A NOTE ON PRISM 2020

Over the past eight years, the Prism Prize has become one of Canada’s most important music awards, recognizing the craft of music videos and the talented creators that take them from concept to reality. With these creators in our hearts, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting safety measures implemented by all levels of government, we are saddened to announce the cancellation of the 2020 Prism Prize Grand Prize screening and awards presentation, originally slated for May 11, 2020.

This situation has profoundly affected the creative community. That is why we will be keeping all Prism Prize Top 20 finalists in the running for the Grand Prize. All finalists are also eligible for the Audience Award; we encourage you to vote and show your support for your favourite Canadian creators.

We look forward to celebrating our Grand Prize winner and yet-to-be-announced Special Award honourees at a later date. Until then, we are working on several virtual programming initiatives. More on that soon.

TOP 20 NOMINEES ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2020 PRISM PRIZE

Toronto, February 27, 2020 - Today, the Prism Prize announced the Top 20 Canadian music videos of the year as voted by a jury of more than 120 Canadian music, film and media arts professionals. Jurors reviewed almost 300 eligible music videos to nominate the Prism Prize Top 20.

Now in its 8th year, the Prism Prize is considered one of Canada’s most prestigious and cutting-edge music awards, recognizing the likes of Kaytranada, Charlotte Day Wilson and Grimes in past years. 

THE 2020 PRISM PRIZE TOP 20 (In alphabetical order):

Alaskan Tapes - And, We Disappear (Director: Meredith Hama-Brown)
BAMBII ft. Pamputtae - NITEVISION (Directors: BAMBII & Kostadin Kolev)
Basia Bulat - Your Girl (Director: Brian Dale Sokolowski)
Cartel Madras - Goonda Gold (Directors: Bhaveek Makan & Jashan Makan)
Clairmont The Second - Brick (Director: Clairmont The Second)
Daniel Caesar ft. Koffee - CYANIDE REMIX (Directors: Keavan Yazdani & Sean Brown)
Debby Friday - Fatal (Directors: Debby Friday & Ryan Ermacora)
DOOMSQUAD - General Hum (Director: Zak Tatham)
iskwē - Breaking Down (Director: Jessica Lea Fleming)
Jeremy Dutcher - Mehcinut (Directors: Chandler Levack & Jeremy Dutcher)
Jessie Reyez - Far Away (Director: Peter Huang)
Jordan Klassen - Virtuous Circle (Director: Farhad Ghaderi)
Mac DeMarco - Here Comes The Cowboy (Director: Cole Kush)
Orville Peck - Dead of Night (Director: Michael Maxxis)
PUP - Free at Last (Directors: PUP, Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux, Amanda Fotes)
PUP - Kids (Director: Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux)
Said The Whale - Record Shop (Director: Johnny Jansen)
Sam Tudor - Joseph in the Bathroom (Director: Lucas Hrubizna)
Shad - The Stone Throwers (Gone in a Blink) (Director: Matthew Progress)
Shay Lia - Good Together (Director: CARAZ)

“The Canadian music video community is a hotbed of creativity, and we are honoured to bring much-deserved attention to all the represented artists in the Prism Prize Top 20,”  said Louis Calabro, VP of Programming & Awards at the Canadian Academy and Founder of Prism Prize.“Music videos are an important and compelling form of storytelling that we are proud to celebrate.”

“It felt wonderful. It felt surprising. It felt humbling,” says Kevan Funk, who took home the Grand Prize in 2019 for his clip for Belle Game’s Low, “I really admire the Prism Prize and the work that it illuminates; I think it’s tremendously important. So winning the award comes with a huge amount of appreciation.” 

Prism Prize shares videos and news from Canada’s music video community year round at prismprize.com and is proud to host a comprehensive resource for music fans to watch the best Canadian music videos all in one place.

ABOUT PRISM PRIZE

The Prism Prize is a national, juried award recognizing outstanding artistry in Canadian music videos, offering the largest cash prize in the world for music videos. Established in 2012, this annual honour gathers a jury of more than 120 Canadian music and film industry professionals to crown one video as the best of the year. The Prism Prize is a division of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (the Canadian Academy), an organization that shares the common goal of promoting and supporting homegrown Canadian creative projects while inspiring and developing the next generation of talent. 

Previous winners of Prism Prize’s Grand Prize have included Kevan Funk for Belle Game’s Low (2019), Fantavious Fritz for Charlotte Day Wilson’s Work (2018), Martin C. Pariseau for Kaytranada’s Lite Spots (2017), Philip Sportel for Kalle Mattson’s Avalanche (2016), Chad VanGaalen for Timber Timbre’s Beat The Drum Slowly (2015), Emily Kai Bock for Arcade Fire’s Afterlife (2014), and Noah Pink for Rich Aucoin’s Brian Wilson is A.L.i.V.E (2013).

Prism Prize would like to thank its Patron Partner, Slaight Music, its Lead Partners, iHeartRadio Canada and FACTOR, and its Supporting Partners, Stingray and William F. White International.

RBC and the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television award 11 grants to emerging Canadian artists

Today, RBC and the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announced 11 grant recipients for the third round of the MVP Project – the highest number of grants awarded in a single round to date. The program, which is a joint initiative between RBCxMusic and the Prism Prize, provides support to emerging Canadian musicians and filmmakers for music video creation and production.

In addition to receiving funding through the MVP Project grants, artists have access to mentorship and networking opportunities with working professionals in the industry. In its inaugural year, the MVP Project hosted numerous events, including a kick-off party, a networking breakfast at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, several workshops and meet-and-greets at the BreakOut West conference in Whitehorse, as well as an MVP Project networking and learning event for unsuccessful candidates to provide guidance around developing music video treatments.

“With the MVP Project now in its second year, we’ve had the opportunity to see awarded music video treatments from the program come to life, and it’s incredibly inspiring and exciting to witness,” said Matt McGlynn, Vice-President, Brand Marketing, RBC. “We look forward to continuing to work with our partners at the Canadian Academy and can’t wait to see how these new creative ideas take form.”

Since the program’s inception in 2018, the MVP Project has received nearly 1000 music video treatment submissions, from artists across Canada. To date, the MVP Project has awarded 28 grants to emerging artists aiding in the creation of 12 music videos, with more to launch later this year.

“Receiving an MVP Project grant opened up an opportunity for us to create something that we had only dreamed of previously,” said MVP Project Round 1 recipient and Vancouver recording artist Jordan Klassen. “One of the difficult things about engaging with a huge creative vision is budget constraints, and MVP Project allowed us the rare opportunity to make the exact video we had envisioned. This program is elevating Canadian artists like me to be able to collaborate with talented filmmakers who otherwise might not have the money to realize the potential of their project.”

Klassen’s music video Virtuous Circle, directed by Farhad Ghaderi and produced by Shelby Manton, recently received international recognition when it was nominated for the 2019 Best Alternative Video – International category at the UK Music Video Awards.

“There have been many creative and compelling applications from across the nation submitted in each round,” said Louis Calabro, Vice President, Programming at the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. “It’s clear that there is boundless creativity and talent in the Canadian music video community and we are thrilled to help the 11 exceptional teams from the latest round realize their visions.”

The recipients for Round 3 represent a diverse collection of musical genres and filmmaking styles, and were selected by a jury of industry professionals. Recipients include:

· Recording artist Bad Child (Kitchener), Director Clara Milo (Montreal), and Producers Lou Bélanger (Montreal) and Rafael Perez (Quebec)
· Recording artist Begonia (Winnipeg), Director Emma Higgins (Vancouver), and Producer Sebastien Galina (Vancouver)
· Recording artist Moël, Director Steven Cristobal, and Producer Kid. Studio (Toronto)
· Recording artist Nate Husser, Directors Gabrielle Laïla Tittley / Alexandre Pelletier, and Producer, Guillaume Arsenault (Montreal)
· Recording artist Naya Ali (Montreal), Director Xavier Cantin-Lemieux (Montreal), and Producers Lou Bélanger (Montreal) and Rafael Perez (Quebec)
· Recording artist nêhiyawak (Edmonton), Director Casey Koyczan (Winnipeg), and Producer Rob Bakker (Winnipeg)
· Recording artist Prado, Director and Producer Lester Lyons-Hookham (Vancouver)
· Recording artist Prince Josh, Director Adam Beck, and Producer Julian Nieva (Toronto)
· Recording artist Raahiem, Director Vishan Butt, and Producer Meika Wagner (Toronto)
· Recording artist Rich Aucoin, Director Jason Levangie, and Producer Marc Tetreault (Halifax)
· Recording artist TOBi, Director Kit Weyman, and Producer Carina Mak (Toronto)

“I’m unbelievably thrilled to receive funding from the MVP Project. For a year now, I’ve been trying to find a way to turn my vision into a reality,” said Toronto DJ and MVP Project Round 3 recipient Prince Josh. “To be able to showcase a part of my culture that generally gets underrepresented in the media is truly a blessing.”

The MVP Project is part of the RBC Emerging Artists Project, which helps Canadian artists bridge the gap from emerging to established, and supports organizations that provide the best opportunities to advance artists’ careers. Since 2015, over 11,000 artists have been supported through these programs.

The next round of submissions will open on May 15, 2020. For more information, visit www.mvpproject.ca.

GRAND PRIZE AND AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2019 PRISM PRIZE

Kevan Funk was announced as the Grand Prize winner of the 2019 Prism Prize for Belle Game’s music video for “Low.” Kevan was on hand to accept the Prism Prize trophy and $15,000 award at the Prism Prize Awards Presentation at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, Ontario.

The 2019 Prism Prize Audience Award was presented to director Johnny Jansen for Said The Whale’s “UnAmerican” video, based on thousands of online votes on prismprize.com.

Also honoured at the event was Soleil Denault, the recipient of the Lipsett Award that is established to recognize an innovative and unique approach to music video art and Clairmont The Second was presented with the Hi-Fidelity Award (supported by FACTOR), for exhibiting a strong visual identity through music video.

Lacey Duke was previously announced as the  Prism Prize Special Achievement Award (presented by Slaight Music), honouring a Canadian music video artist for their artistic achievements and exceptional contribution to music video art on a world stage.

All Prism Prize Award recipients, including the Grand Prize, Audience Award, Special Achievement Award, Hi-Fidelity Award and the Lipsett Award, received $2500 grants from William F. White for production equipment rentals, and all Top Ten nominees received an exclusive gift bag from MAC Cosmetics. All Prism Prize Top 10 runners-up receive $500 cash each, courtesy of Slaight Music.

Plans for the 8th annual Prism Prize will be announced later this year. Prism Prize is proud to host a comprehensive resource for music fans to watch the best Canadian music videos all in one place. Videos and news from Canada’s music video community are available throughout the year at www.prismprize.com.

MVP Project awards nine grants to emerging Canadian artists

TORONTO, May 9, 2019 — RBC and the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (The Canadian Academy) announced today the nine grant recipients for Round 2 of the MVP Project — an initiative that aims to promote and assist emerging Canadian recording artists, producers and filmmakers in creating music video content. The nine recipients were selected from 380 submissions by a jury of industry professionals.

“The talent pool of emerging recording artists and filmmakers in Canada is incredible, and the MVP Project was created to support and promote these artists as they pursue their passion,” said Matt McGlynn, Vice-President of Brand Marketing, RBC. “We are immensely proud to support this second round of MVP Project recipients so they can turn their visions into reality.”

"Music videos are just as important as the music itself, and without a visual representation of an auditory work how can we come to understand it on multiple levels?” said MVP Round 1 recipient and recording artist Jeremy Dutcher. “The kind of support being offered through MVP is essential for musicians to thrive, and we look forward to bringing the video for my song Mehcinut to life with this funding."

The top four most popular submission categories were Pop (19.8%), Indie Rock

(18.3%), Hip-Hop (10.7%) and Electronic / Dance Music (7.7%). The Round 2 recipient list includes rising talent from the Canadian music video scene and represents a wide range of musical genres and filmmaking styles, including stop-motion animation, dance, and short-form narrative.

Recipients include:

•  Recording artist, Amaal, Director, Kat Webber and Producer, Matt Power (Toronto)

• Recording artist, Harrison, Director, Jon Riera and Producer, Connor Illsley (Toronto)

• Recording artist, Tanika Charles, Director, Nayani Thiyagarajah (aka V. T. Nayani) and Producer, Simone Ince (Toronto)

• Recording artists, Hansom Eli, Director, Yann Lo Bono and Producer, Alexy Guérer (Montreal)

• Recording artist, Shay Lia, Director, CARAZ, and Producer, France-Aimy Tremblay (Montreal)

• Recording artist, Maky Lavender, Director, Alexandre Pelletier and Producer, Anthony Martino Maurice (Montreal)

• Recording artists, Said The Whale, Director, Johnny Jansen and Producer, Josh Huculiak (Vancouver)

• Recording artist, Dylan Menzie and Director/Producer, Aidan Searle (Charlottetown)

• Recording artist, Desiire and Director/Producer, Ayo Tsalithaba (Scarborough)

“There were so many great treatments submitted in Round 2”, said Louis Calabro, Prism Prize Founder and Vice President, Programming, The Academy. “We are thrilled to provide an opportunity for these artists to work collaboratively in the creative sandbox that is music video production.”

"I am grateful to the MVP Project for providing critical financial support which gives artists from different disciplines the opportunity to collaborate and create original content,” said Director V. T. Nayani, who will helm Tanika Charles’ Look At Us Now. “This funding gives us the chance to match our vision with a budget that honours and elevates it, and create the work we’ve long dreamt of creating.”

The jury for the MVP Project rotates each round. Round 2 was decided by six regional juries made up of 30 music and film industry professionals.

"Being a juror for this round of MVP submissions was equal parts inspiring and motivating,” said juror Talya Macedo. “We're truly living in the era of multi-talented creators and unshakeable disruptors. The music video still matters and I'm so excited to see the visions of all nine recipients come to life."

The MVP project is part of the RBC Emerging Artists Project, which helps Canadian artists bridge the gap from emerging to established, and supports organizations that provide the best opportunities to advance artists’ careers. Since 2015, over 11,000 artists have been supported through these programs.

PRISM PRIZE ANNOUNCES SOLEIL DENAULT AS RECIPIENT OF THE 2019 LIPSETT AWARD

The Prism Prize is proud to announce Soleil Denault as the recipient of the 2019 Lipsett Award.

The Prism Prize Lipsett Award is presented to a Canadian music video artist for their innovative and unique approach to music video art.

Based in Montreal, Soleil Denault boasts a body of work that spans the music, fashion and advertising industries. Her meticulous work ethic and keen eye for bold colour sequences has resulted in stunning music video work, most often and notably in collaboration with rising electronic duo Milk & Bone.

Soleil’s unique vision has produced work that feels very modern, thanks in part to her striking and stylistic art direction. She has built a reputation for creating dream-like atmospheres in her work - haunting, yet ethereal - and never shies away from touching on femininity and sensuality.

“Soleil has created some of the most beautiful and exciting work we’ve seen recently. She brings such an extraordinary vision to the videos, and produces unforgettable visuals,” said Academy Vice-President of Programming and Prism Prize Founder, Louis Calabro. “We’re proud to celebrate Soleil’s body of work and look forward to what comes next.”

An announcement trailer including some of Soleil Denault’s work can be viewed below.

On Monday, May 13, 2019 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, Soleil Denault will be presented with the Prism Prize statue, a $2500 grant from William F. White for production equipment rentals, and an exclusive gift bag from MAC Cosmetics. At the May 13 event, in addition to presenting the Lipsett Award, Prism Prize will reveal the winner of the $15,000 Grand Prize for best Canadian music video of the year.

PRISM PRIZE ANNOUNCES CLAIRMONT THE SECOND AS RECIPIENT OF THE 2019 HI-FIDELITY AWARD

The Prism Prize is proud to announce Clairmont The Second as the recipient of the 2019 Hi-Fidelity Award (supported by FACTOR). The Prism Prize Hi-Fidelity Award is awarded to a recording artist who has used video art to represent their work in a consistently creative and innovative way.

Clairmont The Second is a multi-disciplinary artist who thrives as both a musician and video creator, consistently releasing thoughtful visuals to accompany his songs. Using a mixed bag of shooting styles, colours and  aspect ratios, Clairmont The Second (often alongside cinematographer Beee) delivers wide-shot Weston Rd. exteriors over quick-footed beats and a trademark flow, establishing a signature audio/visual style all his own.

"We have been watching what Clairmont was doing for a few years now, and he raises his game substantially with every new video he releases," said Academy Vice-President of Programming and Prism Prize Founder Louis Calabro. “He is the perfect example of a self-made artist, and his vision as both a musician and video artist is well worth celebrating.”

A reel of Clairmont The Second’s work can be viewed below.

On Monday, May 13, 2019 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, Clairmont The Second will be presented with the Prism Prize statue, a $2500 grant from William F. White for production equipment rentals, and an exclusive gift bag from MAC Cosmetics. His video for “Gheeze” was named one of the Prism Prize Top Ten videos of the year earlier this month and is in the running for the Grand Prize. At the May 13 event, in addition to presenting the Hi-Fidelity Award, Prism Prize will reveal the winner of the $15,000 Grand Prize for best Canadian music video of the year.

PRISM PRIZE ANNOUNCES LACEY DUKE WINNER OF THE SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR 2019

The Prism Prize is proud to announce LACEY DUKE as the recipient of the 2019 Special Achievement Award (presented by Slaight Music). The Prism Prize Special Achievement Award is presented to a Canadian music video icon for their artistic achievements and exceptional contribution to music video art on a world stage.  

In addition to directing, editing and conceiving her own music video and branded content for Janelle Monáe, The Internet, SZA, and others, Lacey Duke has also written and directed commercial spots for brands like Netflix, Pantene, CoverGirl and Samsung. Her unique aesthetic, knack for fostering organic performances and affinity for counter-culture has allowed her to capture narrative and beauty with an edgy and fresh sensibility. Lacey’s Prism reel can be viewed here, and her full music video work can be seen here.

"Lacey is a visionary artist who continues to push the boundaries of music video art. Her inventive camera technique, lush colour palette, and dreamy-documentary style have provided lasting visuals for some of the most exciting musicians working today," said Academy Vice-President of Programming and Prism Prize Founder Louis Calabro.

On Monday, May 13, 2019 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, Duke will be presented with the Prism Prize statue, a $2500 grant from William F. White for production equipment rentals, and an exclusive gift bag from MAC Cosmetics.

At the May 13 event, in addition to presenting the Special Achievement Award, Prism Prize will reveal the winner of the $15,000 Grand Prize for best Canadian music video of the year.

2019 Prism Prize Top 20 Announced

TOP 20 NOMINEES ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2019 PRISM PRIZE

The Prism Prize today announces the Top 20 best Canadian music videos of the year, as voted by a jury of more than 120 Canadian music, film and media arts professionals. After viewing hundreds of music videos, jurors selected the Prism Prize Top 20 based on originality, style, creativity, innovation and effective execution. One of these videos will be awarded the $15,000 Grand Prize at a screening and awards presentation on Monday, May 13, 2019 at TIFF Bell Lightbox. The Prism Prize Top Ten will be announced on April 2, 2019.

THE 2019 PRISM PRIZE TOP 20 (in alphabetical order):

Arkells - People's Champ (Director: Matt Barnes)

Bahamas - No Depression (Director: Ali J. Eisner)

Belle Game - Low (Director: Kevan Funk)

Blue Hawaii - Do You Need Me (Director: Kevan Funk)

Cadence Weapon - High Rise (Director: Lester Millado)

Chad VanGaalen - Host Body (Director: Chad VanGaalen)

Charlotte Cardin - The Kids (Director: Kristof Brandl)

Clairmont The Second - Gheeze (Director: Clairmont The Second)

Classified - Powerless (Director: Andrew Hines)

Daniel Caesar ft. H.E.R. - Best Part, a Visual (Directors: Keavan Yazdani & Sean Brown)

Deadmau5 - Monophobia (Directors: Nick DenBoer & Kenny Hotz)

Drake - Nice For What (Director: Karena Evans)

Harrison ft. Ralph - Your Girl (Directors: Ft. Langley)

Jean-Michel Blais - Dans ma main (Directors: Mauriès Matos)

Jessie Reyez - Body Count (Director: Peter Huang)

Rich Aucoin - The Middle (Director: Meags Fitzgerald)

Said The Whale - UnAmerican (Director: Johnny Jansen)

So Loki - Athletes World (Director: Lucas Hrubizna)

SonReal - Have A Nice Day (Director: Peter Huang)

The Weather Station - Impossible (Director: Colin Medley)

“Each year I am blown away by the quality of work on the Prism Prize lists, and this year is no exception. These artists are some of the most exciting working in media right now, at home, and around the world. They are the next wave of Canadian talent,” said Prism Prize Founder Louis Calabro.

Organizers also announced Slaight Music as Patron Sponsor for the 2019 awards, continuing a partnership that began when the Prize launched in 2012.  Part of the 2019 partnership provides runner-up artists on the Top Ten list with a cash prize of $500 per project, courtesy of Slaight Music. “We are grateful to Slaight Music for their early, ongoing  and generous support, which is creating tangible opportunities for Canadian musicians,” said Calabro.

Along with the $15,000 to the best Canadian music video of the year, Prism Prize will continue to present several special awards, with announcements to come leading up to the May 13 event.

The Audience Award voting is open to members of the public and begins today, running until April 19, 2019. All 20 Prism Prize shortlisted videos are eligible. Votes can now be registered on the voting site here: https://www.prismprize.com/2019audience

Last year, Toronto based Karena Evans, who worked on multiple Drake billboard hits, including the viral video God’s Plan, and Sza’s Garden (Say It Like That) that starred Donald Glover, was announced as the recipient of the Lipsett Award for innovative and unique approaches to music video art.

The Special Achievement Award (sponsored by Slaight Music) - for artistic achievements and exceptional world-wide contribution to music video art - will also be announced in the coming weeks.

Finally, the Hi-Fidelity Award (sponsored by FACTOR) - an award given to a recording artist who has used video art to represent their work in a consistently creative and innovative way - will also be revealed leading up to the May 13 event.

Prism Prize is proud to host a comprehensive resource for music fans to watch the best Canadian music videos all in one place. Videos and news from Canada’s music video community are available throughout the year at www.prismprize.com.

FANTAVIOUS FRITZ, Director of “Work” by Charlotte Day Wilson, Wins 2018 Prism Prize

Toronto, ON – May 13, 2018 - Fantavious Fritz was announced as the Grand Prize winner of the 2018 Prism Prize for Charlotte Day Wilson’s music video for “Work.” Both director and artist were on hand to accept the Prism Prize trophy and $15,000 award at the Prism Prize Awards Presentation at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, Ontario.

The 2018 Prism Prize Audience Award was presented to director team Keavan Yazdani and Sean Brown for Daniel Caesar’s “Freudian, A Visual” video, based on thousands of online votes on prismprize.com.

Cherie Sinclair of The Field was also in attendance to accept the previously announced Prism Prize Special Achievement Award (presented by Slaight Music), honouring a Canadian music video artist for their artistic achievements and exceptional contribution to music video art on a world stage.

Also honoured at the event was Karena Evans, the recipient of the Lipsett Award (presented by Bell Media), established to recognize an innovative and unique approach to music video art and Grimes was presented with the Hi-Fidelity Award (presented by FACTOR), for exhibiting a strong visual identity through music video.

All Prism Prize Award recipients, including the Grand Prize, Audience Award, Special Achievement Award, Hi-Fidelity Award and the Lipsett Award, received $2500 grants from William F. White for production equipment rentals, and all Top Ten nominees received an exclusive gift bag from MAC Cosmetics.

Plans for the 7th annual Prism Prize will be announced later this year. Prism Prize is proud to host a comprehensive resource for music fans to watch the best Canadian music videos all in one place. Videos and news from Canada’s music video community are available throughout the year at www.prismprize.com.