These are Canada's Award-Winning Magicians & Grand Prix Champions
The FISM World Championship of Magic is like the Olympics for magicians. The top prize for magicians is the "Grand Prix," and it's not always awarded.
Have any Canadian magicians won the coveted prize? Let's take a look!
Canadian World Champions
Winning the FISM World Championship of Magic can be career-changing. However, it takes years to craft and polish an award-winning routine, and the world-acclaimed competition only happens every three years.
Magicians must first qualify and be represented by their country's FISM-recognized magicians association. For example, Canadians are represented by the Canadian Association of Magicians or the Quebec Magic Club.
The Grand Prix title is given in stage magic and close-up-- but it's not always awarded.
Have many Canadians won the top prize? It's complicated.
Before the Canadian Association of Magicians was founded in 1997, competing Canadians could not earn the Championships' top prize. In fact, in 1994, many people felt Canadian magician Greg Frewin was cheated the Grand Prix because Canada had no official unifying magician association.
It was the spark Joan Caesar needed to start the Canadian Association of Magicians.
Let's take a look at Canadian Champions of Magic!
Canadian FISM Winners
Here are the Canadian FISM Award Winners throughout history.
2015 Rimini XXVI World Championship
1st - Card Magic - Shin Lim
2009 Beijing XXIV World Championship
Grand Prix Close-up Shawn Farquhar (Canada)
1st - Close-up Cards - Shawn Farquhar (Canada)
1997 Dresden XX World Championship
1st - Manipulation Juliana Chen Canada
1994 Yokohama XIX World Championship
1st - General Magic Greg Frewin Canada
1st - Micromagic Carl Cloutier Canada
Canada made history as the first Western country to host the FISM World Championship of Magic in 1975, which was held in Montreal. In 2016, Toronto hosted its second FISM World Championship of Magic in over 40 years!
Learn more about the historic event here.
Have you seen any of these award-winning Canadian magicians perform live?
