The Governor General’s Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case were created by the Government of Canada, in 1979, on the 50th anniversary of the Privy Council's historic decision that recognized women as persons. The awards salute Canadian contributions to the advancement of women’s equality and celebrate Canada’s evolution as an inclusive society. The awards are presented annually at a ceremony in October.

Recipients of these awards continue the tradition of courage, integrity and hard work inspired by the Famous Five  Their efforts have advanced the cause of equality for girls and women in significant and substantial ways that have enriched their communities. These awards are administered by Women and Gender Equality Canada.

Created in 1996, the Governor General’s History Awards honour excellence in educational and public programming about our  history and heritage.  They celebrate the very best in Canadian achievements to ensure our national past has a vibrant presence in our society today.

The Governor General’s History Awards are administered by Canada’s National History Society, in partnership with the Canadian Historical Association and the Canadian Museums Association.

The Governor General’s Awards are offered in five categories:

• Teaching
• Scholarly Research
• Museums
• Community Programming
• Popular Media

In today’s globally competitive and interconnected world, increasing productivity through the creation of new products and services, improving public sector performance, and building an inclusive, compassionate society will be the keys to Canada’s success as a caring, efficient and prosperous nation. The purpose, therefore, of the Governor General’s Innovation Award is to inspire Canadians to embrace innovation and to emulate innovative, entrepreneurial risk-takers that have developed new or better ways of creating value and that are having a meaningful impact on our quality of life.

The Governor General’s Medals in Architecture recognize and celebrate outstanding design in recently built projects created by Canadian architects. The competition continues a tradition initiated by the Massey Medals, in 1950. This tradition has provided an important source of understanding of the nature of Canadian architecture, and the regional, cultural and historic forces which it expresses. The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, with the RAIC College of Fellows, is responsible for the organization and administration of the competition. The Canada Council for the Arts is responsible for selecting and administering the peer assessment jury.