The Governor General's Award, 2002-1937
Since its creation in 1937, the Governor General's Literary Awards has become one of Canada's most prestigious prizes, awarded in both French and English in the following seven categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Drama, Children's Literature-Text, Children's Literature-Illustration, and Translation.

The awards were created by Governor General Lord Tweedsmuir, himself the noted author of The 39 Steps. The awards first only honoured two authors each year, and only those who wrote in English. In 1957 the awards were put under the administration of the Canada Council for the Arts and a cash prize began to be awarded to the winner.

In 1980 the Council began to announce the finalists for the awards a month before they were presented in order to attract more media attention.

2002
English Language
Children's Literature - Text - Martha Brooks, True Confessions of a Heartless Girl
Other Finalists:
Alan Cumyn, The Secret Life of Owen Skye
Deborah Ellis, Parvana's Journey
John Lekich, The Losers' Club
Karen Levine, Hana's Suitcase

Children's Literature - Illustration - Wallace Edwards, Alphabeasts
Other Finalists:
Brian Deines, Dragonfly Kites/pimihákanisa
Marie-Louise Gay, Stella, Fairy of the Forest
Rogé (Roger Girard), When Pigs Fly
Janie Jaehyun Park, The Tiger and the Dried Persimmon

2001
English Language
Children's Literature - Text Winner: Arthur Slade, Dust
Other Finalists:
Brian Doyle, Mary Ann Alice
Beth Goobie, Before Wings
Julie Johnston, In Spite of Killer Bees
Teresa Toten, The Game

French Language
Children's Literature - Text Winner - Christiane Duchesne, Jomusch et le troll des cuisines
Other Finalists:
Cécile Gagnon, Le chien de Pavel
Ann Lamontagne, Les mémoires interdites
Marthe Pelletier, Chante pour moi, Charlotte
Jean-Michel Schembré, Le noir passage

Children's Literature - Illustration Winner - Bruce Roberts, Fidèles éléphants
Other Finalists:
Marjolaine Bonenfant, L'abécédaire des animots
Pascale Constantin, Alexis, chevalier des nuits
Stéphane Poulin, Vieux Thomas et la petite fée
Mylène Pratt, Le dimanche de Madame B

2000
English Language
Children's Literature - Text - Winner - Deborah Ellis, Looking for X
Other Finalists:
Martha Brooks, Being with Henry
Sharon E. McKay, Charlie Wilcox
Sheldon Oberman, The Shaman's Nephew
Duncan Thornton, Kalifax

Children's Literature - Illustration Winner - Marie-Louise Gay, Yuck, A Love Story
Other Finalists:
Nelly and Ernst Hofer, The Snow Queen
Marthe Jocelyn, Hannah's Collections
Regolo Ricci, The Market Wedding
Cybèle Young, Pa's Harvest

French Language
Children's Literature - Text - Winner - Charlotte Gingras, Un été de Jade
Other Finalists:
Guy Dessureault, L'homme au chat
François Gravel, L'été de la moustache
Gilles Tibo, La Planète du petit géant
Hélène Vachon, Le délire de Somerset

Children's Literature - Illustration - Winner - Anne Villeneuve, L'Écharpe rouge
Other Finalists:
Marie-Louise Gay, Sur mon île
Pascale Constantin, Gloups!, Bébé-vampire
Geneviève Côté, La grande aventure d'un petit mouton noir
Gérard Dubois, Riquet à la Houppe