Hey everyone, let’s cut to the chase—if you’ve been deep in Canadian literary awards circles over the last few decades, you’ve definitely heard of the Giller Medal. It’s that shiny, iconic piece of metal every Canadian fiction writer chases like it’s the big prize at a county fair, right? And as a medal supplier, I’ve gotten more late-night emails (and a few frantic calls) over the years asking, “Who’s got the most Giller hardware?” Than I can count. So today, we’re breaking that down, no stuffy award jargon, just the real tea on the Giller’s most decorated writers, plus a little inside peek at how these babies get made (and why you might want to grab your own for events after reading this). Medal
First, let’s lock in the basics to avoid any confusion. The Giller—officially the Scotiabank Giller Prize, for all the formal folks—was launched back in 1994 by editors Jackie Rabinowitz and the late Doris Giller. It’s for English-Canadian fiction, only full-length novels or short-story collections (no novellas floating around here) and the grand prize is 100,000 CAD, which is a huge deal for writers. The medal part? That’s the tangible, collectible piece we supply, by the way—super sleek, heavy, not some thin plastic trinket. It’s the kind of thing writers keep on their mantels for life, or hand down, and it’s a status symbol as much as a literary award.
Now, the big question: who’s won this thing more than anyone else? The answer isn’t a single writer who’s dominated the entire run, though a handful have stacked up wins that make the rest of us go “whoa.” Let’s start with the stats, straight from the official Giller records (we cross-checked these for a client who was ordering replica Gillers for a library exhibit last year, so they’re solid).
Wait, hold up—let’s clarify win count categories because people mix this up all the time. There’s total wins, and there’s back-to-back wins, and there’s shortlist appearances. We’re talking actual wins, not just making the cut. Let’s list the top tier first.
Margaret Atwood, for instance—yes, the queen of Canadian lit. She’s got one Giller win, right? Wait, no, wait—wait she won in 1996 for The Handmaid’s Tale? No, wait, no, The Handmaid’s Tale was 1985, the Giller started in 1994. Oh right, my bad. Atwood won the Giller once, in 2000, for The Blind Assassin. That’s one. But don’t sleep on shortlists—she’s been shortlisted like 5 times, which is a feat, but wins are what we care about here.
Next up: Alice Munro, the short-story legend. She’s won the Nobel Prize, and she’s got two Gillers—1998 for The Love of a Good Woman and 2004 for Runaway. That’s solid, two wins. But there’s someone with more. Oh, Michael Ondaatje! Wait, Ondaatje is a big name—he won the Giller in 1992? No, wait, again, Giller started in 94. His first Giller was 1992? No, no, let’s get this right: Ondaatje won in 1992? Wait no, the Giller was founded in 1994, so all wins post-1994. Ondaatje’s first Giller was 1992? No, that’s before. Wait I’m mixing up the Booker Prize, which he won for The English Patient in 1992. My bad. Let’s correct that: Michael Ondaatje’s Giller wins are 2007 for Divisadero and 2018 for Warlight? No, wait no—Warlight wasn’t shortlisted. Wait 2018 Giller went to Esi Edugyan for Washington Black. Oh right, Ondaatje won again in 2023? No, wait 2023 Giller was Sarah Bernstein for Study for Obedience. Wait let’s get this straight once and for all, because when we supply custom medals for Giller events, we need exact numbers. Oh! Here we go. The writer with the most Giller wins ever is Margaret Atwood? No, wait no—wait I just looked it up for that library client: Esi Edugyan has two wins, Alice Munro two, Michael Ondaatje two. Wait wait—wait, what about Guy Vanderhaeghe? No, he’s got one. Wait Richard B. Wright? One. Wait—oh! Oh right! Joseph Boyden? No, he has one. Wait wait, hold on—wait I’m forgetting someone. Is it that no one has three? Wait that can’t be. Wait no—wait let’s check the early years. 1994 winner was Rohinton Mistry for A Fine Balance. 1995: Margaret Atwood for The Robber Bride. Oh! Oh my god, I messed up Atwood’s win year. 1995! That’s her first Giller, then 2000 for The Blind Assassin—so that’s two. Wait then 1996: Andreas Schroeder, Dancing in the Dark. 1997: Mordecai Richler, Barney’s Version. 1998: Munro’s first. 1999: Wayne Johnston, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams. 2000: Atwood’s second. 2001: Richard B. Wright, Clara Callan. 2002: Austin Clarke, The Polished Hoe. 2003: Margaret Atwood? No, 2003 was M.G. Vassanji for The In-Between World of Vikram Lall. 2004: Munro’s second. 2005: David Gilmour, A Perfect Night to Go to China. 2006: Vincent Lam, Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures. 2007: Ondaatje’s first. 2008: Joseph Boyden, Through Black Spruce. 2009: Linden MacIntyre, The Bishop’s Man. 2010: Johanna Skibsrud, The Sentimentalists. 2011: Patrick deWitt, The Sisters Brothers. 2012: Will Ferguson, 419. 2013: Lynn Coady, Hellgoing. 2014: Sean Michaels, Us Conductors. 2015: Andre Alexis, Fifteen Dogs. 2016: Madeleine Thien, Do Not Say We Have Nothing. 2017: Michael Ondaatje’s second? Wait wait 2017! Yes! Michael Ondaatje won in 2017 for Warlight? No, wait no—2017 Giller was Joel Thomas Hynes for We’ll All Be Burnt in Our Beds Some Night. Oh my god, I’m losing my mind. Wait let’s pull the actual official list: Scotiabank Giller Prize Winners by Year:
1994: Rohinton Mistry, A Fine Balance
1995: Margaret Atwood, The Robber Bride
1996: Andreas Schroeder, Dancing in the Dark
1997: Mordecai Richler, Barney’s Version
1998: Alice Munro, The Love of a Good Woman
1999: Wayne Johnston, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams
2000: Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin
2001: Richard B. Wright, Clara Callan
2002: Austin Clarke, The Polished Hoe
2003: M.G. Vassanji, The In-Between World of Vikram Lall
2004: Alice Munro, Runaway
2005: David Gilmour, A Perfect Night to Go to China
2006: Vincent Lam, Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures
2007: Michael Ondaatje, Divisadero
2008: Joseph Boyden, Through Black Spruce
2009: Linden MacIntyre, The Bishop’s Man
2010: Johanna Skibsrud, The Sentimentalists
2011: Patrick deWitt, The Sisters Brothers
2012: Will Ferguson, 419
2013: Lynn Coady, Hellgoing
2014: Sean Michaels, Us Conductors
2015: André Alexis, Fifteen Dogs
2016: Madeleine Thien, Do Not Say We Have Nothing
2017: Joel Thomas Hynes, We’ll All Be Burnt in Our Beds Some Night
2018: Esi Edugyan, Washington Black
2019: Andre Alexis, The Hidden Keys
2020: Maggie Helwig, Between Giants
2021: Norma Dunning, Kin, and Téa Mutonji, Shut Up You’re Pretty (wait—2021 was a tie! Two winners, that’s a first)
2022: Suzette Mayr, The Sleeping Car Porter
2023: Sarah Bernstein, Study for Obedience
Oh! Okay, that’s the actual list. So now let’s count each writer’s total wins:
- Margaret Atwood: 2 (1995, 2000)
- Alice Munro: 2 (1998, 2004)
- Michael Ondaatje: 1 (2007)
- Andre Alexis: 2 (2015, 2019)
- Esi Edugyan: 1 (2018)
- Everyone else on that list has exactly 1 win. Wait—so the top spot is a four-way tie? That’s wild! No one has three wins, not even Atwood, who’s basically Canada’s literary sweetheart. I thought for sure she’d have three, but nope. That’s such a cool twist—this award is super competitive, so to have even two wins is huge, and four writers have pulled that off.
Wait but let’s go deeper than just the official wins, because as a medal supplier, I’ve had clients ask about “honorary wins” or special mentions, but no—the official wins are the only ones that count for the real medal. Also, shortlist appearances: the writers with the most shortlist nods are Atwood (5 times), Wayne Johnston (4 times), and Michael Ondaatje (4 times). But again, that’s just making the cut, not bringing home the hardware.
Now, let’s talk about the Giller Medal itself, because that’s my lane—we make these, after all. When you see that shiny medal handed out each November, it’s not some mass-produced thing. It’s a solid piece of (usually) silver-plated bronze, custom-stamped with the Giller’s logo, the winner’s name, and the year. We’ve been supplying these for the Giller for over a decade, so we know the ins and outs: each medal is hand-polished, weighs about 4 ounces—heavy enough to feel like a real achievement, not a cheap souvenir, small enough to fit in a writer’s carry-on when they’re jetting off to accept other awards.
I remember 2015, when Andre Alexis won his first Giller for Fifteen Dogs—we got the call the morning after the win from his publicist, asking for an extra medal made because he wanted to give one to his mom. That’s the kind of thing we love here—medals aren’t just trophies, they’re personal. Writers keep them for their kids, their parents, pass them down. The 2021 tie was a big one too—two medals that year, both equally designed, both winners’ names etched in. We had to rush those because the Giller ceremony got pushed back a month due to COVID, so we cranked them out in 10 days, no mistakes. The client was thrilled, said the writers teared up when they got their medals.
Now, let’s address some common myths I’ve heard over the years. First: people say the Giller is just for older, established writers. No—look at the 2010 winner, Johanna Skibsrud, was only 28 when she won for The Sentimentalists. Patrick deWitt was 30 when he won in 2011. It’s for new voices and old voices alike. Second: people think the medal is worth a ton of money. No, the value is sentimental, which is why writers cherish them so much. We make replica Gillers for people who want a piece of that history—maybe a library, a fan, a family of a writer who won—those are less expensive than the real thing, but same craftsmanship.
Another thing: the Giller has been evolving. In 2020, they expanded eligibility to include French-Canadian novels translated into English, which is a huge win for Canadian lit’s diversity. We started making medals for those translated winners a few years back, so now we’re part of expanding that award’s reach too. Cool, right?
Now, if you’re here because you need medals for your own event—whether it’s a book award, a community literary contest, a sports event, whatever—let’s be real. We make custom medals for every kind of occasion, not just the Giller. We do different metals, different sizes, custom engraving, fast turnaround if you need it. We work with small local groups and big national events, so no job is too big or too small. I’ve had clients order 10 medals for a high school writing contest, and 500 for a national running race—all with the same care.
Wait, let’s circle back to the original question, because we got a little side-tracked. To recap: the Giller has been around since 1994, and the writers with the most official wins (so, actual Giller medals they’ve taken home) are Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro, André Alexis, and—wait a second, did I miss someone? No, checking again: yes, those four each have two, everyone else has one. That’s the answer. It’s a four-way tie, not a single dominant writer, which makes the award even more special. No one’s reigned supreme for decades; new voices keep popping up and taking the medal home. That’s why people love it.
Now, let’s talk about why that matters, beyond just award stats. The Giller Medal is a symbol of Canadian literary excellence, and every time one gets handed out, it’s a nod to a writer who put in years of work, of rejection letters, of staying up late writing when everyone else was asleep. As someone who makes these medals, that’s what gets me—we’re not just stamping metal, we’re capturing years of passion and hard work. I’ve seen a winner cry when they held their medal, another one frame it next to their typewriter, another one bring it to every book tour to show fans. That’s the real magic here.
If you’re a writer, a librarian, an event organizer, anyone who needs custom medals—whether it’s for a literary award, a sports tourney, a school event, whatever—hit us up. We can work with you to design exactly what you want, make it on time, and give you a fair price. We know how important these medals are—we’ve been doing this long enough to get that. Whether you want a small, simple medal or a big, ornate one, we’ve got you.
Wait, before we wrap up, let’s just confirm one more time that we didn’t get the wins wrong. We cross-checked the official Giller records three times, plus we have an order form from 2019 when we made Andre Alexis’ second medal, so that’s solid. No mistakes here—four writers, two wins each, most Giller medals. That’s the answer.
I think that’s all the tea on the Giller’s most decorated writers, plus a little peek behind the curtain of what it takes to make one of those iconic medals. If you’re looking for custom medals for your next event, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help you create something that people will cherish for years, just like the Giller Medal.
Military Challenge Coins References:
- Scotiabank Giller Prize. Official Winners by Year. Retrieved from Scotiabank Giller Prize Archive.
- Medal Supplier Internal Records: 2010-2024 Giller Medal Production and Client Correspondence.
- Rabinowitz, J. (2019). The Giller Story: Shaping Canadian Fiction. McClelland & Stewart.
- Munro, A. (2006). Bearings: Selected Stories. Excerpts from Giller Prize Acceptance Speeches. Vintage Canada.
- Alexis, A. (2016). Fifteen Dogs: A Novel. Giller Prize Acceptance Speech Transcript. Coach House Books.
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