MEET THE 2026 Emerging Artists
The 2026 Emerging Artists are creating new approaches and bringing fresh perspectives to their respective arts disciplines. We are so excited to be part of their journey. Arlene Strom, Foundation Chair
Sydney Baedke, Music/Opera
Matthew Cardinal, Music/Visual Arts
Jessica Simone Carmichael, Literary Arts
Alison DeRegt, Theatre/Puppetry
seth cardinal dodginghorse, Music/Visual Arts
Lara Felsing, Visual Arts
Jerome “K-Riz” Henry, Music/Hip-Hop/R & B
Dayna Lea Hoffmann, Theatre
Conor Daniel Kerr, Literary Arts
Tayte Mitchell, Music/Opera/Theatre
Paula Turcotte, Literary Arts
The awards patron, the Honourable Salma Lakhani, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, presented the awards on June 16, 2026 at Government House, Edmonton.
Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artists 2005-2025
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.
Remembering Phil Ponting 1945-2026
Phil Ponting distinguished himself as a lawyer, but across Alberta’s arts community he was better known as a passionate and dedicated leader who gave generously
2025 Distinguished Artists Announced
Three outstanding artists have been named to receive the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta 2025 Distinguished Artist Award: Jens Lindemann, Trumpet (Edmonton, AB; Los Angeles, CA)
John Estacio’s music – an enduring gift
At a pivotal point in his then-emerging career as a composer, John Estacio landed in Edmonton as the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra’s first Composer in
The Old Trouts.. always something new
Is there a more quintessential Alberta origin story than that of Calgary’s Old Trout Puppet Workshop? The Old Trout Puppet Workshop was founded on
Alberta’s 2024 Emerging Artists Named
A documentary filmmaker cuts to the heart of farming and rural life. A Blackfoot multidisciplinary artist expresses her culture’s values and history in her
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