 Emerging Artists announced
On June 4, 2020 ten new Emerging Artists were recognized for their outstanding artistic achievements and contributions with the 2020 Emerging Artist $10,000 cash

Brett Dahl Calgary Cultural Leader RBC Emerging Artist Award
Congratulations to 2018 Emerging Artist Brett Dahl on his Calgary Cultural Leader RBC Emerging Artist award announced April 1, 2020. Brett was acknowledged as

Countdown to 2021 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist Awards
Since the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist awards were launched in 2005, eight Albertan communities have hosted the awards event celebrating Alberta’s most