The Governor General's Award for English-language drama honours excellence in Canadian English-language playwriting. The award was created in 1981 when the Governor General's Award for English-language poetry or drama was divided. Because the award is presented for plays published in print, a play's eligibility for the award can sometimes be several years later than its eligibility for awards, such as the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Play or the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award, which are based on the theatrical staging. Titles which compile several works by the playwright into a single volume may also be nominated for or win the award.

Winners and nominees

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Multiple winners and nominees

2 Wins

6 Nominations

5 Nominations

4 Nominations

3 Nominations

2 Nominations

Drew Hayden Taylor and Anosh Irani have also both been nominated for the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction. James Reaney won the award three times before Poetry and Drama were split in 1981 into separate categories. Mishka Lavigne is the first person to be nominated for both the English and French language awards for Drama.