GRAND PRIZE

Each year, a jury of more than 100 journalists, filmmakers, booking agents, artists and other members of the Canadian music and film industries vote for one Shortlist nominated music video to win the $20,000 Grand Prize. Jurors watch hundreds of videos each year and voting is ranked according to their favourites.

2023 RECIPIENT - Sterling Larose / Snotty Nose Rez Kids - Damn Right
2022 RECIPIENT - Mustafa - Ali
2021 RECIPIENT - Theo Kapodistrias / Haviah Mighty - Thirteen
2020 RECIPIENT - Peter Huang / Jessie Reyez - Far Away
2019 RECIPIENT - Kevan Funk / Belle Game - Low
2018 RECIPIENT - Fantavious Fritz / Charlotte Day Wilson - Work
2017 RECIPIENT - Martin C. Pariseau / Kaytranada - Lite Spots
2016 RECIPIENT – Philip Sportel / Kalle Mattson – Avalanche
2015 RECIPIENT – Chad VanGaalen / Timber Timbre – Beat The Drum Slowly
2014 RECIPIENT – Emily Kai Bock / Arcade Fire – Afterlife
2013 RECIPIENT – Noah Pink / Rich Aucoin – Brian Wilson is A.L.i.V.E.

AUDIENCE AWARD

Supported by Stingray

The Audience Award is voted on by the public at prismprize.com and our partner sites. The award was created to highlight the favourite Canadian music video of the year amongst music video lovers across the internet.

2023 RECIPIENT - Lester Lyons-Hookham / Dan Mangan - Fire Escape
2022 RECIPIENT - Anjali Nayar / Khanvict - Closer
2021 RECIPIENT - Evan Elliot & Lance Sampson / Aquakultre - Pay It Forward
2020 RECIPIENT - Keavan Yazdani & Sean Brown / Daniel Caesar ft. Koffee - Cyanide Remix
2019 RECIPIENT - Johnny Jansen / Said The Whale - UnAmerican
2018 RECIPIENT - Keavan Yazdani & Sean Brown / Daniel Caesar - Freudian, A Visual
2017 RECIPIENT - Winston Hacking / Andy Shauf - The Magician
2016 RECIPIENT – Eva Michon / Death From Above 1979 - Virgins
2015 RECIPIENT – Natalie Rae Robison / Kandle – Not Up To Me
2014 RECIPIENT – Kheaven Lewandowski / The Belle Game – River
2013 RECIPIENT – Vincent Morisset / Arcade Fire – Sprawl II

LIPSETT AWARD

The Lipsett Award is presented to a Canadian music video artist for their innovative and unique approach to music video art. Arthur Lipsett was a Canadian filmmaker best known for his sound collage films made for the National Film Board of Canada in the 1960s. Lipsett’s unique approach to editing sound and image earned much attention, as well as an Oscar Nomination in 1962 for the film Very Nice, Very Nice.

2023 RECIPIENT - Aimé Irabahaye
2022 RECIPIENT - Iris Kim
2021 RECIPIENT - Gennelle Cruz
2020 RECIPIENT - tranquilo
2019 RECIPIENT - Soleil Denault
2018 RECIPIENT - Karena Evans
2017 RECIPIENT - KID. STUDIO
2016 RECIPIENT – Kristof Brandl
2015 RECIPIENT – Jared Raab
2014 RECIPIENT – Scott Cudmore & Michael LeBlanc

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Supported by The Slaight Family Foundation

The 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.

2023 RECIPIENT - Adrian Villagomez
2022 RECIPIENT - Sammy Rawal
2021 RECIPIENT - Jordan Oram
2020 RECIPIENT - Bardia Zeinali
2019 RECIPIENT - Lacey Duke
2018 RECIPIENT - Cherie Sinclair
2017 RECIPIENT - Revolver Films
2016 RECIPIENT – Director X
2015 RECIPIENT – Christopher Mills
2014 RECIPIENT – Floria Sigismondi

HI-FIDELITY AWARD

Supported by Factor Canada

The Hi-Fidelity Award is presented to a recording artist (band or musician) who has used video art to represent their work in a consistently creative and innovative way.

2023 RECIPIENT - Nemahsis
2022 RECIPIENT - Chiiild
2021 RECIPIENT - Crack Cloud
2020 RECIPIENT - Daniela Andrade
2019 RECIPIENT - Clairmont the Second
2018 RECIPIENT - Grimes
2017 RECIPIENT - July Talk

THE WILLIE DUNN AWARD

Supported by Telefilm Canada

The Willie Dunn Award is presented to a Canadian trailblazer who has demonstrated excellence within the music, music video and/or film production communities. The recipient is asked to select an emerging Canadian creative who's work will be spotlighted during the Prism Prize presentation. Both recipient and the selected creator will receive cash honourariums of $2500.00.

2023 RECIPIENTS - Sara Elgamal / Roya Del Sol
2022 RECIPIENTS - Mustafa / Puffy L’z
2021 RECIPIENTS - Leanne Betasamosake Simpson / Beatrice Dear
2020 RECIPIENTS - LaurieAnn Gibson / Noor Khan

Le prix Prisme Règlements

Admissibilité

Tous les vidéoclips canadiens produits pendant l’année qui précède l’attribution du prix Prisme sont admissibles au concours.

Le jury et le vote

Les membres du jury sont choisis parmi les professionnels qui travaillent dans l’industrie de la musique au Canada. Il peut s’agir de journalistes, de blogueurs, de critiques, d’historiens de la musique, de programmateurs, de diffuseurs ou de personnalités de la radio et de la télévision.

Chaque juré sélectionnera cinq vidéoclips qu’il considère comme les meilleurs de l’année.

À partir de cette sélection, les organisateurs du prix Prisme classeront les vidéoclips en une liste restreinte de 10 œuvres. Ces 10 vidéoclips deviendront le prix Prisme Top Ten, et ils seront en compétition pour le Grand Prix.

Le même jury choisira un gagnant parmi ces 10 vidéoclips.

Les membres du jury ne sont pas autorisés à prendre part au processus s’ils se trouvent en situation de conflit d’intérêts.

Le prix de $20,000 CA en argent sera remis au réalisateur du vidéoclip et partagé entre le réalisateur, et l’artiste ou groupe musical comme suit: 10 000 $ au directeur, 10 000 $ à l'artiste ou groupe.

Le Prix Prism se réserve le droit d’utiliser les vidéoclips des gagnants du Prix Prism « Special Award » et aussi le droit d’utiliser des extraits des vidéoclips du Prix Prism « Top Ten », à perpétuité, pour toute promotion lié au Prix Prism et pour la promotion en générale des vidéoclips canadiens.

Dans le cas d’une égalité dans le dernier tour de scrutin , les résultats du premier tour des votes du jury seront utilisés comme tie-breaker.

Définitions:

Un vidéoclip est réputé « lancé » s’il a été mis à la disposition du public canadien au cours de l’année qui précède l’attribution du prix Prisme. Cela comprend également la distribution par Internet ou par la télévision.

Pour qu’un vidéoclip soit défini comme canadien, il doit comprendre au moins deux (2) des composants audio suivants :

la musique a été composée par un Canadien;
l’artiste (l’interprète principal) est Canadien (dans le cas d’un groupe, 50 % des membres doivent être Canadiens);
le tournage ou la production a été réalisé au Canada;
les paroles ont été écrites par un Canadien;

Et au moins un (1) des composants vidéo suivants :

le directeur est canadien ou la société de production est canadienne
l’adresse de la société de production est située au Canada.

Par « Canadien », on entend un citoyen canadien ou un résident permanent du Canada, conformément à la définition de Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada. Ces Canadiens n’ont pas l’obligation de vivre au Canada pour soumettre leur vidéoclip au concours.

Toutes les décisions prises par les organisateurs du prix Prisme sont définitives et sans appel. Les organisateurs du prix Prisme se réservent le droit de disqualifier un membre du jury ou de retirer un vidéoclip du concours, et ce, à sa discrétion.

Prism Prize Rules & Regulations

Eligibility

Any Canadian music video released during the calendar year is eligible. Note: the Prism Prize is awarded by Jury and is not based on public entry.

Jurors / Voting

Jurors are selected from magazine, newspaper, blog, television and radio outlets from across Canada. Our jurors are journalists, filmmakers, bloggers, critics, curators, programmers, broadcasters, as well as radio and television personalities.

Jurors will submit a list of videos they consider the five (5) best Canadian music videos of the year.

The Prism Prize will tabulate these selections and announce a list of 10 nominated videos. These 10 videos make up the Prism Prize Top Ten, and will compete for the Grand Prize.

This same jury will select from these 10 nominated videos to determine the Grand Prize winner.

A juror is not permitted to take part in the process if a conflict of interest is presented. If an unexpected conflict of interest should arise after the jury is selected, the jury member in question will be disqualified from voting.

The winning cash prize of $20,000 (CDN) will be presented to the music video director(s), to be shared with the recording artist/band as follows: $10,000 to director, $10,000 to artist/band.

The Prism Prize reserves the right to use clips of past video work by Special Award Recipients, as well as clips from the Top Ten Nominated videos, in perpetuity, within promotional materials related to the Prism Prize and the promotion of Canadian music video in general.

In the case of a tie in the final round of voting, the results from the first round of jury votes will be used as tie-breaker.

Definitions

For a music video to be “released” it must have been made available to the Canadian public at the control of the artist or the artist’s associates during the calendar year. This includes distribution via web or television broadcasting.

For a music video to be “Canadian,” videos must include:
At least two (2) of the following audio components:

Music is composed by a Canadian
Artist (principal performer) is a Canadian (in the case of a band, 50% of the members must be Canadian)
Performance/production is in Canada
Lyrics are written by a Canadian

And at least one (1) of the following video components: