May 7, 2026
Larry Desrochers Wins 2026 Manitoba Arts Award of Distinction
MANITOBA ARTS COUNCIL MEDIA RELEASE:
Winnipeg, MB – The Manitoba Arts Council is pleased to announce that Larry Desrochers is the winner of the 2026 Manitoba Arts Award of Distinction. This $30,000 prize is awarded annually to a professional artist or arts/cultural professional in recognition of the highest level of artistic excellence and contribution to the development of the arts in Manitoba.
Beyond his impressive 25-year tenure as general director & CEO of Manitoba Opera, Larry has also worked as a producer and administrator in theatre, festivals, film, and large-scale cultural events, often at the forefront of significant change in Canada’s arts and culture sector.
Larry was the inaugural executive director of the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, which has become the second largest of its kind in North America. He was a founding board member of Manitobans for the Arts, an organization that advocates for arts, culture, and heritage in Manitoba. Larry also produced and directed the 1999 Pan American Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies, the largest live-broadcast outdoor stadium event in Canadian history at the time.
His accolades include receiving the University of Winnipeg’s Distinguished Alumni Award, the Winnipeg Arts Council’s Making a Difference Award, the Winnipeg Film Group’s Lifetime Honorary Membership, Opera America’s Distinguished Service Award, and the Opera Canada Ruby Award.
“Thank you to the Manitoba Arts Council for this honour. It is a privilege to be included among past recipients who have contributed so significantly to Manitoba’s cultural life. Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to work alongside many talented artists, staff, volunteers, crew, board members, and supporters, and I accept this award in recognition of collaborative spirit and bold creativity of Manitoba’s arts community,” said Larry Desrochers.
“Larry has shown, time and again, that the arts can bring people together, spark dialogue, celebrate heritage, and create empathy; and that leadership rooted in integrity and compassion can have a transformative effect far beyond any one organization,” said Robert Vineberg, Larry’s nominator.
“Congratulations to Larry Desrochers, as this year’s recipient of the Manitoba Arts Award of Distinction,” said Manitoba’s Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism Minister Nellie Kennedy.
“Larry’s work in arts leadership has been integral in shaping the landscape of arts and culture in Manitoba, and his legacy will have a lasting impact on the people of Manitoba.”
“MAC is so pleased to honour Larry Desrochers with the 2026 Manitoba Arts Award of Distinction,” said Katarina Kupca, Chair of the Manitoba Arts Council. “Over the course of his career, Larry has defined what it means to be an arts leader in its truest form. He has demonstrated innovation, responsibility, advocacy, and most importantly, a philosophy of putting Manitoba artists first.”
The nominations for this award were reviewed by a multidisciplinary panel of peers who make their decision based on the artistic excellence of the candidate’s work and their contribution to the development of the arts in Manitoba. Previous Award of Distinction recipients include Ken Gregory (2025), Jennine Krauchi (2024), Di Brandt (2023), Daina Warren (2022), and Alan Greyeyes (2020).
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The Manitoba Arts Council is an arm’s-length agency of the Province of Manitoba, established in 1965 “to promote the study, enjoyment, production and performance of works in the arts.” MAC makes awards to professional arts organizations and individuals in all art forms including theatre, literature, dance, music, painting, sculpture, architecture or the graphic arts, and includes other similar creative or interpretative activity, including arts education.
For more information, please contact:
Elyse Saurette, Communications Coordinator
Manitoba Arts Council
esaurette@artscouncil.mb.ca
(204) 945-0646
