Canadian stars to perform in his honour at the Great Canadian Casino Resort gala on May 9, 2026, also include Ron Sexsmith, Jeremy Dutcher, LOONY, Ryan Wang and Emily D'Angelo.
The English rock superstar has just been named the 15th Glenn Gould Prize Laureate and he will be honoured at The Glenn Gould Prize Gala on May 9 at The Theatre at Great Canadian Casino Resort in Toronto.
The announcement was made by The Glenn Gould Foundation, which also revealed a star-studded lineup of Canadian artists hand-selected by John.
Performers include Diana Krall, internationally-acclaimed singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith, Juno-winning rockers The Beaches, Juno and Polaris-winning vocalist, composer and pianist Jeremy Dutcher, pop/neo-soul artist LOONY, Juno and Leonard Bernstein Award-winning mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo and classical pianist Ryan Wang. The evening will also feature the presentation of The Glenn Gould Protégé Prize, with the winner to be announced later this month.
Named for the iconic and pioneering Canadian pianist Glenn Gould, the Prize honours those whose work embodies Gould's innovative spirit. It is considered one of the world’s most prestigious international cultural honours and has been dubbed the “Nobel Prize of the Arts.” Awarded bienially, it recognizes a living individual of any nationality or creative field for a lifetime of artistic achievement that has enriched humanity.
Established in 1987, the prize includes a $100,000 award for the Laureate, who also personally selects a young artist to receive the CDN $25,000 Glenn Gould Protégé Prize, celebrating the vital role of mentorship.
Elton John was selected as Laureate by an international jury of artists and cultural leaders that included Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada; Jeremy Irons, Academy Award, Tony Award, and Emmy Award-winning actor; Sam Jackson, Controller of BBC Radio 3 and BBC Proms, Honourary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music; Martin Katz, Academy Award-winning Canadian film and television producer and Member of the Order of Canada; Chris Levine, internationally acclaimed light artist; Alexander Neef, General Director of the Paris Opera; Lee Hall, celebrated playwright and screenwriter (Billy Elliot, Rocketman); Nyla Innuksuk, Inuk filmmaker and VR pioneer championing Indigenous storytelling; Bernhard Schlink, author of The Reader and recipient of Germany’s Order of Merit.
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“In selecting Elton John, we chose to honour someone whose artistic achievements have been transformed into profound social impact,” said Ms. Campbell. “He has used his success to change lives, embodying the very highest ideals of the arts.”
With a career spanning more than five decades, Elton John has heavily influenced modern music while using his global platform to effect profound social change. He has sold over 300 million albums worldwide and is among the few artists to attain EGOT status. His song “Candle in the Wind,” written with longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin, remains the best-selling physical single of all time.
Through the Elton John AIDS Foundation, founded in 1992, he has helped raise over $650 million for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care worldwide. He is also a tireless advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, mental health, addiction awareness and the nurturing of emerging artists.
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The distinguished list of previous Glenn Gould Prize Laureates include Canadians Leonard Cohen, Oscar Peterson, R. Murray Schafer, Robert Lepage and Alanis Obomsawin, alongside such international luminaries as Philip Glass, Pierre Boulez, Yo Yo Ma, Andre Previn and Lord Yehudi Menuhin.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Thursday, Mar. 12 at 10 am ET via Ticketmaster.
