Mayor Scott Gillingham, Ashley Au (Making a Mark), Natalie Sluis (RBC on the Rise), Jaimie Isaac (Making a Difference), and WAC Executive Director, Dominic Lloyd. Photo by April Carandang. © Winnipeg Arts Council
June 15th, 2025 — (WINNIPEG) The Annual Winnipeg Arts Council Awards were held on Thursday, June 5, 2025 at the RBC Convention Centre as part of the Mayor’s Luncheon for the Arts. Each year the Winnipeg Arts Council Awards honour individuals and organizations for their contributions as artists, supporters and community builders. Since 2007, the event has heralded the arrival of summer for Winnipeg’s arts community and honoured over 80 award recipients to date.
It’s always a thrill to celebrate the folks who create so much of what defines our city. There really is a special kind of energy in the air, with so many members of the arts community coming together from across the disciplines, all in the same room. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners this year, who once again demonstrate the incredible range of talent in our city. It was another exceptional year for the arts in Winnipeg and we are honoured to be a part of it.
- Dominic Lloyd, Executive Director, Winnipeg Arts Council
Three awards were presented at the Mayor’s Luncheon for the Arts.
RBC On the Rise
-
Natalie Sluis
RBC ON THE RISE WINNER
Natalie Sluis is an emerging Hard-of-Hearing dancer who graduated from the Professional Program of the School for Contemporary Dancers in 2023. Natalie’s artistic practice includes dance, choreography, singing, and acting
Nominated by Arts AccessAbility Network Manitoba
-
Claire Johnston
RBC ON THE RISE NOMINEE
Claire Johnston is an emerging Red River Metis visual artist from Winnipeg and a Two-Spirit Piitoshi-iteeyihtam community member whose meticulous beadwork is extraordinary in its attention to detail, composition and beauty.
Nominated by Jennifer Gibson & Barb Hunt
-
Duncan Cox
RBC ON THE RISE NOMINEE
Performer, composer, lyricist, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Duncan has been delighting audiences across Manitoba with his passion, humour, writing and phenomenal stage presence.
Nominated by Sharon Bajer
-
Julia Davis
RBC ON THE RISE NOMINEE
Julia Davis (she/her) is an Inuk actor, singer and creator based in Winnipeg. She is passionate about learning, knowing and sharing her Indigenous roots through her writing and performing practice.
Nominated by The Village Conservatory
Making a Mark
-
Ashley Au
MAKING A MARK WINNER
Ashley Au is a source of inspiration to artists and administrators alike, demonstrating what a meaningful, impactful career in the arts can look like and creating opportunities for other folks to have one too.
Nominated by Galerie Buhler Gallery
-
Dominique Rey
MAKING A MARK NOMINEE
Dominique Rey is a Franco-Manitoban artist whose multidisciplinary work explores identity, motherhood, and the body. Her latest exhibition and decades of community engagement make her a vital voice in contemporary art.
Nominated by Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq
-
Hazel Venzon
MAKING A MARK NOMINEE
At the heart of Hazel’s artistic practice lies an unwavering passion for storytelling drawn from her identity as a woman of color and immigrant daughter. This passion is not only evident in the themes she explores— identity, migration, resilience, and community — but also in the ways she engages with collaborators and audiences. Hazel’s work is shaped by her lived experiences and her understanding of the intersections of culture, identity, and power, which she approaches with a sense of responsibility, respect, relationality, and reciprocity.
Nominated by Dennis Gupa
Making a Difference
-
Jaimie Isaac
MAKING A DIFFERENCE WINNER
Jaimie Isaac has made an enormous difference to Winnipeg’s arts community, and beyond, over the past twenty years with curatorial and artistic projects grounded in decolonization and principles of inclusion
Nominated by Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art (MAWA)
-
Darlene Ronald
MAKING A DIFFERENCE NOMINEE
Darlene Ronald has championed connection, inclusion and accessibility in the arts for over two decades, transforming Manitoba Opera into a welcoming cultural hub for audiences, artists and community members alike
Nominated by Manitoba Opera
-
Jan Kocman
MAKING A DIFFERENCE NOMINEE
Jan Kocman has dedicated the last 51 years of his life to the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. He is an internationally recognized flutist who served in many roles during his tenure.
Nominated by Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
-
Sue Hemphill
MAKING A DIFFERENCE NOMINEE
Over decades, Sue Hemphill has been an innovative and inspiring leader. She has built capacity and resilience within the arts by growing connections with other sectors and expanding access and recognition for artists from historically marginalized groups.
Nominated by Jaidev Boznianin and Dr Carolyn Peters PhD