The Tyrone Guthrie Awards were established in 1954 by the inaugural acting company in honour of the Festival’s first Artistic Director.
Funds for the awards are raised from annual benefit performances and from interest accrued on investments. In 35 years, the Guthrie Awards have contributed over $2,439,723 towards the fulfillment of 3,172 personal dreams and projects.
Although initiated by and for the acting company, over the years the Guthrie Awards have expanded to include every single department at the Stratford Festival. Every person who has ever worked at the Festival is welcome to apply.
The 2024 Guthrie Awards
Date: Sunday, September 22 at 7:30 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm)
Location: Festival Theatre Lobby
The 2024 Guthrie Award Committee
Emilio Vieira - Chair
Laura Condlln
Jessica B. Hill
Jason Sermonia
Melissa Renaud
Holly Korhonen
Ceairy Free
Jason Miller
Ari Weinberg
How to Apply
Deadline: Monday, July 22 at 11:59 pm
Email your application to
guthrieawards@stratfordfestival.ca.
Descriptions of named awards
2024 Guthrie Applications and Nominations FAQ
Am I eligible to apply for a Guthrie Award?
If you work, or have ever worked, for the Festival in any capacity (actor, designer, box office, call centre, crew, groundskeeper, wardrobe, bookstore, Green Room, stage door guard, usher, Artistic Director, etc.) – whether this is your first or your thirty-fifth season, YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY.
What can I apply for a Guthrie Award for?
Anything. You are as eligible to apply for something whimsical and outrageous as you are for a cherished project you’ve spent years working on.
In addition, there are several “named” awards which have been created and specifically funded to honour or memorialize past company members. These named awards are given to people in particular areas or with particular interests or skills.
The committee considers everyone who is eligible for each named award: people who have applied for a project or purchase, people who have been nominated by others, and people who have not applied or been nominated but who meet the criteria of the award. Therefore, it is not necessary for you to direct your application to a named award. (And, of course, you may always apply for something which is outside the criteria of any named award.) You can find brief descriptions of the named awards on the Guthrie
Note: We aren’t always able to accommodate the full amount of your request/project but may be able to make contribution towards your dream. We will always attempt to honour as many applications that we can.
Should I apply for a specific named award?
The committee considers everyone who is eligible for each named award: people who have applied for funds for a project or purchase, people who have been nominated by others and people who have not applied or been nominated but who meet the criteria for the award. If you are applying for funds, it is not necessary for you to direct your application to a named award. For more details, you can
view brief descriptions of all the named awards.
What do “solicited” and “unsolicited” mean?
If you apply for money for a project or purchase and receive that money (or a portion of it), you are getting a solicited award. If you are nominated by someone else and you receive an award, it is an unsolicited award, because you did not ask for it. If you receive a named award without applying or being nominated for it, it is an unsolicited award.
What should I include in my application?
• your name and what area of the Festival you work(ed) in; if you do not currently work here, the years you worked here
• the amount you are requesting, or the cost of the project or purchase you are planning
• any pertinent details about the project, purchase, plan or dream
• any supporting information that will be helpful
• typed applications are easier to read!
How will I find out whether my application was successful?
You are expected to attend the Guthrie Awards to receive your award.
If you are unable to be there yourself, you are strongly encouraged to send a friend who will receive the award on your behalf. At the very least, please let the committee know you will not be in attendance. You can send your regrets to any committee member or to guthrieaward@stratfordfestival.ca at any time before the event begins.
If you are prevented from attending the awards or sending a proxy, you will find the list of award recipients posted on this page in the week following the awards. The list will also be sent out as a news release to the Festival’s All Staff and News Items email lists. The envelope you would have received at the awards will be mailed to the address on file with the payroll office.
What happens at the Guthrie Awards presentation?
Applicants, nominators and nominees attend the event along with many others who have not applied or been nominated and are there to cheer for you. No one has prior knowledge of who is going to receive awards. Hors d’oeuvres are on offer.
Presentations are made by the Guthrie Awards committee and members of the community, and each recipient is called to the stage to receive his or her award. When a named award is given, the presenter also speaks about the significant person in the Festival’s history for whom it is named. The Guthrie Awards not only celebrate those who receive awards but also honour artists and others who are no longer with us.
The atmosphere is supportive and joyous; lots of people call it the best night of the year!