The Prism Prize is a national juried award recognizing the artistry of the modern music video in Canada."Prism Prize reveals its shortlist for best Canadian music video" . The Grid, February 15, 2013. A jury of over 120 Canadian music and film industry professionals, including members of the print and web media, broadcasting, film, radio, and video art communities, nominate the 10 best videos of the year to comprise the Prism Prize shortlist. The winning video receives a cash prize of $20,000. This is the richest cash prize for music videos in North America.
Founded by Louis Calabro in 2012,"Inaugural Prism Prize to award best Canadian music video of 2012". BlogTO, September 29, 2012. the award is administered by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.Nick Krewen, "The Prism Prize began just as TV music videos were waning, but TikTok has given it new prominence". Toronto Star, July 30, 2021.
The inaugural Prism Prize was awarded in March 2013 to director Noah Pink for Rich Aucoin’s "Brian Wilson Is A.L.I.V.E", while director Vincent Morisset took home the Audience Award for Arcade Fire’s "Sprawl II"."Rich Aucoin Wins First-Ever Prism Prize". Exclaim!, March 24, 2013.
For the second award presentation in 2014, the Prism Prize introduced two new awards, the Special Achievement Award for artistic achievements and exceptional contribution to music video art on a world stage, and the Arthur Lipsett Award for innovative and unique approaches to music video art."Prism Prize Reveals Two New Award Categories". Broadway World, February 4, 2014.
The 2014 Prism Prize was presented on March 23, 2014 to director Emily Kai Bock for her Arcade Fire "Afterlife" video. The Audience Award went to director Kheaven Lewandowski for his video for "River" by The Belle Game."Prism Prize: Arcade Fire's Afterlife Named Best Canadian Music Video". Huffington Post, March 24, 2014. The Arthur Lipsett Award was presented to Scott Cudmore and Michael LeBlanc for their innovative video work. The Special Achievement Award went to Floria Sigismondi."Emily Kai Bock Wins Prism Prize". Torontoist, March 24, 2014.
In 2020 the committee introduced the Willie Dunn Award, a lifetime achievement award honouring Canadians who have been trailblazers in the art of music video."2020 Prism Prize Special Award Winners Announced". FYI Music News, July 22, 2020. The award was named in memory of Willie Dunn, an indigenous Canadian musician whose 1968 animated short film The Ballad of Crowfoot has sometimes been credited as the first Canadian music video.
The award was placed on hiatus in 2025, with the organizers announcing that they wanted to "consider the future contributions of the Prism Prize to the cultural landscape and to explore new approaches to best support and celebrate the artists we aim to serve."Kerry Doole, "Music News Digest: CCMA Awards Announces 2025 Performers, Prism Prize Pauses in 2025". Billboard, July 9, 2025.
Winners and nominees
2013 Nominees were announced on February 14, 2013,"Videos by Arcade Fire, Grimes, Drake Nominated for Canada's Inaugural Prism Prize". Exclaim!, February 14, 2013. and the winners were announced on March 24. Prism Prize: Rich Aucoin, "Brian Wilson Is A.L.I.V.E." (director Noah Pink) Audience Award: Arcade Fire - "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" (director Vincent Morisset) Drake - "HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)" (director Director X) Grimes - "Genesis" (director Claire Boucher) Grimes - "Oblivion" (director Emily Kai Bock) METZ - "Wet Blanket" (director Scott Cudmore) Mother Mother - "The Sticks" (director Chad VanGaalen) Maylee Todd - "Baby's Got It" (director Reynard Li) Yamantaka // Sonic Titan - "Hoshi Neko" (directors Emily Pelstring and Ruby Kato Attwood) Young Rival - "Two Reasons" (director John Smith)
2014 Nominees were announced on February 18, 2014, "Prism Prize short list features Shad, Drake and a double dose of Arcade Fire". CBC Music, February 18, 2014. and the winners were announced on March 23. Prism Prize: Arcade Fire - "Afterlife" (director Emily Kai Bock)"Emily Kai Bock wins Prism Prize for Arcade Fire video". Global News, March 23, 2014. Audience Award: The Belle Game – "River" (director Kheaven Lewandowski) Arcade Fire – "Reflektor" (director Anton Corbijn) Drake – "Started from the Bottom" (director Director X) Hollerado – "So It Goes" (director Marc Ricciardelli) Keys N Krates – "Dum Dee Dum" (director Amos LeBlanc) Jessy Lanza – "Kathy Lee" (director Lee Skinner) Majical Cloudz – "Childhood’s End" (director Emily Kai Bock) Shad – "Fam Jam (Fe Sum Immigrins)" (director Che Kothari) Young Galaxy – "New Summer" (director Ivan Grbovic)
2015 Nominees were announced on February 12, 2015,"Prism Prize announces Top 10 best Canadian music videos of 2014". Vancouver Sun, February 12, 2015. and the winners were announced on March 29."Chad VanGaalen Wins 2015 Prism Prize for Timber Timbre Video". Exclaim!, March 29, 2015. Prism Prize: Timber Timbre, "Beat the Drum Slowly" (director Chad VanGaalen) Audience Award: Kandle, "Not Up to Me" (director Natalie Rae Robison) The New Pornographers, "Dancehall Domine" (directors Scott Cudmore and Michael LeBlanc) PUP, "Guilt Trip" (directors Chandler Levack and Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux) Fur Trade, "Same Temptation" (director Kheaven Lewandowski) Rich Aucoin, "Yelling in Sleep" (director Joel Mackenzie) Ryan Hemsworth, "Snow in Newark" (director Martin C. Pariseau) Kevin Drew, "You in Your Were" (director Samir Rehem) Odonis Odonis, "Order in the Court" (director Lee Stringle) Chad VanGaalen, "Monster" (director Chad VanGaalen)
2016 Beginning in 2016, the prize revised its process. A longlist of 20 nominees was announced on February 9, 2016,"Prism Prize Announces Top 20 Finalists for 2016". Exclaim!, February 9, 2016. a shortlist of 10 finalists was announced on March 22, and the winner was named on May 15.
Shortlist Prism Prize: Kalle Mattson, "Avalanche" (director Philip Sportel) Audience Award: Death From Above 1979, "Virgins" (director Eva Michon) Arthur Lipsett Award: Kristof Brandl A Tribe Called Red, "Suplex" (director Jon Riera) Braids, "Miniskirt" (director Kevan Funk) Drake, "Hotline Bling" (director Director X) The Elwins, "So Down Low" (director Alan Poon) The Fast Romantics, "Julia" (director Matthew Angus) Grimes, "Flesh Without Blood" (director Grimes) Harrison, "How Can It Be" (director Maxime Lamontagne) Monogrenade, "Le Fantôme" (director Kristof Brandl)
Longlist
2017 Winners Prism Prize: Kaytranada, "Lite Spots" (director Martin C. Pariseau). chartattack.com, May 15, 2017. Audience Award: Andy Shauf, "The Magician" (director Winston Hacking) Lipsett Prize: Kid Hi-Fidelity Award: July Talk Special Achievement: Revolver Films
Shortlist
Longlist
2018 Winners Prism Prize: Charlotte Day Wilson, "Work" (director Fantavious Fritz) Audience Award: Daniel Caesar, "Freudian, A Visual" (directors Keavan Yazdani and Sean Brown) Hi-Fidelity Award: Grimes Lipsett Award: Karena Evans, making her the first woman to win the award Special Achievement Award: Cherie Sinclair
Shortlist
Longlist
2019
Winners Prism Prize: The Belle Game, "Low" (director Kevan Funk) Audience Award: Said the Whale, "UnAmerican" (director Johnny Jansen) Hi-Fidelity Award: Clairmont the Second, "Gheeze" (director Clairmont the Second) Lipsett Award: Soleil Denault Special Achievement Award: Lacey Duke
Shortlist
Longlist
2020 The longlist for the 2020 Prism Prize was announced in February 2020, with the shortlist originally slated to be announced on April 2 and the winner to be announced on May 11.Sarah Murphy, "Here are the 2020 Prism Prize Finalists". Exclaim!, February 27, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, however, the prize committee cancelled the May 11 event, and postponed the announcement of the winners to July 22 for the special awards, and July 23 for the topline categories. In addition, they opted not to issue a shortlist, instead announcing that all 20 longlisted nominees would be eligible for the final awards."A Note on Prism 2020". Prism Prize, April 3, 2020.
Winners Prism Prize: Jessie Reyez, "Far Away" (director Peter Huang)"Jessie Reyez video wins Prism Prize for Far Away". CBC News, July 24, 2020. Audience Award: Daniel Caesar ft. Koffee, "CYANIDE REMIX" (directors Keavan Yazdani, Sean Brown) Hi-Fidelity Award: Daniela AndradeChris Jancelewicz, "Daniela Andrade wins 2020 Prism Prize Hi-Fidelity Award for music video innovation". Global News, July 23, 2020. Lipsett Award: Tranquilo Willie Dunn Award: Laurieann Gibson Special Achievement Award: Bardia Zeinali
Longlist
2021 The longlisted nominees for the 2021 Prism Prize were announced on April 29, 2021,Alex Nino Gheciu, "These Are the Top 20 Canadian Music Videos Nominated for the 2021 Prism Prize". Complex, April 29, 2021. with the shortlist announced on June 9 and the winners announced on July 26.
Winners Prism Prize: Haviah Mighty, "Thirteen" (director Theo Kapodistrias) Audience Award: Aquakultre, "Pay It Forward" (directors Evan Elliot and Lance Sampson) Hi-Fidelity Award: Crack Cloud Lipsett Award: Gennelle Cruz Willie Dunn Award: Leanne Betasamosake Simpson Special Achievement Award: Jordan Oram
Shortlist
Longlist
2022
Winners Prism Prize: Mustafa, "Ali"David Friend, "Toronto musician Mustafa wins $20,000 Prism Prize for his music video ‘Ali’". The Globe and Mail, July 8, 2022. Audience Award: Khanvict, "Closer" (director Anjali Nayar) Hi-Fidelity Award: ChiiildMatt Bobkin, "Mustafa Wins 2022 Prism Prize". Exclaim!, July 8, 2022. Lipsett Award: Iris Kim Willie Dunn Award: Mustafa Special Achievement Award: Sammy Rawal
Shortlist
2023 Winners Prism Prize: Snotty Nose Rez Kids, "Damn Right" (director Sterling Larose) Audience Award: Dan Mangan, "Fire Escape" (director Lester Lyons-Hookham)"Snotty Nose Rez Kids’ ‘Damn Right’ wins Prism Prize for top music video". Toronto Star, July 7, 2023. Hi-Fidelity Award: NemahsisBen Okazawa, "Prism Prize Announces 2023 Special Award Honourees". Exclaim!, June 27, 2023. Lipsett Award: Aimé Irabahaye Willie Dunn Award: Sara Elgamal Special Achievement Award: Adrian Villagomez
Shortlist
2024 Winners Prism Prize: Mustafa, "Name of God" (director Mustafa)Kerry Doole, "Mustafa Wins 2024 Prism Prize As 'Name Of God' Named Best Canadian Music Video of the Year". Billboard, June 25, 2024. Audience Award: Nemahsis, "I Wanna Be Your Right Hand" (directors Norman Wong, Amy Gardner) Hi-Fidelity Award: Shy Kids Lipsett Award: Jessamine Yú Fok Willie Dunn Award: TOBi Special Achievement Award: Ethan Tobman
Shortlist
References
External links