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
|
1971
|
Victor
Schultz
|
| 1931
|
Ross
D. Pratt
|
1972
|
Elinor
Lawson
|
| 1932
|
Pearl
Palmason
|
1973
|
Mita
Seetner
|
| 1933
|
Marjorie
Dillabough
|
1974
|
Douglas
Finch
|
| 1934
|
Harry
Leifer
|
1975
|
Laurence
Leydier
|
| 1935
|
Freda
Trepel
|
1976
|
Tamara
Bernstein
|
| 1936
|
Bohdan
Lechow
|
1977
|
Michael
Dolovich
|
| 1937
|
Shirley
Trepel
|
1978
|
Dietmar
Schmuecker
|
| 1938
|
Luba
Novak
|
1979
|
Lori
Epp
|
| 1939
|
Edward
Lincoln
|
1980
|
Barrie
Barrington
|
| 1940
|
Mary-Louise
Nighswander
|
1981
|
Gerald
Legiehn
|
| 1941
|
June
Turner
|
1982
|
Erica
Pestyk
|
| 1942
|
Naomi
Civkin
|
1983
|
John
Mayba
|
| 1943
|
Winnifred
J. Scott
|
1984
|
Dale
Stammen
|
| 1944
|
Alma
Walberg
|
1985
|
Thomas
Wiebe
|
| 1945
|
Vera
Sopuck
|
1986
|
Sandra
Froese
|
| 1946
|
Sheila
Munroe
|
1987
|
Deborah
Smythe
|
| 1947
|
Marvin
Johnson & John Lemieux (tie)
|
1988
|
Blair
Galston
|
| 1948
|
Marvin
Johnson
|
1989
|
Kathy
Masaki
|
| 1949
|
Gilbert
Munroe
|
1990
|
Kelvin
Enns
|
| 1950
|
Anne
Henderson
|
1991
|
Ryan
McClelland & Glenys Webster
|
| 1951
|
Marion
Ross
|
1992
|
Chris
Smythe
|
| 1952
|
Norman
Chapman
|
1993
|
Darren
Wong
|
| 1953
|
Wanda
Dick
|
1994
|
Monica
Guenter
|
| 1954
|
Sandra
Sisler
|
1995
|
Victoria
Gomon
|
| 1955
|
Friema
Guberman
|
1996
|
Jennifer
Tan
|
| 1956
|
Freda
Coodin
|
1997
|
Kristina
Bauch
|
| 1957
|
Marilyn
Boyd
|
1998
|
Scott
Meek
|
| 1958
|
Ailsa
Lawson
|
1999
|
Michael
Nicolas
|
| 1959
|
Joyce
Redekop
|
2000
|
Tanya
Gerl
|
| 1960
|
Lynne
Rudiak
|
2001
|
Darryl
Friesen
|
| 1961
|
Andrew
Dilay
|
2002
|
Ronald
Cheung
|
| 1962
|
Esther
Trager
|
2003
|
Nina
Zhou
|
| 1963
|
Marilyn
Gay Morden
|
2004
|
Jeff
Dyrda
|
| 1964
|
Eric
Wilson
|
2005
|
Rachel
Hinton
|
| 1965
|
Robert
Kraichy
|
2006 | Keith Dyrda |
| 1966
|
Arne
Wagner
|
2007 | Sheldon Xu |
| 1967
|
Nadya
March
|
2008 | Steve Melnyk |
| 1968
|
Roy
Roshko
|
2009 | Joshua Peters |
| 1969
|
Marian
Houston
|
2010 | Jennifer Yong |
| 1970
|
Elizabeth
Lupton
|
2011 | Matthew Packer |