Mustafa's 'Ali' wins the 2022 Prism Prize for best Canadian music video
'The video is the perfect accompaniment to the deeply moving song,' says Prism Prize founder Louis Calabro
The Prism Prize, which recognizes outstanding artistry in Canadian music video production, has awarded its 2022 grand prize to "Ali," directed by singer-songwriter Mustafa. The song comes from Mustafa's Juno Award-winning debut album, When Smoke Rises, and commemorates his friend, Ali Rizeig, who lost his life at 18 during a 2017 shooting in Toronto's Regent Park neighbourhood.
The announcement was made on July 7 during a live screening and awards presentation, hosted by comedian Hoodo Hersi at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto. The winner of the $20,000 grand prize was selected by a jury of more than 130 music and visual arts industry professionals.
"In our 10th year of the Prism Prize, it is clearer than ever that Canadian creatives are continuing to take the art of music videos to new heights, offering compelling and emotional visuals for audiences everywhere," said Louis Calabro, interim CEO at the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and founder of the Prism Prize, via a press release. "Mustafa's 'Ali' is no exception — the video is the perfect accompaniment to the deeply moving song, a beautiful tribute to Mustafa's dear late friend, Ali Rizeig."
The Prism Prize's 2022 Audience Award, which comes with $5,000, went to artist Khanvict and director Anjali Nayar for their music video "Closer."
The Prism Prize's 2022 special award recipients are:
- Hi-Fidelity Award for innovation in music videos: Chiiild.
- Lipsett Award for unique approaches to music video art: Iris Kim.
- Special Achievement Award: Sammy Rawal.
- Willie Dunn Award: Mustafa, who chose rapper Puffy L'z to receive a $2,500 honorarium.
Previous winners of the grand prize include Theo Kapodistrias for Haviah Mighty's "Thirteen" (2021), Peter Huang for Jessie Reyez's "Far Away" (2020) and Emily Kai Bock for Arcade Fire's "Afterlife" (2014).