The Metcalf Foundation is pleased to announce the 15 finalists for the 2025 Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prizes/Les Prix Johanna-Metcalf des Arts de la scène (Johannas) with a total value of $195,000 in prizes. The five winners will each receive a prize of $25,000 and will be announced on May 5, 2025, at a ceremony at the Gardiner Museum in Toronto.
The Johannas celebrate artists in Ontario who have made a recognized impact on their fields and the public, while showing great promise in the ongoing pursuit of their ambitious and visionary practices. This performing arts prize is named in honour of Johanna Metcalf, who was at the heart of the Metcalf Foundation’s work for over 40 years.
The Johannas is one of the largest unrestricted prizes for artists in Ontario, celebrating mid-career artists across the disciplines of dance, theatre, and music/opera. From the 15 finalists, five winners will be selected who will each receive a prize of $25,000. Each winner will name a protégé who will be awarded $10,000, celebrating early-career artists who show formidable promise. Each of the remaining 10 finalists will receive a prize of $2,000, bringing the total value of the prizes to $195,000.
The 54 nominees and the 15 finalists announced today for the 2025 Johannas were selected by peers in partnership with the Ontario Arts Council through project competitions in dance, music/opera, and theatre, as well as from Francophone, Indigenous, and Northern communities. Artists who have been producing and showing work for at least 10 years were eligible to be nominated.
The 15 finalists for the 2025 Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prizes/Les Prix Johanna-Metcalf des Arts de la scène are:
- Adrian Sutherland, singer, songwriter, and musician
- Alain Doom, playwright and actor
- Christine Friday, choreographer, producer, and director
- d’bi.young anitafrika, dub poet, playwright, dramaturge, and scholar
- Donna Grantis, artist and musician
- Haviah Mighty, songwriter, vocalist, and producer
- Kevin Lau, composer
- Louis Simão, composer and musician
- Lua Shayenne, choreographer, dancer, and producer
- Marni Walsh, playwright, director, and actor
- Naishi Wang, choreographer and dancer
- Penny Couchie, choreographer and multidisciplinary artist
- Sarah Gartshore, playwright and director
- Vanese Smith, sound artist
- Weyni Mengesha, director
The Metcalf Foundation is also proud to introduce critically acclaimed composer and inaugural Polaris Music Prize winner Owen Pallett in the new role of 2025 Johannas Chair. As Johanna Metcalf’s great-nephew and godson, Pallett shares a deeply personal connection to Johanna and brings a profound understanding of the prize’s vision and significance. In this role, Pallett supported the jury, finalist, and winner selection process, and will serve as a spokesperson for the awards, highlighting the vital role of artists in shaping culture and community.