Garry Williams, 2023 Established Artist Recognition Award

Art Pays Me

Garry Williams is an actor, director, singer, writer, musical director, and composer-lyricist.

He received a Merritt Award for his performance as Polonius/Gravedigger in Hamlet, and for his original score for KAMP. Previous nominations include Gloucester in King Lear, Ambrose in The Miracle Man, and Isaac in A Tournament of Lies. His Merritt-nominated scores include Pinocchio, as well as Crypthand, Twelfth Night, Peter Pan and Eduard II/The Jew of Malta.

He has written over a dozen additional scores, scripts, and appeared in countless productions in Nova Scotia, and across Canada. He has co-created experimental works including Café DaPoPo and DaPoPo’s The Drinking Game as DaPoPo Theatre’s Artistic Director, and curated the Live-In Festival for ten years.

Most recently, he wrote music & lyrics for Rain on the Parade, musically directed the River Clyde Pageant: A Windfall in the Hollow, and directed A Beginner’s Guide to the Night Sky.

Presented by Arts Nova Scotia and the Creative Nova Scotia Leadership Council, the Creative Nova Scotia Awards celebrate excellence in artistic achievement.

Award categories are as follows:

• Creative Community Impact
• Prix Grand-Pré
• Established Artist
• Emerging Artist
• Black Artist
• Indigenous Artist
• And finally, The Portia White Prize that is given to a person who has made outstanding and significant contributions to Nova Scotia’s creative community over a sustained career – much like the incredible woman that the award is named after. The winner will also choose an emerging artist or cultural organization that they feel deserve recognition.

Collectively, the awards are worth $75,000! Visit artsns.ca to nominate your favourite Nova Scotian artist or be a boss and nominate your self!

This series would not be possible without the fantastic production work of Heist and Keke Beatz.

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