As music industry disruptions persist, the
MVP Project provides critical funding, exposure and mentorship to
emerging Canadian creatives
TORONTO, Feb. 3, 2021 /CNW/ - RBC and the
Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announced today 12
grant recipients for the fifth round of the MVP Project, a program
that provides support to emerging Canadian musicians and filmmakers
for music video creation and production. Since the program's
inception in 2018, the MVP Project, a joint initiative between
RBCxMusic and the Prism Prize, has awarded 53 grants to emerging
artists to support the creation of 24 music videos, with more
to follow this year. Applications for Round 6 will open on
March 1, 2021 at MVPProject.ca.
2020 was a tumultuous year for the music industry, particularly
with the COVID-19 pandemic upending traditional ways of showing
support for artists. With live, in-person performances on pause,
and productions operating in limited capacities, emerging recording
artists and filmmakers have been forced to reimagine how they
create, connect with, and expand their audiences. In a
predominantly digital music environment, music videos continue to
be an essential creative medium for artists, allowing them to
connect with fans, tell their stories, and enhance their exposure.
As industry disruptions persist, the MVP Project continues to
provide critical support to Canada's emerging artists at a time when they
need it most.
"The support of MVP Project is invaluable to me, especially in
the light of COVID-19 drastically limiting opportunities for
musicians around Canada and the
world," said Toronto-based rapper
and producer, and MVP Project Round 5 recipient, Cadence Weapon.
"As an independent artist, receiving this funding allows me to
create art on a level that would not be possible otherwise."
The MVP Project is focused on the growth of the Canadian music
video production community as a whole, providing opportunities for
both MVP Project grant recipients and applicants who don't receive
funding. In the wake of the pandemic, in-person workshops have
given way to online mentorship opportunities for applicants,
including upcoming virtual sessions dissecting forthcoming work
from the recipient teams behind videos for Joël and RAAHiiM.
"With each round of the MVP Project, music fans are exposed to
talented emerging Canadian artists who inspire us with their
creativity and ingenuity, and that hasn't paused during the
pandemic," said Matt McGlynn,
Vice-President, Brand Marketing, RBC. "RBC is incredibly proud to
support the 12 teams who have been selected for Round 5; we're
inspired by their resilience, and we look forward to seeing the
artistic vision for each unique music video come to life in the
coming months."
Recent MVP Project releases have been met with great acclaim
from fans and media alike. Marie
Davidson & L'Oeil Nu's haunting clip for Back To
Rock was featured in NME, Pitchfork and The Guardian, while
Dominique Fils-Aimë's Love Take Over has garnered more than
130k views since its release in
October. New music projects from Ehboni, Adria Kain, Bad Child and Moël are expected to
drop this winter.
"Although 2020 was a time of upheaval for the music industry,
there was an abundance of excellent, creative work released. For
that reason, it is more crucial than ever to support the recording
artists and filmmakers as they continue on their creative
journeys," said Louis Calabro, VP of
Programming & Awards at the Academy of Canadian Cinema &
Television. "We are honoured to work alongside these 12
exceptionally talented teams to see their ideas come to
fruition."
The recipients selected for Round 5 represent a diverse
collection of musical genres and filmmaking styles, and were
selected by a jury of industry professionals. Recipients
include:
- Recording artists Cadence Weapon (Toronto) and Jacques
Greene (Montréal), Director Scott
Pilgrim (Montréal) and Producer Imad
Elsheikh / PIQUE (Toronto)
- Recording artist Debby Friday
(Vancouver), Director and Producer
Ryan Ermacora (Vancouver)
- Recording artist Emily Rose
(Toronto), Director and
co-Producer Andy Reid (Toronto) and Producer Franci Dimitrovska (Toronto)
- Recording artist Golden Ears (Vancouver), Director Evan Bourque (Vancouver) and Producer Josh Huculiak (Vancouver)
- Recording artist Joyia (Toronto), Director Jimmy Vi (Toronto) and Producer Nathan Dharamshi
(Toronto)
- Recording artist Kibra (Toronto), Director and Producer Mez Mariyé
(Toronto)
- Recording artistLiza (Toronto), Director Isiah Blake (Toronto) and Producer Sara Elgamal (Toronto)
- Recording artist NAJA (Toronto), Director Gennelle Cruz (Toronto) and Producer Duy Nguyen / PUPIL
(Toronto)
- Recording artist Nicole Ariana (Halifax), Director Stephanie Joline (Halifax) and Producer Melani Wood(Halifax)
- Recording artist Nicole Chambers
(Brampton), Director Roya DelSol (Toronto) and Producer Tobi Abdul (Toronto)
- Recording artist Russell Louder
(Montréal), Director Trevor Blumas
(Montréal) and Producer Laura Llorens / PORCH (Montréal)
- Recording artists The Grey Jays (Winnipeg), Director and Producer Eric Peterson
(Winnipeg)
The MVP Project is part of RBC's ongoing commitment to
supporting emerging creatives through the RBC Emerging Artists
Project. Since 2015, over 25,000 alumni have been supported by the
RBC Emerging Artists Project, with support from the RBC Foundation
totaling over $9 million each year to
hundreds of arts organizations across Canada. In 2020, RBC launched First Up with
RBCxMusic, a virtual performance series created to support
and promote emerging Canadian recording artists and musicians
through the challenging circumstances caused by the COVID-19
pandemic. MVP Project Round 5 recipients Kibra, Liza, and Joyia all
previously participated in First Up.
For more information, visit www.mvpproject.ca.
About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with
a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading
performance. Our success comes from the 86,000+ employees who
leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision,
values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and
communities prosper. As Canada's
biggest bank, and one of the largest in the world based on market
capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus
on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our 17
million clients in Canada, the
U.S. and 34 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.
We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives
through donations, community investments and employee volunteer
activities. See how at rbc.com/community-social-impact.
About the Academy of Canadian Cinema &
Television
The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television
is the largest non-profit professional arts organization in
Canada. We are dedicated to
recognizing, advocating for, and celebrating Canadian talent in the
film, television, and digital media sectors. Our more than 4,000
members encompass industry icons and professionals, emerging
artists, and students. Collectively, we deliver professional
development programs and networking opportunities that foster
industry growth, inclusion, and mentorship.
The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television proudly
acknowledges the support of its Leading Media Partner, CBC; its
Premier Partner, Telefilm Canada; Platinum Partner, CTV; Principal
Partner, Netflix; and its Lead Partners, the Canada Media Fund,
Cineplex, and the Cogeco Fund.
For information on membership and programming visit
academy.ca.
SOURCE RBC