Governor General's Award for English-language drama
The Governor General's Award for English-language drama honours excellence in Canadian English-language playwriting. The award was created in 1981 when the Governor General's Award for English-language poetry or drama was divided.
Because the award is presented for plays published in print, a play's eligibility for the award can sometimes be several years later than its eligibility for awards, such as the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Play or the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award, which are based on the theatrical staging. Titles which compile several works by the playwright into a single volume may also be nominated for or win the award.
Multiple winners and nominees
2 Wins
- Catherine Banks
- John Mighton
- Colleen Murphy
- Morris Panych
- Sharon Pollock
- Jordan Tannahill
- Judith Thompson
- George F. Walker
6 Nominations
- Judith Thompson
5 Nominations
4 Nominations
- Wendy Lill
- Michael Healey
- John Mighton
- Hannah Moscovitch
- Jordan Tannahill
- George F. Walker
3 Nominations
- Catherine Banks
- Joan MacLeod
- Colleen Murphy
- Morris Panych
- Sharon Pollock
- Donna-Michelle St. Bernard
2 Nominations
- Tara Beagan
- Daniel Brooks
- Marjorie Chan
- Anna Chatterton
- Marie Clements
- Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman
- Don Druick
- Brad Fraser
- Linda Griffiths
- Tomson Highway
- Karen Hines
- Maureen Hunter
- Anosh Irani
- Lawrence Jeffrey
- Hiro Kanagawa
- John Krizanc
- Kevin Loring
- Bryden MacDonald
- Michael MacLennon
- Anusree Roy
- Richard Sanger
- Erin Shields
- Vern Thiessen
- Guillermo Verdecchia
- David Yee
- David Young
James Reaney won the award three times before Poetry and Drama were split in 1981 into separate categories.
Mishka Lavigne is the first person to be nominated for both the English and French language awards for Drama.
2025 was the first time that the nominees were all women - and the first time that a nominee was up for two works in the same year: Tara Beagan.