The 2021 Prism Prize for Best Canadian Music Video was awarded to Theo Kapodistrias, for his clip for Haviah Mighty’s Thirteen. We will continue to profile noteworthy Canadian videos that are eligible for the 2022 prize, including this one from a BC singer/songwriter.

Phöenix Lazare - Gold 

British Columbia native Phöenix Lazare, is a talented singer and songwriter with a distinct sound. She has a few singles, a live album, and a 2021 debut album, Gold. Lazare’s talent is clear as she is willing to show her truth and emotional openness through her songs - which exhibits how truly authentic she is as an artist. 

She’s been nominated for two Vancouver Island Music Awards in 2013 & 2014, won first place in a contest by her alma mater Berklee - entitled Songs for Social Change, was the recipient of the SOCAN Foundation/Sirius XM’s Young Canadian Songwriter Award, and was a round 6 recipient for the MVP Project - a joint initiative of RBCxMusic and the Prism Prize (administered by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.)

Lazare’s MVP Project-funded music video for Gold is a reverse rock ‘n roll fantasy, one evoking a Texas setting. The video follows Lazare as she goes from driving on the highway, painting the outside of houses, to singing in a grassy field. The video was shot on Super 8 film - which was a creative decision so they could capture that nostalgia feeling. The video is as beautiful as the song, plus the various ways that gold makes its way into the video is brilliant and ties the video to the song title. 

Crew:

First A/C - Brian Globus

Second A/C - Nick Ketteringham

Gaffer - Christopher Lazare

PA - Atom Lazare

Key makeup - Heather Nightingale

Makeup - Ryley Johnston

Production Designer - Emma Banner

Actors:

Bartender - Bobby Cleveland 

Bar Fly Girls - Nicole Bartosinski, Hannah Ockenden

Slow Dance Couple - Curtis Peterec & Shelby Fisher

Solitaire Gal - Connie Antionette Ingham

Mystery Man - Justin Kelley

Bar Folks - Lori Rittaler, Lisa Taylor, Elsie Rittaler, David Shoenborn, April Ingham, Heather Olson, Kevin Olson, Keaton Hilderman, Charles Isherwood