Peter Katz, CPAE® —
Hall of Fame Keynote Speaker
One of only three Canadian-based speakers ever Inducted into the National Speakers Association's CPAE® Speaker Hall of Fame.
Peter is honoured to have received this award and to join the small circle of speakers who have been inducted into the National Speakers Association Speaker Hall of Fame; a lifetime distinction held by fewer than 200 living speakers worldwide (including the likes of Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, Sally Hogshead, and Jack Canfield).
“From my heart, I am beyond surprised to be recognized in this way. As I've tried to make sense of it, I believe that more than anything, this award is a recognition and celebration of a process. The process of SEEING human beings and honouring the privilege of serving them with great care.”
The Council of Peers Award for Excellence (CPAE®) is the speaking industry's highest lifetime achievement honour. It's awarded by peers, not applied for; with a rigorous evaluation process that examines a speaker's integrity, message, delivery, and body of work over the course of a career, and it's reserved for those who've reached the top of the profession.
This is a full-circle moment for Peter. The honour recognizes not just stage craft, but staying power: in Peter's case, a career built on combining original live music, storytelling, and a category-of-one level of customization that has sparked deeply meaningful moments of connection for audiences and organizations alike.
While it's an important marker of the work so far, as far as Peter is concerned, he's even more energized about what comes next.
Peter is particularly honoured to be inducted alongside his remarkable colleagues Manley Feinberg, Jess Pettit, Anton Gun, and Allison Shapira.
ABOUT THE AWARD
ABOUT THE NATIONAL SPEAKERS ASSOCIATION
The National Speakers Association is the leading, largest and most respected speaking organization in the world, with a mission to support, educate and connect speakers while making a positive impact across the globe.
MEET PETER
Peter Katz doesn't just deliver keynotes. He builds rooms where people feel truly seen. He's built his career as an expert in helping teams recognize, value, and celebrate their individual and collective impacts. His interactive Keynote Concerts feature songs and stories of resiliency, authenticity, and unexpected joy that ignite connection, foster belonging, and create momentum that endures.
Katz's approach sets an industry standard for care and customization. With each event tailored to meet his clients' needs, including customized stories created from actual attendees, he helps leaders and employees at every level create new opportunities for connection and elevation. Audiences leave feeling recognized, empowered and energized by a values-driven vision.
His unique perspective on service has been cultivated from nearly two decades as a JUNO-nominated (Canadian Grammy Awards) internationally-touring singer-songwriter.
After a serious injury interrupted his life on the road, he discovered that the skills he had honed on tour — like creating space for deep connection and communal joy — were applicable to people from any industry and any walk of life.
Katz has delivered his highly customized Keynote Concerts and facilitations to organizations and associations from nearly every industry, including Johns Hopkins Medicine, Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Xerox, Keller Williams, American Express, Sick Kids Hospital, the US Dept of Energy, and the Royal Bank. His in-person events have been praised as "transformational," and he is recognized as a pioneer in creating highly engaging virtual experiences as well. Katz has performed for over 150,000 people virtually from his state-of-the-art broadcast studio, including an invitation to address the House of Commons of Canada.
As an acclaimed musician, Katz is beloved in his home country of Canada and has inspired many with his songs. Renowned CBC radio host Tom Power has praised his music as "one of the most heartfelt, beautiful, and vulnerable records of the year, an astonishing record." Katz's music has been streamed over 35 million times, and his music videos have over 38 million views on YouTube. His music is regularly featured in films and on television, including the 2016 Rio Olympics/Paralympics coverage.
Katz is also the founder of Heartstrings Songwriting Retreats that allows aspiring songwriters of all experience levels to realize their lifelong dream of writing and recording their own song, as well as the co-founder of The Conscious Leaders Quest, an immersive five-day retreat in Costa Rica that invites a holistic approach to mind, body, and business, challenging and equipping leaders to do the vital inner work that transforms the way they lead.