Luciana Fernandes

Luciana received the 2011 Canada Games Young Artist of Excellence Award in 2016. She completed her undergrad at Dalhousie University, then relocated to British Columbia to pursue her MFA in directing at UBC.

Luciana returned to Halifax in 2018 to participate in Neptune Theatre’s Chrysalis Project, which provides practical experience and mentorship to emerging theatre artists.

Devin Huang

Devin began playing piano in 2013 at the age of seven, and has won both awards and competitions since then.

He was the 2017 recipient of the first ever Gordon Murray rising Star Award, and one of the winners of the 2017/18 Chebucto Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, an honour which gave him the opportunity to perform with the Orchestra in the spring of 2018.

Ian Parsons

Ian received Talent Trust scholarships to pursue studies in dance. He trained at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts in Halifax, then attended Canada’s National Ballet School.

Ian began teaching ballet after touring with CATS in 2013, and relocated from London, UK back to Canada three years later.

Charley Young

Born in Alberta, Charley moved to Nova Scotia to pursue her BFA at NSCAD University. She received the Charlotte Wilson-Hammond/Visual Arts Nova Scotia Award and the Lieutenant Governor Award.

Charley is a practing artist who teaches drawing and printmaking at NSCAD University and Mount Allison University in New Brunswick.

Lee Yuen-Rapati

Lee received the Talent Trust 2011 Canada Games Award in 2017, the year he began the MA Typeface Design program at the University of Reading in the UK, which is considered by many in the design industry as the best in the world.

He completed his Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Design at NSCAD University, where he taught as a guest lecturer for two years prior to beginning his MA.

Shanice Skinner

Shanice, a soprano born in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with an Honours Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance in 2017.

Shanice was Nova Scotia’s alto selection for the 2014 National Youth Choir, and soprano for the 2016 National Youth Choir tour in Alberta. She won the Talent Trust Portia White award in 2016, and received a scholarship in 2018 to continue her voice studies.

Special Awards

The 2023 Special Awards Ceremony was held online on December 5, 2023 with performances and the presentation of 16 special awards. This year's ceremony was held in the Paul O'Regan Hall at the Halifax Central Library and included greetings from Talent Trust Honourary Chair, The Honourable Arthur J. LeBlanc, ONS, KC, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia. Watch the 2023 Awards Ceremony here.

For further information, phone (902) 492-6801 or e-mail: scholarship@nstalenttrust.ns.ca

Each year the Talent Trust awards 16 Special Awards, which are awarded at the discretion of the Scholarship Selection Committee.

Award winners are chosen from among the pool of successful recipients who have already received a Talent Trust scholarship for the current application year.

These awards are provided in addition to the scholarship amounts. If an applicant applies to either the March 1 or May 1 deadlines, and is successful in receiving a scholarship for either of those deadlines, their name is automatically put forward for consideration for the Special Awards. No other application requirements are necessary.

In 2023, Rapper / Music Producer Kye Clayton received the NSTT Lieutenant Governor's Award.

The Lieutenant Governor’s Award will be awarded, if merited, to the recipient who, among all others, demonstrates exceptional commitment and potential to become an established artist. The $1,500 award, was established to recognize the support and encouragement of the Lieutenant Governor, who serves as the NSTT's Honorary Chair.

Visual Artist Kaya Panthier is the recipient of the 2023 RBC Emerging BIPOC Artist Award.

The RBC Emerging BIPOC Artist Award was established in 2021 and will be awarded, if merited, to a Black, Indigenous or Person of Color recipient who shows exceptional commitment. Preference will be given to visual arts, film and music students. If no suitable candidate from these three disciplines is found, the Selection Committee may choose a candidate from one of the remaining disciplines. The award is $2500. A recipient may only receive this award once.

“The arts play a critical role in building vibrant communities and strong economies. But despite their incredibly hard work, many artists – and especially those from BIPOC communities – find it hard to reach broader, diverse audiences, which can sometimes hold back their careers,” said Michelle Clare, Regional Vice President, RBC Metro Halifax. “That’s why we’re thrilled to partner with the Nova Scotia Talent Trust to support emerging artists as they advance on their career journey, with the goal of helping them receive national recognition.”

Devon Pennick-Reilly, Screenwriter, won the 2023 RBC Emerging Artist Award.

The RBC Emerging Artist Award was established in 2012 and will be awarded, if merited, to a recipient who shows exceptional commitment. Preference will be given to visual arts, film and music students. If no suitable candidate from these three disciplines is found, the Selection Committee may choose a candidate from one of the remaining disciplines. The award is $2500. A recipient may only receive this award once.

Classical vocalist Abigail Sinclair received the Dr. James Burchill Award in 2023.

The Dr. James Burchill Award will be given out for the first time in December 2020. Dr. James Burchill, a former Talent Trust recipient (1958 through 1961) in organ studies, created the award to give back to the community. The award will be given, if merited, to an organist, choral or instrumental conductor or, if there is no suitable applicant in either of these fields, to a student of another musical instrument or voice. The annual award is $8,000.

"I have always been aware of how important study is in preparation for a professional career and, particularly in our day, how very expensive this is. For my own education, I was helped very considerably by years of awards from the Nova Scotia Talent Trust, and I am delighted to take my turn in helping future music students achieve their goals", states Dr. Burchill.

In 2023, Classical singer Sophia Maskine won the Sheila K. Piercey Legacy Award

The Sheila K. Piercey (Legacy) Award will be given to a Talent Trust scholarship music recipient who shows exceptional commitment and potential in the field of voice. The award is $2,000.

In 2019, the arts community lost Sheila K. Piercey, an accomplished soprano, teacher, mentor, beloved aunt, and loyal friend to many.

Sheila Piercey was so kind to leave a bequest in the amount of $20,000 to the Talent Trust. In consultation with Sheila’s family we decided to honour her legacy by creating a new special award for a voice student.

“We are honoured to be able to continue Sheila Piercey’s legacy through this generous award towards voice studies. We thank Sheila Piercey for thinking of the Talent Trust and her family for their support and help in establishing the special award”, states Jacqueline Steudler, Executive Director NSTT.

Anna Syme, Visual Artist, won the 2023 Susan Wood award.

The Susan Wood Award will be given to a Talent Trust scholarship recipient who shows exceptional commitment and potential in the field of visual arts in printmaking, painting or drawing. The award is $1,500.

In 2018, the arts community lost Susan Wood, an accomplished visual artist, teacher, mentor, beloved mother, family member, and friend to many. To honour her legacy, Visual Arts Nova Scotia (VANS) initiated the creation of The Susan Wood Award and within four short months, exceeded their fundraising goal of $20,000. They received donations from across the country, which was a testament to the national impact of Wood’s legacy.

Visual Artist Naomi Zamir won the 2022 Charlotte Wilson-Hammond/VANS Award.

The Charlotte Wilson Hammond/Visual Arts Nova Scotia Award will be awarded, if merited, to a recipient who shows exceptional commitment and potential in the field of visual arts. The award is made possible by Charlotte Wilson Hammond, who was the 2003 recipient of the Province of Nova Scotia’s Portia White Prize and who named the NSTT as the Portia White Prize Protégé and contributed $7,000 to support the award for as long as the fund lasts. The award is $1,000.

Musical Theatre student Annika Murray is the recipient of the 2023 Theatre Nova Scotia Award.

The Theatre Nova Scotia Award, named for the award’s sponsor, will be awarded, if merited, to a recipient who shows exceptional commitment and potential in theatre. The award is $500.

Choreographer and Contemporary Dancer Minuet Charron is the recipient of the 2023 Robert G. Jackson Award.

The Robert George Jackson Award, named for the late Robert Jackson who loved the arts, was established in 2011 by his widow, Daphne Cruikshanks. It will be awarded, if merited, to a NSTT recipient who shows exceptional commitment and potential in dance. The award is $2,000.

Lara Frame, ballet dancer, is the recipient of the 2023 Janice Merritt Flemming Award.

The Janice Merritt Flemming Award, named for the award’s sponsor, will be awarded, if merited, to a recipient who shows exceptional commitment and potential in dance. Janice Flemming served on the NSTT's Board for 23 years, while making significant contributions within the dance community. The award is $1,000.

Kate Dietz, classical singer, is the recipient of the 2023 Talent Trust Portia White Award.

The Portia White Award, named for the first Nova Scotia Talent Trust scholarship recipient, will be awarded, if merited, to a recipient who shows exceptional commitment and potential in voice. Portia White was supported by the NSTT from 1944 to 1947 while she studied voice in New York City, where she embarked on an illustrious career as an international concert soloist. The $1,000 award is funded by Dalhousie University’s Music in Medicine program.

Pianist Devin Huang won the 2023 Peggy Corkum/Musique Royale Legacy Award.

The Peggy Corkum/Musique Royale Legacy Award New Award: The award was established in 2019 by Barbara Butler in Memory of Peggy Corkum. It will be awarded, if merited, to the pianist who, amongst all others, shows the greatest artistic potential and excellence. The award is $1,000.

After Peggy Corkum's passing in December 2018, Barbara Butler, Artistic Director of Musique Royale, established the award in Peggy Corkum’s honour to be administered by the Nova Scotia Talent Trust, beginning on the organization’s 75^th anniversary in 2019.

Kailan Fournier-Poteet, Clarinetist, is the recipient of the 2023 Kenneth Elloway Award.

The Kenneth Elloway Award, named for musician, composer and conductor, Kenneth A. Elloway, will be awarded, if merited, to a recipient who shows exceptional commitment and potential in classical orchestral conducting or composition; choral music conducting or composition; classical vocal or instrumental performance. The $750 award is funded by the Elloway family.

Cellist Jacob MacDonald is the recipient of the 2023 Yue Lih and Marion Kuo Award.

Yue Lih and Marion Kuo Award will be awarded to a recipient who shows exceptional commitment and potential in music as an instrumentalist. The award is made possible by Marion Kuo and Earl Wadden to recognize Marion’s father Yue Lih Kuo. The award is $1000.

Pianist Luyan Zhang is the recipient of the 2023 Raymond Simpson Award.

The Raymond Simpson Award, named in memory of Raymond Simpson, long-time Secretary for the NSTT who contributed years of service to its management, will be awarded, if merited, to a recipient who shows exceptional commitment and potential in music as an instrumentalist. The award is $1,000.

Calcifer Harris, film producer is the 2023 winner of the Shelagh Mackenzie Award.

The Shelagh Mackenzie Award, named for the late NSTT Board member Shelagh Mackenzie, will be awarded, if merited, to a recipient who shows exceptional commitment and potential in filmmaking. Documentary filmmaker Shelagh Mackenzie’s career took her from the CBC to the National Film Board. The award is $1,000. (no film recipients in 2018)