Thunder Bay Arts Heritage Awards Take the Stage November 5

The City of Thunder Bay’s Arts & Heritage Awards will return to Magnus Theatre on Thursday, November 5, 2026. The event is dedicated to honouring the arts, cultural leaders, and heritage champions who make our community shine. 

Experience live music and entertainment, including performances by Sara Kae, Art in Motion Dance School, the Accidentally Awesome Saxophone Quartet, and DJ Amber Ail, as well as awards presentations, refreshments, and red carpet arrivals. 

Tickets for the 2026 Thunder Bay Arts & Heritage Awards are on sale now through Magnus Theatre’s box office and via https://www.thunderbay.ca/recreation/arts-and-culture/arts-and-heritage-awards/.  

The 2026 award categories and nominees are:

• Music – Cassidy Houston, Katherine Nemec, Natalia Arroyo, The Roy Coran Big Band, Tim Albertson.
• Fine Craft – Heart in Hand, Justine Gustafson.
• Stage Performance – Amber Ail, Berlyn Kahli, Dear Evan Hansen – Badanai Theatre & Young Co, The Box – Elenor Druy Children’s Theatre, Ivan Love, Miss Take, Moosef**ker, Ontario, Mz. Molly Poppinz, Shaela Vie.
• Photography – Laura-Lynn Petrick, Andrei Rosario, Golden Hour Photography. 
• Literature – Andrew Paulsen, C.R. Kaine, H. Leighton Dickson, Scott J. Bradley. 
• Heritage – Listening to Women’s History: Lakehead University Archives and the Northwestern Ontario Women’s Decade Council, Where the Line Was Drawn: The Canadian Pacific Railway, Treaties, and the Reshaping of Northwestern Ontario. 
• Cultural and/or Heritage Organization – Cambrian Players, Le Stelle Alpine Italian Dancers, North of Superior Film Association (NOSFA), Pelimanni Orchestra, Thunder Bay Art Gallery. 
• Cultural and/or Heritage Venue – Co.Lab Gallery, The Outset. 
• Cultural and/or Heritage Event – Aanikoobijiganag – Thunder Bay Beading Symposium, Festival of Colours. 
• Achievement: Lifetime/Professional Lifetime in Arts, Culture or Heritage – Andrew Paulsen, Betty Carpick, Richard Spooner, Thomas Cosbey. 

The Thunder Bay Arts & Heritage Awards support the City’s Smart Growth Action Plan by helping showcase the people, organizations and creative spaces that contribute to Thunder Bay’s quality of life. By celebrating local arts, culture and heritage, the awards support the cultural sector in attracting talent, retaining residents, and fostering a strong sense of community belonging.

For more information about the event, categories, and past recipients, visit https://www.thunderbay.ca/recreation/arts-and-culture/arts-and-heritage-awards/. 

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Contact: Laurie Abthorpe – Supervisor, Cultural Development, Community Programming & Events, 807-628-5250, laurie.abthorpe@thunderbay.ca.