John Stephen Hirsch, OC (/hɜːrʃ/; May 1, 1930 – August 1, 1989) was a Hungarian-Canadian theatre director.

He was born in Siófok, Hungary to József and Ilona Hirsch, both of whom were murdered in the Holocaust along with his younger brother István.

His 1976 production of Three Sisters at the Stratford Festival, with Maggie Smith, Martha Henry and Marti Maraden in the title roles, won great acclaim.

[9] In 1977, he was asked to be the artistic director for the first Canada Day extravaganza on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

Some of the past recipients include: David Bergen, Miriam Toews, and Chandra Mayor.