Six awards for $15,000 each have been created by a partnership of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Governor General of Canada, His Excellency the Right Honorable Romeo LeBlanc, for financing the arts. These awards are given each year to artists who have accomplished significant advances in their careers in the visual and media arts with one additional award given to an artist who by volunteering, making philanthropic contributions or engaging in community outreach has made outstanding contributions to the visual and media arts. This program can be another source of funding for Canadian music students because it includes research and development of audio and new media. This medium includes installations, soundscapes and sound sculptures, as well as innovative modes of expression through sound and technology.
The Canada Council for the Arts in conjunction with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation awards the Healey Willan Prize, one of the Canadian grants for amateur musicians. Every other year, the CBC Radio Competition of Amateur Choirs chooses one choir that is judged to be either the most promising or the most improved. That choir is awarded $5,000, the Healey Willan Prize.
The Amateur Chamber Music Players Foundation, or ACMP, awards grants to encourage the playing of chamber music. Recipients are of all ages and skill levels from around the world, including Canada. These grants for amateur musicians are part of the $3.6 million dollars that have been awarded since 1994. There are four ACMP programs that can provide financing for Canadian music students; Community Music, Chamber Music Workshops, Home Coaching and Special Initiatives, projects that are assessed on a per case basis because they do not fit the parameters of the established programs.
This organization grants millions of dollars to not-for-profit organizations, communities, and charitable organizations to enhance the quality of life in communities across the province, including financing the arts. The Ontario Music Center together with CAMMAC, the Canadian Amateur Musicians, received $50,000 over two years to encourage concerts by amateur and professional musicians in Peterborough region of Ontario.