The Polygon Award in First Nations Art celebrates the legacy and creativity of First Nations artists. It honours their role in preserving traditional practices while embracing contemporary art, recognizing their contributions to both their communities and the broader cultural landscape in the province.
By amplifying First Nations voices, the award program builds a deeper appreciation of their artistry and highlights the transformative power of art in advancing understanding across diverse communities. The award also promotes growth and connection among artists, providing opportunities to reach new audiences while acknowledging the artists as stewards of cultural heritage, bridging the past, present, and future.
BC Achievement gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Polygon Homes Ltd.
– Kelly Cannell, 2024 Award Recipient
AWARD PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The Polygon Award in First Nations Art (FNA) program celebrates artistic excellence in traditional, contemporary or media art. It honours artists from BC First Nations who have demonstrated a commitment to their art practice; have accumulated a body of work; and who are recognized in their communities as artists.
WHY NOMINATE OR APPLY
The FNA program advances the collective conversation around First Nations art in BC. Applying for the award serves as a platform to communicate an artist’s work, vision and creativity. The process invites an opportunity for critical artistic reflection and exposes artists to a wider audience.
DATES TO REMEMBER (2025 award program)
February 15, 2025 – Deadline to submit for the 2025 award program
October – Awardees Announced
November – Art Exhibition & presentation ceremony
The completed nomination form and all materials must be by submitted by February 15 @ 11:59 p.m. for the nomination to be considered for the 2025 award program.
Save and Continue Later – If you don’t have all the information on hand, click on the ‘Save and Continue Later’ button at the bottom of the online nomination form – you will be prompted to enter your email and will receive a link that you can access and complete your nomination prior to the deadline.
CHECKLIST – BEFORE YOU START
CATEGORIES
Artists have the option to self-identify in one of two categories: emerging or established.
Emerging: Artists have developed basic techniques through education and/or apprenticeship; and are in the early stages of launching a professional career. They have created and publicly presented a body of independent work and are ready for the next step in their artistic development.
Established: Artists have demonstrated advanced techniques; shown a commitment to their art practice; and are recognized in their community as artists. They have publicly presented a significant body of independent work and serve as mentors in their respective artistic community.
Award of Distinction: A nominator may request that the Established Artist nominee be considered for this award designation.
The Award of Distinction is presented to an Established Artist in recognition of extraordinary and sustained accomplishment in First Nations Art in BC. It is also a commemorative reflection on how these artistic leaders contribute to their communities, how they respect tradition, how they mentor the next generation, and how they transform reality. They ensure that BC is a place filled with astonishing craft, with unique and immensely expressive power, and continuous wonder.
NOMINATOR ELIGIBILITY
Any person, group or organization may submit nominations for the Award with exceptions noted below:
NOMINEE ELIGIBILITY
An eligible nominee must:
An artist may self-nominate (i.e., apply for the award program).
The following are ineligible to receive the Award:
*Visit BC Achievement’s Awardees webpage to see if your nominee is a past recipient of the award.
SELECTION OF AWARDEES
An independent jury panel reviews the nominations and selects the awardees. The decision of the jury is final. Nominees are notified only if selected for an award. Nominators are informed as to whether or not they have been successful with their application.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Award recipients are selected based on the material submitted by the nominator. The work of the nominee should exemplify and demonstrate excellence based on the following criteria:
Up to four artists will awarded including the Emerging Artist.
Crabtree McLennan Emerging Artist – the Crabtree McLennan Emerging Artist designation was established in 2019. Named in honour of Brenda Crabtree, former Director, Aboriginal Programs, Emily Carr University and the late Bill McLennan (1948-2020), Curator Emeritus, UBC Museum of Anthropology, this recognition aims to highlight and support emerging talent.
RECOGNITION
FNA recipients receive a monetary prize of $10,000 and are featured in a recognition film produced by BC Achievement. In addition, they receive a medallion and pin designed by renowned artist Robert Davidson, OC, OBC, and a commemorative framed certificate and letter from the Premier recognizing their achievements.
Awardees are also granted use of the First Nations Art Award seal to signify their creative excellence.
An art exhibition and presentation ceremony will be held to showcase the awardees’ accomplishments.
HOW TO NOMINATE / APPLY
Download the FNA Nomination Guide for tips on how to submit a compelling nomination.
The nominator must complete the online Nomination form and include the following:
Nominator Statement
Please use bullet points.
Max. 3000 characters including spaces or approx. 500 words.
For Emerging Artists – provide a statement that describes how receiving the award would help to advance their career trajectory and support them in achieving the next level of artistic development.
Max. 500 characters including spaces or approx. 80 words.
Nominee’s CV or Resumé
Images & Description
**Please include the image number in the name of the image uploaded** – for example:
Additional Materials – optional, but strongly recommended
*Each link submitted is considered one additional material.
UPDATING A NOMINATION
To update a nomination:
Nominations are valid for three years including the first year of nomination and two subsequent years.
Nominators are strongly encouraged to update their nomination for consideration by the following year’s jury panel if their nominee was not recognized in the previous year’s awardee cohort.
We are happy to send the documents previously submitted for your nominee. Please email rup@bcachievement.com to make your request.
PRIVACY POLICY
BC Achievement is committed to protecting the privacy of people through responsible management of information received. Nominations are kept confidential between the nominator and BC Achievement.
Photographs and information about the award recipients may be used for the promotion of the award program and other promotional activities (i.e., on BC Achievement’s website, social media channels, in media releases etc.).
AWARD OF DISTINCTION
The award is presented to an established artist in recognition of extraordinary and sustained accomplishment in First Nations Art in BC. It is also a commemorative reflection on how these artistic leaders contribute to their communities, how they respect tradition, how they mentor the next generation, and how they transform reality. They ensure that BC is a place filled with astonishing craft, with unique and immensely expressive power, and continuous wonder.
Recipients:
Past Programs
Supporting the Applied Art + Design Award program helps champion innovation, creativity, and excellence in BC’s vibrant design community, while recognizing artists whose work enhances everyday life and strengthens our cultural and creative economy.
BC Achievement is an independent foundation established in 2003 that honours excellence and inspires achievement in British Columbia.
Tel: 604.261.9777
Email: info@bcachievement.com