Elton John has been chosen as the Laureate of the 15th Glenn Gould Prize, a prestigious honor presented every two years to a person “whose body of work has enriched the human condition through the arts.”
John will be presented the prize during a gala celebration that will take place this fall in Toronto.
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The award was established in 1987 by The Glenn Gould Foundation to honor the legacy of the late renowned Canadian classical pianist Glenn Gould.
“After spending decades admiring the virtuosity of Glenn Gould’s work, I am awestruck and honoured to receive this award,” John said in a statement.
Elton was chosen for the honor because of his impressive musical achievements and influence, as well as for his charitable work and social activism.
The announcement notes that John has amassed “over 300 million albums sold, and more than 50 Top 40 hits. It also points out that he is “one of only a handful of EGOT winners in history,” having won “five Grammy Awards, two Academy Awards, an Emmy Award and a Tony Award.” In addition, the announcement also mentions that his song “Candle in the Wind,” which he co-wrote with longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin, “is the best-selling physical single of all time.”
Regarding Elton’s humanitarian contributions and social activism, the proclamation notes that his Elton John AIDS Foundation has raised more than $600 million in support of the prevention, treatment, and care for people affected by HIV/AIDS around the world. It also acknowledges Elton’s work championing “LGBTQ+ rights, fighting discrimination … advocating for equality,” and supporting emerging artists.
More About the Glenn Gould Prize
The Glenn Gould Prize, referred to by some as the “Nobel Prize of the Arts,” is presented to a living person of any nationality. The honoree can be from any creative field.
The Glenn Gould Prize Laureate receives a cash award of 100,000 Canadian dollars (about $70,000). In addition, the Laureate gets to pick a worthy young artist to receive the Glenn Gould Protégé Prize, which also includes a cash award of 25,000 Canadian dollars (about $17,500).
The honoree is chosen by a diverse international jury of artists and cultural leaders. The jury includes respected individuals from the worlds of music, politics, law, literature, media, film, and dance. Among the factors considered in awarding the prize are “transcendent excellence, innovation, humanitarian and social contributions, and the influence of their work either on their discipline or the broader culture.”
The 2025 jury was led by Kim Campbell, who in 1993 served as Canada’s Prime Minister. of Canada. Other jury members included award-winning actor Jeremy Irons and Billy Elliot/Rocketman screenwriter Lee Hall.
“Elton John has used his enormous talent and his great success to change lives,” Campbell said in a statement. “He’s been courageous in taking on causes … and all sorts of issues that were not popular when he engaged with them and he was prepared to take the wonderful success that his musical talent had given him to make a difference in the world. And from our perspective that represents the highest level of achievement for an artist and celebrates the memory of Glenn Gould in the best way.”
Previous Glenn Gould Prize Laureates
Among the previous honorees of the prize are jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, conductor/composer André Previn, singer/songwriter/poet Leonard Cohen, composer pianist Philip Glass, and opera singer Jessye Norman. The most recent Glenn Gould Prize was presented to Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel in 2022.