Montreal English Theatre Awards
Save the (new) date! The METAs Committee is working hard to bring you this year’s ceremony virtually, and in order to give you the best show we possibly can, we’re moving the date. Join us Sunday, November 29, 2020 for this year’s virtual ceremony! Stay tuned to find out this year’s hosts, behind the scenes moments, and fun throwbacks of past ceremonies. See you real soon!
Montreal – September 21st, 2020 – For the first time in its history, the Montreal English Theatre Awards Committee announced the nominees for this year’s Awards Ceremony during a live streamed event. The Montreal English Theatre Awards (METAs) recognize and celebrate the outstanding artistic work of the individuals and companies that comprise Montreal’s English Theatre community. Established in 2012, the peer-juried awards exist to promote professional and emerging English theatre artists and companies, to heighten their visibility both regionally and beyond, and to elevate the level of critical discourse about theatre in Montreal amongst artists and with the community at large.
This season was completely unprecedented due to COVID-19 and the cancelation of public gatherings in the spring and summer months. Despite this upheaval, 17 productions were registered for the METAs during the 2019-2020 season. The METAs Jury has selected a robust 75 nominations, and will be awarding 18 trophies at the Ceremony: 16 peer-juried-awards and 2 honorary awards.
This year’s 8th annual Ceremony, presented in partnership with the Conseil des arts de Montréal, will take place on Sunday, November 8th and will be streamed live. [UPDATE: Save the (new) date! The Ceremony has now been moved to November 29, 2020]
The full list of nominees follows.
1. Outstanding Lead Performance – Actor
2. Outstanding Lead Performance – Actress
3. Outstanding Supporting Performance – Actor
4. Outstanding Supporting Performance – Actress
5. Outstanding Ensemble
6. Outstanding Set Design
7. Outstanding Costume Design
8. Outstanding Lighting Design
9. Outstanding Sound Design and / or Music Composition
10. Outstanding Contribution to Theatre
11. Outstanding New Text (Original or Adaptation)
12. Outstanding Emerging Artist(s) – Performance
13. Outstanding Emerging Artist(s) – Production
14. Outstanding Direction
15. Outstanding Independent Production
16. Outstanding PACT Production
Presented in partnership with the Conseil des arts de Montréal
In addition to the preceding juried awards, the following honorary awards will be bestowed during the live streaming METAs Ceremony on November 8th. These awards are community nominated and chosen by a small jury of peers.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Award
Presented in partnership with the Conseil des arts de Montréal
Established to encourage practices of access and inclusion, the EDI recognizes those who embrace the range of cultures, identities, and abilities that make up and enrich our city.
Unsung Hero of the Theatre (UHOT) Award
Celebrating those in our community who too rarely get the public recognition they deserve, the UHOT honours a deserving member of a production or administrative team working behind the scenes.
We are currently accepting submissions for both honorary awards until October 18th: http://metas.ca/awards/honorary-awards/
For more information, please contact us at communications@metas.ca
The Montreal English Theatre Awards Committee is looking for new members to join its volunteer Committee. Our mandate is to serve the vibrant Montreal theatre scene by recognizing and celebrating outstanding work in the community. Candidates from all backgrounds, experience levels and gender identities are encouraged to apply.
METAs Committee members will be expected to commit to a three-year mandate, although tasks and responsibilities may be subject to change during that time. While the Committee prides itself in being understanding and flexible in regards to schedules (we are all volunteers, after all), there will be a significant time commitment required, especially leading up to the ceremony. Applicants will be expected to treat the position with the same respect and responsibility as befits a paid position. Joining the METAs Committee does come with perks, including an annual getaway weekend and the joy of working alongside passionate and dedicated theatre professionals.
The following are three examples of positions that need fulfilling. If you are interested in joining the Committee, but are not sure about fitting the responsibilities listed, please apply nonetheless as duties can shift quickly. Please note that this year’s ceremony will be virtual so the responsibility break-down may be subject to change and not all tasks may apply.
Ceremony Liaison
The Ceremony Liaison is the main point of contact for the creatives involved in the METAs ceremony. They are responsible for assembling the creative team as well as liaising with the rest of the METAs Committee. This member should be creative, organized, have contacts within the artistic community and perform well under pressure.
Tasks include:
Box Office Coordinator
The Box Office Coordinator is in charge of all aspects of ticketing in relation to the annual METAs ceremony. They are in charge of handling and tracking complimentary tickets as well as ticket sales (in collaboration with Communication & Marketing). This member should be organized, have ticketing experience, good customer service and know the major players of the theatre scene.
Tasks include:
Co-Company Liaison
The Company Liaison is a shared position between two METAs Committee members. They are the first point of contact for all production companies applying to be registered for the METAs jury process.
Tasks include:
Please send your CV and a short letter of intent explaining why you are interested in joining the METAs Committee and what you think you may bring to the organization to metac@metas.ca by August 3rd, 2020. Please indicate in the subject of the email which position interests you the most! We are very excited to hear from you and look forward to your replies!
As we reach the end of our unprecedented 2019-2020 season, we here on the Montreal English Theatre Awards Committee have been discussing how best to recognize the outstanding work of our community during a season that was cut short by the pandemic. We are committed to holding space for Montreal theatre companies and artists and are working to ensure that this year’s ceremony is reflective of our core values. Awards institutions across the country have opted to hold their ceremonies virtually, and we have decided to do the same. We believe that this will allow us to prioritize the health of our community while maintaining the visibility and longevity of our thriving theatre scene.
Since 2012, the METAs have been a vital gathering-point to assemble and recognize the artistic achievements of Montreal theatre artists. While we are unable to gather in person this year, the spirit of celebrating the outstanding work of our community shall continue with the eighth annual METAs ceremony being hosted virtually and online. We are looking forward to working within this new medium to provide you with an entertaining, memorable and profound experience from the comfort of your own homes.
Further details regarding the date of the nominees announcement and the ceremony itself will be released soon. In the meantime, we encourage you to reach out with any suggestions you might have at metac@metas.ca
We wish you health, happiness and connectivity during these changing times.
The METAs Committee
The Montreal English Theatre Awards Committee is proud to announce the recipients of the 2018-19 METAs, Montreal English theatre’s largest and most important peer-juried awards. The 7th Annual METAs Ceremony was held on this Sunday evening of November 3rd in one of the city’s most beautiful and historic theatres, the Ludger-Duvernay, for the 2nd year in a row.
Over the course of the 2018-19 theatre season, a jury of over 20 theatre professionals from varied backgrounds and disciplines assessed 31 professional theatre productions across 17 categories, including the newly added category for Outstanding Choreography and / or Movement Direction. An additional 10 community theatre productions were evaluated by a separate community theatre jury for the Community Theatre Award, for a total of 41 productions overall.
The Ceremony was directed by Cristina Cugliandro, written by Willow Cioppa, and hosted by Patrick Émmanuel Abellard (this year’s Outstanding Supporting Performance – Actor recipient) and Kate Hammer. The creative team included production designer Diana Uribe (this year’s Outstanding Costume Design recipient), sound designer Rob Denton (2-time Outstanding Sound Design nominee), lighting designer Andrew Scriver and production stage manager / technical director Danna-Rae Evasiuk.
This year, the METAs Committee awarded the Unsung Hero of the Theatre Award (UHOT) to Lesley Bramhill. Lesley is a staunch advocate for Montreal’s English Theatre on a provincial and national level. Her dedication inspires those of her peers who know of her contribution to keep connecting with others, keep celebrating our strengths and keep finding new ways to encourage investment in our activities; thereby bringing new energy, support and resources into our community.
The second honorary award, the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award (EDI), was awarded to Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal. PWM has established many programs that address specific areas of inclusion: youth (Young Creators Unit), LGBTQ (the Queer Reading Series, and support of the Rose Festival), feminist writing (EsterELLE Retreat), and neurodiverse artists (New Stories Project). Over its 50+ year history, PWM has evolved from an hoc group with homogeneous representation to a national organization that actively seeks to shift the makeup of the Canadian playwriting canon by reflecting the wide range of cultural identities that make up our artistic communities.
The METAs jury determined recipients by way of secret ballot. The ballot was tabulated by an independent auditor, Amelia Facciola of Ponzo, Facciola, Quaglieri CA CPA.