Governor General's Awards

Rush received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement at Ottawa's Rideau Hall on Friday, May 4th.  You can view their acceptance speech at GGPAA.ca.
"We are especially appreciative for the presentation of this lifetime achievement award now - while we are still active (Too active, our families might say!)" said Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart in an emailed statement..."Since our performance 'lifetimes' aren't quite over yet, this high honour is not just a reward; it is an inspiration. We will continue to try to earn it." - Neil Peart, WinnipegPress, March 6, 2012

“That was great, it was fun and it made me proud to live in a country that recognises the performing arts and celebrates excellence in various fields.  A lot of the people were not mainstream artists but they’ve been working their whole lives perfecting their craft. In Canada we’re always fighting for support of the arts. In a lot of countries they subsidies a lot of industries but when it comes to the arts they view it as a gift. Yet the arts can be a very profitable thing to invest in. It’s as valid as investing in the car industry or whatever. So when you see an event like that which celebrates excellence in the performing arts, it sends a very positive message to the artist and the country and it informs young people that the arts matters and don’t be discouraged and follow your passion. Which is what we did.” - Geddy Lee, TapeToTape, May 15, 2012
South Park co-creator Matt Stone took to the stage to recognize Rush members Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart:
"I remember buying their cassettes, tearing home on my BMX, running inside and throwing them into my Walkman, and sitting down to my drum set and just destroying my mom’s afternoon.  Rush was definitely the first band I ever loved." - Matt Stone, Ottawa Citizen, May 7, 2012
The band Inner Volition, the garage band that appeared in the short film "Inner Rush" last month, thank Rush in a short story on Canada's National Arts Center website, May 15, 2012: A Heavy Metal Thank You
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"For some, cultural respectability comes in a flash. For Rush, it took four decades - but who's counting?  That's because the power trio from southern Ontario was elevated into the upper chambers of the Canadian cultural elite Tuesday, when their names were announced as recipients of the 2012 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. The awards were announced in a ceremony at Calgary's Grand Theatre on Tuesday...The winners were selected by peer juries from more than 300 nominations made by the general public over the past year.  In a presentation at Ottawa's Rideau Hall on May 4, each winner receives a commemorative medal struck by the Canadian Mint and $25,000. A gala event at the National Arts Centre follows on May 5." - Calgary Herald, March 6, 2012

"Rush may be perennially overlooked by the U.S. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but the band is getting an award for lifetime achievement at home.  The rock power trio has won a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award. The band members are among the laureates announced Tuesday in Calgary...Rush, formed in 1968 by Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart and Geddy Lee, is one of rock’s most influential bands with remarkable longevity and a track record that includes selling more than 40 million albums.  There’s been an ongoing campaign by Rush fans to have them inducted into the Cleveland-based Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But each year when the nominees are announced, the Canadian trio known for hits such as Closer to the Heart and Fly by Night, is overlooked. The three have been members of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame since 1994." For more visit CBC.ca - March 6, 2012
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