The 2023 Prism Prize winners were announced last night, and hip-hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids won for their “Damn Right” video, while Dan Mangan nabbed the fan-voted Audience Award for “Fire Escape.”
“Damn Right,” with a video directed by Sterling Larose, is on Snotty Nose Rez Kids’ Polaris Prize-longlisted album, I’m Good HBU?, and the win gives the duo $20,000. Mangan and director Lester Lyons-Hookham take home $5,000.
“The deeply engaging music videos that were created by the 2023 Prism Prize top 10 artists and directors prove that the artform continues to reach new heights, and we are thrilled to have celebrated their incredible work tonight at the 2023 Prism Prize,” said Louis Calabro, vice president of programming and awards at the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and founder of the Prism Prize, via press release. “The grand prize-winning video for ‘Damn Right’ is the perfect example of this, offering viewers a three-and-a-half-minute journey paying homage to the iconic legacy of the Beatles in a visually stunning and colourful way.”
The remaining awards given out include:
- Singer-songwriter Nemahsis won the Hi-Fidelity Award, established to “recognize recording artists who utilize music videos in innovative ways.”
- Director Aimé Irabahaye won the Lipsett Award, established to “celebrate a unique approach to music video art.”
- Photographer and director Adrian Villagomez took home the Special Achievement Award, “established to recognize an exceptional contribution to music video art on the world stage.”
- Director Sara Elgamal won the Willie Dunn Award, and as part of the award Elgamal was given a $2,500 honorarium to give to an emerging Canadian creative to spotlight during the Prism Prize live screening and awards presentation. She chose producer Roya Del Sol.