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.
Winners and nominees
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
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 (2 wins)
5 Nominations
Daniel MacIvor (1 win) Jason Sherman (1 win)
4 Nominations
Robert Chafe (1 win) Wendy Lill Michael Healey (1 win) John Mighton (2 wins) Jordan Tannahill (2 wins) George F. Walker (2 wins)
3 Nominations
Joan MacLeod (1 win) Hannah Moscovitch (1 win) Colleen Murphy (2 wins) Morris Panych (2 wins) Sharon Pollock (2 wins) Donna-Michelle St. Bernard
2 Nominations
Catherine Banks (2 wins) Daniel Brooks (both with cowriters) Marjorie Chan Anna Chatterton (consecutive, 1 with cowriters) Marie Clements Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman Don Druick Brad Fraser Linda Griffiths Tomson Highway (consecutive) Karen Hines Maureen Hunter Anosh Irani Lawrence Jeffrey Hiro Kanagawa (1 win) John Krizanc (1 win) Kevin Loring (1 win) Bryden MacDonald Michael MacLennon (consecutive) Richard Sanger Erin Shields (1 win) Vern Thiessen (1 win) Guillermo Verdecchia (consecutive, 1 win) David Yee (1 win) David Young
Drew Hayden Taylor and Anosh Irani have also both been nominated for the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction. James Reaney won the award three times before Poetry and Drama were split in 1981 into separate categories.