Finalists Revealed For The 2026 Siminovitch Prize

The Siminovitch Theatre Foundation has announced the 2026 Siminovitch Prize shortlist, honouring exceptional Canadian theatre artists whose work has made a remarkable contribution to theatre. Recognized by a jury of peers for being visionaries in their field, this year's finalists bring distinct voices, practices, and perspectives to the national and international stage. The $100,000 prize, awarded to one exceptional mid-career theatre artist or ensemble, celebrates artists whose work is groundbreaking, transformative, and influential. It recognizes sustained artistic contribution and is meant as a substantial investment in an artist's future, not simply an honour for past work.

2026 Siminovitch Prize Shortlist of Exceptional Mid-Career Theatre Artists

Catherine Bourgeois (Montréal, QC)

Olivier Kemeid (Montréal, QC)

The Old Trouts Puppet Workshop (Calgary, AB)

Collaborators Sherry J. Yoon and Jay Dodge (Gibsons, BC)

Representing a range of artistic practices and perspectives from across the country, these finalists reflect the ambition, innovation, excellence and vitality of Canadian theatre. On November 30, one finalist will be named the 2026 Siminovitch Prize Laureate and receive the $100,000 award. The other remaining finalists will receive awards of $10,000 each; the Protégé chosen by the Laureate will receive $25,000; and three additional emerging artists selected by the finalists will each receive $5,000.

For this year's award, the Siminovitch Theatre Foundation welcomed nominations of directors, playwrights, and designers, as well as multi-disciplinary theatre creators. The finalists honoured this year demonstrate an extraordinary range of Canadian innovation and outstanding talent.

'The 2026 Siminovitch Prize shortlist shows a drive to build bridges and see 'the other' differently. Whether it's inviting audiences to see themselves in someone else's experience, building creative partnerships that elevate everyone around them, or making room for collaborators too often left out of the room, these artists share a pull toward connection and possibility. That's a hopeful thing to find in theatre right now, and it's what this shortlist celebrates.' - Adrienne Wong, 2026 Jury Chair

Being named a Siminovitch Prize finalist places an artist among those recognized for exceptional contributions to Canadian theatre. What this year's finalists created, challenged, illuminated, and brought to audiences and the industry makes them celebrated contributors to the country's theatre landscape.

The 2026 Siminovitch Prize Finalists

Catherine Bourgeois (Montréal, QC) is a director, set designer, writer and co-founder of Joe Jack et John, where she has directed and co-designed most of the company's productions since 2003. Known for her distinctive aesthetic and inclusive approach to collaboration, Bourgeois creates work that draws diverse audiences to experience her award-winning programming. Her practice has also helped advance recognition of women and artists with disabilities in the performing arts.

Olivier Kemeid (Montréal, QC) is a playwright, novelist, director, and actor, whose work has humanized political issues and helped audiences see themselves in the stranger. A leading figure on the Quebec theatre scene, Kemeid served as artistic director of Espace Libre, Théâtre de Quat'Sous and is the current Artistic Director of his own company, Trois Tristes Tigres. A four-time Governor General's Literary Award finalist (L'Énéide; Moi, dans les ruines rouges du siècle; Five kings : l'histoire de notre chute; La vengeance et l'oubli), Kemeid has explored history, identity, and collective memory, creating ambitious works that have resonated with audiences at home and abroad. His writing has been translated into multiple languages and presented internationally.

With a distinctive creative philosophy rooted in wonder, imagination, and the transformative power of puppetry, The Old Trout Puppet Workshop (Calgary, AB) has created a body of work that invites audiences into extraordinary theatrical worlds. Comprised of Peter Balkwill, Pityu Kenderes, and Judd Palmer, this collective has pushed the boundaries of puppetry through ambitious live productions, sculpture, film, and design for theatre and opera, challenging conventional ideas about the form of puppetry and bringing its artistry to audiences across Canada and internationally.

Sherry J. Yoon and Jay Dodge (Gibsons, BC) have spent decades heightening contemporary performance through their collaborative Artistic Direction of Vancouver's Boca del Lupo. Working across theatre, design, technology, and visual storytelling, they create immersive experiences that place audiences in unexpected environments, from forests and shipping containers to interactive installations and unconventional performance spaces. Their productions explore cultural hybridity and interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together artists from diverse backgrounds and connecting audiences through inventive, deeply experiential forms of storytelling.

The 2026 Siminovitch Prize Jury

Olivier Arteau is a director, theatre creator and actor as well as the Artistic Director of Le Théâtre du Trident in Québec City, QC.

Keith Barker is the director of the Foerster Bernstein New Play Development Program at the Stratford Festival in Stratford, ON.

Leanna Brodie is a playwright, translator, librettist, and actor based in Montréal, QC.

Anna Cummer is an actor, playwright, and puppeteer as well as the Associate Artistic Director of Theatre Calgary in Alberta.

Eo Sharp is a set and Costume Designer based in Montréal, QC.

Adrienne Wong (Chair) is a theatre writer, director, performer, and creator, the Artistic Director of SpiderWebShow Performance, and co-curator of FOLDA based in Victoria, BC.

The 2026 Siminovitch Prize Laureate will be announced on November 30, 2026, following the premiere of short documentary portraits of each shortlisted artist.

About The Siminovitch Theatre Foundation

The Siminovitch Theatre Foundation uplifts visionary theatre artists and fuels the future of Canadian theatre. Over 130 creators have been propelled forward through profile, mentorship, and significant financial support over the past 25 years. This impact exists because of the generosity of donors, sponsors, and a volunteer Board of Directors. There is no endowment, only belief in artists and bold ideas.