The Prism Prize, billed as the largest cash award in the world for music videos, will hold a virtual show on July 23. Singer Jeremy Dutcher poses in Toronto on Tuesday, April 10, 2018. Dutcher is in good company amongst the top 20 nominees for the Prism Prize. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
June 25, 2020 - 7:00 AM
TORONTO - The Prism Prize, billed as the largest cash award in the world for music videos, will hold a virtual show on July 23.
The evening event replaces the annual in-person Toronto screening and awards presentation, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Organizers say the online version will celebrate the Top 20 contenders and reveal the winner of the $20,000 prize, chosen by a jury of over 120 Canadian creative arts professionals.
Each of the runner-ups listed in the Top 20 will receive a $500 cash prize.
The show will also announce the winner of the fan-voted audience prize, and hand out several honours, including the new Willie Dunn Award.
Named after Canadian singer-songwriter, director and politician William (Willie) Dunn, the award honours a Canadian industry trailblazer in the music video production community.
The Willie Dunn Award winner will get to select an emerging Canadian music video creative to receive a $5,000 cash grant.
The Top 20 Prism Prize nominees include Daniel Caesar ft. Koffee's "Cyanide Remix," from directors Keavan Yazdani and Sean Brown; Jeremy Dutcher's "Mehcinut," directed by Dutcher and Chandler Levack; and Jessie Reyez's "Far Away," from director Peter Huang.
The show will air at PrismPrize.com and the @PrismPrize Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2020.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2020