The Governor General's Award for French-language poetry or drama was a Canadian literary award that annually recognized one Canadian writer for a work of poetry or drama published in French. It was one of the Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit from 1959 to 1980, after which it was divided into the award for French-language poetry and award for French-language drama. The Governor General's Awards program is administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.
The program was created and inaugurated in 1937, for 1936 publications in two categories, conventionally called the 1936 awards. French-language works were first recognized by the 1959 Governor General's Awards.
| Year | Author | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Anne Hébert | French: Poèmes | |
| 1961 | No award presented | ||
| 1962 | Jacques Languirand | French: Les insolites et les violons de l'automne | |
| 1963 | Gatien Lapointe | French: Ode au Saint-Laurent | |
| 1964 | Pierre Perrault | French: Au cœur de la rose | |
| 1965 | Gilles Vigneault | French: Quand les bateaux s'en vont | |
| 1966 | Réjean Ducharme | French: L'avalée des avalés | |
| 1967 | Françoise Loranger | French: Encore cinq minutes | |
| 1968 | No award presented | ||
| 1969 | Jean-Guy Pilon | French: Comme eau retenue |
| Year | Author | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Jacques Brault | French: Quand nous serons heureux | |
| 1971 | Paul-Marie Lapointe | French: Le réel absolu | |
| 1972 | Gilles Hénault | French: Signaux pour les voyants | |
| John Newlove | Lies | ||
| 1973 | Roland Giguère | French: La main au feu | |
| 1974 | Nicole Brossard | French: Mécanique jongleuse suivi de Masculin grammaticale | |
| 1975 | Pierre Perrault | French: Chouennes | |
| 1976 | Alphonse Piché | French: Poèmes 1946-1968 | |
| 1977 | Michel Garneau | French: Les célébrations et Adidou Adidouce | |
| 1978 | Gilbert Langevin | French: Mon refuge est un volcan | |
| 1979 | Robert Melançon | French: Peinture aveugle |
| Year | Author | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Michel van Schendel | French: De l'oeil et de l'écoute |
| See Governor General's Award for French-language poetry and Governor General's Award for French-language drama for 1981 and after. |