2020 Prism Prize Special Award Winners Announced

By FYI Staff

The Prism Prize honours the best Canadian music videos and the creators behind them. Tonight (Thursday, July 23), the Prize celebrates the Top 20 Canadian music videos of the year and  reveals the 2020 Grand Prize and Audience Award winners at the Prism Prize virtual awards presentation, taking place at 8:00 pm ET on PrismPrize.com and @PrismPrize on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. 

Following the cancellation of the 2020 Prism Prize Grand Prize screening and awards presentation due to the covid-19 pandemic, the Prism Prize decided to keep all previously announced Top 20 artists in the running for the Grand Prize. A jury of over 120 Canadian creative arts professionals voted to determine the winner who will be awarded $20,000, increased from $15,000 thanks to a contribution from Stingray. Each of the runners-up listed in the Top 20 will receive a $500 cash prize courtesy of Slaight Music and RBCxMusic. The Audience Award is a fan-voted prize awarded to a video from the Top 20.

Earlier this week, the Prism Prize announced the winners of three 2020 Special Awards, a group of groundbreaking Canadians who have had a profound impact on the music video industry.

Creative filmmaking production house Tranquilo was the recipient of the Lipsett Award (sponsored by iHeartRadio Canada), established to celebrate a unique approach to music video art.

Pop videographer Bardia Zeinali was granted the Special Achievement Award (presented by Slaight Music), established to recognize an exceptional contribution to music video art on the world stage.

Famed creative director and choreographer LaurieAnn Gibson was awarded the inaugural Willie Dunn Award, honouring a Canadian trailblazer who has demonstrated excellence within the music video community.  Gibson has choreographed dance numbers for musical artists such as Michael Jackson, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj, and Beyoncé. Her music video directing credits include the Lady Gaga hits Judas and You and I.  

The Willie Dunn Award is named after the groundbreaking Canadian singer-songwriter, film director and politician William “Willie” Dunn, whose 10-minute film for The Ballad of Crowfoot (below) is often cited as “the first Canadian music video.” 

As the recipient of this award, LaurieAnn Gibson was asked to select an emerging filmmaker to be the beneficiary of $5,000 courtesy of the Canadian Academy; she selected Noor Khan, an emerging Scarborough-based director and producer.

One more special award, the HiFidelity Award (supported by FACTOR), will be announced later today. It was established to recognize recording artists who utilize music video in innovative ways.

All Prism Prize Award recipients, including the Grand Prize, Audience Award, and all Special Award winners, receive equipment rental grants in the amount of $2,500, courtesy of partners at William F. White International Inc.