Michaels Wins 'Governor General' Award

Lorne "Saturday Night Live" Michaels and musician Robbie "The Band" Robertson are among nine Canadians to receive the Governor-General's Performing Arts Awards.

Toronto-born Michaels gained fame as 'National Lampoon'-inspired, creator, executive producer of "Saturday Night Live", broadcast from NBC Studios in New York City. Musician Robertson also born in Toronto, was a guitarist for Bob Dylan's backing outfit 'The Band', before embarking on a solo career as singer, producer and composer.

Others receiving 'lifetime achievement' awards include playwright, author, broadcaster Jacques Languirand, Toronto-based radio, TV producer Mark Starowicz, Quebec actor, director Albert Millaire and Joysanne Sidimus, former principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada.

The Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism went to Georges and Sherif Laoun, a Montreal father and son who have been backers of the arts since the late 1980's.

Richard Bradshaw, general director of the Canadian Opera Company, received the NAC award, on the strength of his success in getting the COC a permanent building in Toronto.

Each winner will receive $15,000 and a commemorative medallion from Governor-General Michaëlle Jean at a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa Nov. 3.

The next evening, a gala and tribute performance is scheduled for the National Arts Centre.

Michaels said Canada is "the country that defined me. It's the country that educated me. It's the country whose values I absorbed."

Past award winners include Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Denys Arcand, David Cronenberg, Jackie Burroughs, Martha Henry, William Hutt, Maureen Forrester and Oscar Peterson.