G. H. Aikins, K.C. donated the Aikins Memorial Trophy to the Winnipeg Music Festival in 1930 in memory of Sir James Aikins, K.C. This trophy is awarded for the most outstanding performance in a competition of Diploma Level instrumentalists.
The son of the Honorable James Cox Aikins, Sir James Aikins was born in 1851 and educated at Upper Canada College and at the University of Toronto. He was called to the bar in Ontario in 1878 and in Manitoba in 1879. Sir James was the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba from 1916 to 1926. He died in 1929.
| Year
|
Winner
|
Year
|
Winner
|
| 1930
|
Eugene
Nemish
|
1970
|
Elizabeth
Lupton
|
| 1931
|
Ross
D. Pratt
|
1971
|
Victor
Schultz
|
| 1932
|
Pearl
Palmason
|
1972
|
Elinor
Lawson
|
| 1933
|
Marjorie
Dillabough
|
1973
|
Mita
Seetner
|
| 1934
|
Harry
Leifer
|
1974
|
Douglas
Finch
|
| 1935
|
Freda
Trepel
|
1975
|
Laurence
Leydier
|
| 1936
|
Bohdan
Lechow
|
1976
|
Tamara
Bernstein
|
| 1937
|
Shirley
Trepel
|
1977
|
Michael
Dolovich
|
| 1938
|
Luba
Novak
|
1978
|
Dietmar
Schmuecker
|
| 1939
|
Edward
Lincoln
|
1979
|
Lori
Epp
|
| 1940
|
Mary-Louise
Nighswander
|
1980
|
Barrie
Barrington
|
| 1941
|
June
Turner
|
1981
|
Gerald
Legiehn
|
| 1942
|
Naomi
Civkin
|
1982
|
Erica
Pestyk
|
| 1943
|
Winnifred
J. Scott
|
1983
|
John
Mayba
|
| 1944
|
Alma
Walberg
|
1984
|
Dale
Stammen
|
| 1945
|
Vera
Sopuck
|
1985
|
Thomas
Wiebe
|
| 1946
|
Sheila
Munroe
|
1986
|
Sandra
Froese
|
| 1947
|
Marvin
Johnson & John Lemieux (tie)
|
1987
|
Deborah
Smythe
|
| 1948
|
Marvin
Johnson
|
1988
|
Blair
Galston
|
| 1949
|
Gilbert
Munroe
|
1989
|
Kathy
Masaki
|
| 1950
|
Anne
Henderson
|
1990
|
Kelvin
Enns
|
| 1951
|
Marion
Ross
|
1991
|
Ryan
McClelland & Glenys Webster
|
| 1952
|
Norman
Chapman
|
1992
|
Chris
Smythe
|
| 1953
|
Wanda
Dick
|
1993
|
Darren
Wong
|
| 1954
|
Sandra
Sisler
|
1994
|
Monica
Guenter
|
| 1955
|
Friema
Guberman
|
1995
|
Victoria
Gomon
|
| 1956
|
Freda
Coodin
|
1996
|
Jennifer
Tan
|
| 1957
|
Marilyn
Boyd
|
1997
|
Kristina
Bauch
|
| 1958
|
Ailsa
Lawson
|
1998
|
Scott
Meek
|
| 1959
|
Joyce
Redekop
|
1999
|
Michael
Nicolas
|
| 1960
|
Lynne
Rudiak
|
2000
|
Tanya
Gerl
|
| 1961
|
Andrew
Dilay
|
2001
|
Darryl
Friesen
|
| 1962
|
Esther
Trager
|
2002
|
Ronald
Cheung
|
| 1963
|
Marilyn
Gay Morden
|
2003
|
Nina
Zhou
|
| 1964
|
Eric
Wilson
|
2004
|
Jeff
Dyrda
|
| 1965
|
Robert
Kraichy
|
2005
|
Rachel
Hinton
|
| 1966
|
Arne
Wagner
|
2006 | Keith Dyrda |
| 1967
|
Nadya
March
|
2007 | Sheldon Xu |
| 1968
|
Roy
Roshko
|
2008 | Steve Melnyk |
| 1969
|
Marian
Houston
|
||