The Governor General’s History Award for Popular Media: the Pierre Berton Award

The Governor General’s History Award for Popular Media: the Pierre Berton Award recognizes individuals who have helped increase understanding of Canadian history through popular media, including but not limited to publications, film, radio, television, theatre, or digital media platforms.

Eligibility

• An eligible nominee must be an individual who has brought Canadian history to a wider audience. Groups, teams, and organizations are not eligible for the award.
• Nominees must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada as defined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. They do not need to be living in Canada.
• Posthumous nominations will not be considered.
• Past recipients will not be considered for a second nomination.
• Current members of the board of directors, national advisory council, and employees of Canada’s History Society — and their immediate families — will not be eligible.


Assessment Criteria

The nominee’s work must be of a national stature, and be publicly available to Canadian consumers in English or in French.

The work must be about actual people and events in Canadian history, or composites of events known to have happened.

Nominees will be assessed on the following criteria:

MERIT

• Demonstrates significant quality of work in Canadian history through thoughtful analysis, interpretation, and use of sources.
• Contributes meaningfully to advancing the understanding of an aspect of Canadian history.
• Introduces new research, perspectives, or experiences to the field.
• Produces content that is engaging, clearly communicated, and accessible to a broad audience.

IMPACT

• Makes a significant overall contribution to the field of history.
• Connects the public to issues and topics in Canadian history.

Nomination Process

To submit a nomination, please download and complete the Nomination Form. Completed forms should be returned via email to Joanna Dawson.

Nominations must be received by Canada’s History by June 1, 11:59 pm Central Time. If this date falls on a weekend or statutory holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.

Self-nominations are welcome.

Nominations stay on file for consideration for three years.

Canada’s History is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible award process. If you require accommodations to participate, please contact us at the information below:

Joanna Dawson
Director of Programs
204-988-9300 ext 225

Review and Selection

Canada’s History staff will assess all eligible nominations according to the award criteria and create a short list of nominees.

The shortlist will be reviewed by a sub-committee of the board of directors of Canada's History. Additional committee members may be invited with consideration to fair representation of specializations, Canada’s two official languages, First Nations, Inuit and Métis people, and the cultural and regional diversity of Canada.

The committee will review the nominations following the award criteria. They will recommend one individual to the board of directors of Canada’s History Society to receive the Governor General’s History Award for Popular Media: the Pierre Berton Award.

Members of the review committee are invited to consider the values and priorities outlined in Canada’s History’s strategic plan, which include diversity and inclusion.

Prizing

The recipient will receive a $5000 cash prize and a trip for two to attend the awards ceremony. Award recipients should make all efforts to participate in activities related to the award, including media and promotional opportunities.