April 10, 2017
The Prism Prize, now celebrating their fifth year, just announced their 10 shortlist nominees for the 2017 edition. As per usual, the videos are striking, exciting, strange, beautiful, and give a glimpse into the wide world of Canada’s music visuals. The Prism Prize is annually awarded to a Canadian artist for his or her achievement in music video making, and the cash award has been increased from $10,000 in the previous year, to $15,00. Like the Polaris Prize, winners are chosen based on artistic merit, and are picked by a jury of over 120 people from the visual arts and radio communities around the country. Those jurors have originality, creativity, style, innovation and effective execution in mind when they’re picking a winner.
This criteria makes for quite the table of nominees. Last year’s Polaris Prize winner, Kaytranada, is up for the award for his “Lite Spots” video, which features a cute dancing robot making its way around town. A Tribe Called Red’s stunning “Stadium Pow Wow” video makes a run at the prize with its snapshots of Indigenous life in Canada. Grimes’ bright and bonkers “Kill V. Maim,” directed by herself and her brother, is also in the running. Toronto punks PUP have two chances at top honours with both the video game vibes of “DVP” and “Sleep in the Heat,” featuring Finn Wolfhard from Stranger Things. Producer Harrison’s stylish “It’s Okay, I Promise,” featuring Clairmont The Second, definitely makes for some stiff competition.
Last year’s Prism Prize winner was Kalle Mattson, who brought it home for “Avalanche,” where he recreated 35 of his favourite album covers. The actual award will be presented on May 14 at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, where they will be screening all the nominees. Check out all the videos below:
A Tribe Called Red feat. Black Bear – “Stadium Pow Wow” (Director: Kevan Funk)
Andy Shauf – “The Magician” (Director: Winston Hacking)
BADBADNOTGOOD ft. Kaytranada – “Lavender” (Director: Fantavious Fritz)
Grimes – “Kill V. Maim” (Directors: Claire and Mac Boucher)
Harrison ft. Clairmont the Second – “It’s Okay, I Promise” (Director: Scott Cudmore)
July Talk – “Picturing Love” (Director: Jared Raab)
Kaytranada – “Lite Spots” (Director: Martin C. Pariseau)
PUP – “DVP “(Director: Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux)
PUP – “Sleep in the Heat” (Director: Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux)
Wintersleep – “Amerika” (Director: Scott Cudmore)
In Other News:
- The JUNOs apologize for Russell Peters’ tasteless jokes at the ceremony.
- Check out the nominees for the 2017 Indigenous Music Awards.
- Neil Young cancelled his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction appearance due to illness, but he’s apparently okay.
- Toronto rapper Robin Banks was hospitalized after a nightclub shooting.
- You can now tour Drake’s Toronto mansion in virtual reality.
- Brian Williams is under fire for tone deaf comments regarding Leonard Cohen and the United States’ air strike on Syria.
Festival Lineups: Toronto’s VELD Festival, Ontario’s River & Sky Festival, Victoria’s Pretty Good Not Bad, BC’s Shambhala Music Festival, Toronto’s Luminato Festival,