# CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award

The Most Outstanding Canadian Award is annually awarded to the best Canadian player in the Canadian Football League. The two nominees for the award are the Lew Hayman Trophy winner from the East Division, and the Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy winner from the West Division. The winner of the award is chosen by the Football Reporters of Canada since 1954. Players born outside Canada may win the award if they become citizens and attain National status.

## Player achievements

The most wins by a player is four, for both Russ Jackson (completed in 1969) and Tony Gabriel (completed in 1978).
The first two-time winner, and also the first to win the award in two consecutive seasons, is Normie Kwong, in 1955 and 1956. The first three-time winner is Jackson, achieved as of 1966, while Gabriel is the only player to win three consecutive awards, from 1976 through 1978.
When a Canadian player is voted the recipient of the CFL's overall Most Outstanding Player Award, they are, of course, the recipient of that same season's Most Outstanding Canadian Award. Only three players have achieved this recognition: Jackson (1963, 1966, 1969), Gabriel (1978) and Jon Cornish (2013).

## CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award winners

| Year | Player | Position | Club |
| 1954 | Gerry James | RB | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 1955 | Normie Kwong | RB | Edmonton Eskimos |
| 1956 | Normie Kwong (2) | RB | Edmonton Eskimos |
| 1957 | Gerry James (2) | RB | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 1958 | Ron Howell | FW | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| 1959 | Russ Jackson | QB | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| 1960 | Ron Stewart | RB | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| 1961 | Tony Pajaczkowski | OG | Calgary Stampeders |
| 1962 | Harvey Wylie | DB | Calgary Stampeders |
| 1963 | Russ Jackson (2) | QB | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| 1964 | Tommy Grant | F | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| 1965 | Zeno Karcz | LB | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| 1966 | Russ Jackson (3) | QB | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| 1967 | Terry Evanshen | WR | Calgary Stampeders |
| 1968 | Ken Nielsen | F | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 1969 | Russ Jackson (4) | QB | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| 1970 | Jim Young | WR | BC Lions |
| 1971 | Terry Evanshen (2) | WR | Montreal Alouettes |
| 1972 | Jim Young (2) | WR | BC Lions |
| 1973 | Gerry Organ | K | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| 1974 | Tony Gabriel | TE | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| 1975 | Jim Foley | WR | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| 1976 | Tony Gabriel (2) | TE | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| 1977 | Tony Gabriel (3) | TE | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| 1978 | Tony Gabriel (4) | TE | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| 1979 | Dave Fennell | DT | Edmonton Eskimos |
| 1980 | Gerry Dattilio | QB | Montreal Alouettes |
| 1981 | Joe Poplawski | SB | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 1982 | Rocky DiPietro | SB | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| 1983 | Paul Bennett | DB | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 1984 | Nick Arakgi | SB | Montreal Concordes |
| 1985 | Paul Bennett (2) | DB | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| 1986 | Joe Poplawski (2) | SB | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 1987 | Scott Flagel | S | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 1988 | Ray Elgaard | SB | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
| 1989 | Rocky DiPietro (2) | SB | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| 1990 | Ray Elgaard (2) | SB | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
| 1991 | Blake Marshall | FB | Edmonton Eskimos |
| 1992 | Ray Elgaard (3) | SB | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
| 1993 | Dave Sapunjis | SB | Calgary Stampeders |
| 1994 | Gerald Wilcox | SB | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 1995 | Dave Sapunjis (2) | SB | Calgary Stampeders |
| 1996 | Leroy Blugh | DE | Edmonton Eskimos |
| 1997 | Sean Millington | FB | BC Lions |
| 1998 | Mike Morreale | SB | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| 1999 | Mike O'Shea | LB | Toronto Argonauts |
| 2000 | Sean Millington (2) | RB | BC Lions |
| 2001 | Doug Brown | DT | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 2002 | Ben Cahoon | WR | Montreal Alouettes |
| 2003 | Ben Cahoon (2) | SB | Montreal Alouettes |
| 2004 | Jason Clermont | SB | BC Lions |
| 2005 | Brent Johnson | DE | BC Lions |
| 2006 | Brent Johnson (2) | DE | BC Lions |
| 2007 | Jason Clermont (2) | SB | BC Lions |
| 2008 | Kamau Peterson | WR | Edmonton Eskimos |
| 2009 | Ricky Foley | DE | BC Lions |
| 2010 | Andy Fantuz | SB | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
| 2011 | Jerome Messam | RB | Edmonton Eskimos |
| 2012 | Jon Cornish | RB | Calgary Stampeders |
| 2013 | Jon Cornish (2) | RB | Calgary Stampeders |
| 2014 | Jon Cornish (3) | RB | Calgary Stampeders |
| 2015 | Brad Sinopoli | WR | Ottawa Redblacks |
| 2016 | Jerome Messam (2) | RB | Calgary Stampeders |
| 2017 | Andrew Harris | RB | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 2018 | Brad Sinopoli (2) | WR | Ottawa Redblacks |
| 2019 | Henoc Muamba | LB | Montreal Alouettes |
| 2020 | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021 | Bo Lokombo | LB | BC Lions |
| 2022 | Nathan Rourke | QB | BC Lions |
| 2023 | Brady Oliveira | RB | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 2024 | Brady Oliveira (2) | RB | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |

## Team achievements

Teams represented by Most Outstanding Canadian Award winners through the years.
| Club | # of Winners | Most recent |
| Ottawa Redblacks/Renegades/Rough Riders | 12 | 2018 |
| BC Lions | 11 | 2022 |
| Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 11 | 2023 |
| Calgary Stampeders | 9 | 2016 |
| Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 8 | 1998 |
| Edmonton Elks/Eskimos | 7 | 2011 |
| Montreal Alouettes/Concordes | 6 | 2019 |
| Saskatchewan Roughriders | 4 | 2010 |
| Toronto Argonauts | 1 | 1999 |
| Total for Nine Clubs | 67 | |
Notes:
* ↑ As defined in the 2023 CFL Guide & Record Book, for historical record purposes, the Ottawa Football Clubs are considered to be a single entity since 1876 with two periods of inactivity (1997–2001 and 2006–2013).
* ↑ Edmonton Eskimos changed their name to Edmonton Elks as of the 2021 CFL season.
* ↑ Montreal Alouettes folded and were replaced by the Montreal Concordes during a four season (1982–1985), but were renamed to Alouettes in 1986.