Press Releases

Winnipeg, Man. – The Arctic Inspiration Prize (AIP) announced today an exciting new broadcast partnership with APTN.

Every year, the AIP celebrates its new laureates at a live ceremony that showcases the AIP finalists, winners and performances by artists from across the North. For the first time ever, the AIP awards ceremony will be broadcast on Feb. 19, 2021 on TV and online, thanks to this incredible partnership with APTN. With Leela Gilday once again taking the lead as artistic director, the virtual AIP awards ceremony promises to be an ambitious, pan-Arctic celebration that will bring this year’s laureate success stories and musical performances to living rooms from coast to coast to coast.

“APTN is honoured to be able to bring the AIP awards ceremony to Canadians across the country,” said Monika Ille, CEO of APTN. “The AIP is one of Canada’s best kept secrets and we’re thrilled to be able to give this incredible prize, its laureates and the performers from the North the national reach they so deserve.”

Leela Gilday, artistic director of the AIP awards ceremony, says that this year’s performances will be as wide-ranging and diverse as the North itself, embodying the theme “their blood runs through our blood.” The virtual ceremony will feature some incredible artists from across the North: Nunavut’s Silla and Rise, Yukon’s Dakhká Khwáan Dancers, the Northwest Territories’ Wesley Hardisty and The Pan Lab Alumni Choir from Nunatsiavut.

“This year, we celebrate the AIP laureates and their incredible projects by recognizing how a traditional Indigenous Arctic worldview inspires and informs innovation and creation in our world today,” said Gilday.

The AIP is proud to be working with Indigenous production company Animiki See Digital Production to produce this year’s awards ceremony and to continue to partner with the Arctic Indigenous Investment Conference and the Yukon Arts Centre, honouring Whitehorse as the host city of this virtual ceremony.

“We are so excited to be celebrating this year’s AIP finalists and laureates with the rest of the country. We can’t wait to bring you their stories in February. We’re sure that you’ll be inspired by the creativity, innovation and ingenuity of the North,” said Hannah Uniuqsaraq, chair of the AIP Charitable Trust.

Tune in on Feb. 19, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. CT on aptn n to catch the AIP broadcast. The broadcast will also be available to watch on the APTN lumi streaming platform on Feb. 19, 2021 at 8:30 p.m. CT and will be free to watch for 24 hours.

For more on this year’s AIP finalists please visit: https://www.arcticinspirationprize.ca/finalists/2020finalists.php

Pictures from last year’s ceremony and this year’s finalists, as well as information on this year’s performers can be found here.

-30-

About AIP
As the largest annual prize in Canada, the Arctic Inspiration Prize (AIP) encourages, enables and celebrates the inspiring achievements of the people of the North. The AIP recognizes diverse teams and enables their innovative projects in the fields of education, sustainable housing, health, performing arts, traditional knowledge, language, and science. Each year, the AIP awards: one $1 million prize, up to four prizes of up to $500,000 each, and up to seven youth prizes of up to $100,000 each. The AIP is owned and governed by the northern-led AIP Charitable Trust and supported by Indigenous organizations, governments, industry, philanthropy, and many other partners from the North and South.

About APTN
APTN launched in 1999 as the first national Indigenous broadcaster in the world, creating a window into the remarkably diverse mosaic of Indigenous Peoples. A respected non-profit and charitable broadcaster, it’s the only one of its kind in North America. The network is Sharing Our Stories of authenticity in English, French and a variety of Indigenous languages to approximately 11 million Canadian subscribers. With over 80% Canadian content, APTN connects with its audiences through genuine, inspiring and engaging entertainment on multiple platforms.

For further information about AIP, contact:
Allison MacLachlan
(613) 316-3473
[email protected]

For further information about APTN, contact:
Emili Bellefleur
Manager of Communications, APTN
(438) 349-2456
[email protected]