Director Sammy Rawal Is Prism Prize’s Special Achievement Award Recipient

Scheme Engine and Revolver Films director Sammy Rawal is the recipient of this year’s Special Achievement Award from the Prism Prize. The award is presented to a Canadian music video icon for their artistic achievements and exceptional contribution to music video art on a world stage.

Previous recipients include Scheme Engine and Revolver Film’s Floria Sigismondi, Director X and Bardia Zeinali.

Director/digital artist Sammy Rawal has earned international attention for his original, hyper-stylised approach to image-making featuring bold color, choreography, and innovation with digital techniques for clients and artists such as Cardi B, Lizzo, Elton John, Kraft, Reebok, and Equinox. His music video work has been nominated at the UK Music Video Awards, the Berlin Music Video Awards, the Juno Awards and shown at the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Musée d’Art Contemporain de Montréal, and Nuit Blanche.

Sammy’s passion for LGBTQ+ rights is seen in acclaimed projects such as Kraft Singles’ Single feat Kelis 'Square It' for Johannes Leonardo and 'Life’s A Ball' for Equinox and RanaVerse, which Adweek called the most 'show-stopping' of 2019 Pride campaigns. The 360 project, including a 90-second film, digital art and bespoke downloadable track, celebrated icons of the NYC ballroom movement.

Sammy is also the co-founder and resident DJ of Yes Yes Y’all, Canada’s largest hip-hop/dancehall party that creates spaces for queer people of colour.