OLIVEIRA, PHILPOT AND ROURKE UP FOR MOST OUTSTANDING CANADIAN

TORONTO (October 27, 2026) – A pair of former winners will be joined by a first-time challenger in the race for the Canadian Football League’s (CFL) Most Outstanding Canadian. Reigning top Canadian and 2022 winner, BC pivot Nathan Rourke, and the award’s back-to-back recipient from 2023-24, Winnipeg running back Brady Oliveira, will be joined by Montreal wide receiver Tyson Philpot as finalists.

The Blue Bombers’ Jarell Broxton will take on a pair of Alouettes, Nick Callender and Pier-Olivier Lestage, for Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman, while the league’s Most Outstanding Rookie will be decided between Toronto wide receiver Tyler Kahmann, BC linebacker Parker McKenna and Winnipeg defensive back Major Williams.

As part of a revamped awards process, every player who received a vote for team awards advanced to the final ballot for the corresponding CFL Award. The finalists were voted on by the same 36 local members of the Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) who determined team award winners, as well as 20 national members of the FRC, for a total of 56 votes.

The George Reed Most Outstanding Player, Most Outstanding Defensive Player and Most Outstanding Special Teams Player finalists will be announced on October 28.

In lieu of a traditional awards ceremony, the league will introduce a fresh new approach to recognizing the winners of CFL Awards. Recipients will be honoured through special surprise presentations as the season draws to a close and during the postseason, creating more personal and intimate moments to celebrate players’ outstanding seasons. The moments will be shared online, offering fans a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the people and stories behind the statistics and accomplishments. In an effort to increase transparency, the complete ballots for each of the 56 voters will be disclosed.

MOST OUTSTANDING CANADIAN FINALISTS

RB | BRADY OLIVEIRA | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
​Oliveira set the pace for the league’s running backs with his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard+ rushing campaign. The Winnipeg native appeared in all 18 games, rushing for a league-leading 1,493 yards, while averaging 6.3 yards per carry. The University of North Dakota product added 42 receptions for 348 yards and eight total touchdowns.

WR | TYSON PHILPOT | MONTREAL ALOUETTES
​Philpot rewrote CFL history in his fifth season. In 16 games, he set new Canadian records in receiving yards (1,809) and receptions (124, which also ranks third-most all-time). The Delta, B.C., native more than doubled his previous career-best with 13 touchdowns, while recording seven 100-receiving yard+ games.

QB | NATHAN ROURKE | BC LIONS
​Rourke passed for 4,614 yards, marking the second 4,000-yard+ season of his career, while completing 70.5 per cent of his passes. The Victoria native continued to showcase his dual-threat ability, adding 356 rushing yards, while averaging 11.5 yards per carry. He totaled 27 touchdowns with 24 through the air and three on the ground.

MOST OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE LINEMAN FINALISTS

OL | JARELL BROXTON | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
​Broxton made 17 starts for Winnipeg. He and the Blue Bombers’ offensive line paved the way for Oliveira’s league-leading 1,493 rushing yards. The Olny, Md., native ranked second among offensive tackles with a Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade of 75.2 (minimum of 100 snaps).

OL | NICK CALLENDER | MONTREAL ALOUETTES
​Callender started 12 contests for a Montreal offensive line that allowed a league-low 19 sacks. The Colorado State product led the CFL with a PFF pass block grade of 84.2 (minimum of 100 snaps).

OL | PIER-OLIVIER LESTAGE | MONTREAL ALOUETTES
​Lestage suited up for 18 games, including 17 starts, for the Alouettes. The native of Saint-Eustache, Que., was a steady force on an offensive line that led the league in yards per game (420.9) and yards per play (7.5).

MOST OUTSTANDING ROOKIE FINALISTS

WR | TYLER KAHMANN | TORONTO ARGONAUTS
​Kahmann was one of four Argonaut receivers to record 1,000+ yards. The former East Carolina Pirate ranked Top-15 in receptions (77 – 14^th), receiving yards (1,092 – 12^th) and touchdowns (eight – T-5^th). He registered two multi-TD efforts and four 100-yard+ games, while averaging 14.2 yards per catch.

LB | PARKER MCKENNA | BC LIONS
​McKenna appeared in all 18 games, recording 75 defensive tackles, while adding six on special teams. The Washington State alum totaled 92 defensive plays, including four tackles for a loss, one sack and two forced fumbles. The native of Beaverton, Ore., tallied six-or-more defensive tackles on eight occasions.

DB | MAJOR WILLIAMS | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
​Williams started all 18 games in the Blue Bombers’ secondary, ranking second on the team in defensive tackles (77), while adding nine special teams tackles. The native of Fort Myers, Fla., was 11^th in total tackles, and he was tied for fourth with 12 pass knockdowns. He also added three interceptions and one tackle for a loss.