Veteran comedian/actor Eugene Levy and documentary filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin are among the recipients of the 2008 Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards, to be handed out May 2 in Ottawa.

The GGPAA prize for lifetime artistic achievement is presented to Canucks who have ‘devoted their lives to enriching the cultural life of Canada,’ according to the organization.

The Hamilton, ON-born Levy is best known for his work on the SCTV program (1976-1984), where his memorable roles included dimwitted newscaster Earl Camembert and serious comic Bobby Bittman. He has also made a splash in Hollywood, appearing in more than 50 films, including National Lampoon’s Vacation, Father of the Bride and the popular American Pie franchise.

Obomsawin, a member of the Abenaki Nation, has directed more than 30 documentaries for the National Film Board since 1967, focusing on issues that affect Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. Her best-known work includes the docs Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance (1993), about the Oka crisis in Quebec; Waban-Aki: People from Where the Sun Rises (2006); and Gene Boy Came Home (2007).

Levy and Obomsawin join four other lifetime artistic achievement recipients, including playwright John Murrell, pianist-composer Anton Kuerti, choreographer Brian Macdonald, and Québécois musician Michel Pagliaro.

Governor General Michaëlle Jean will be on hand to present each recipient with a $25,000 cash prize and commemorative medallion.