Outstanding Entertainers Honour Remarkable Achievers of 2014
OHSWEKEN, ON, Feb. 4, 2014 /CNW/ - The stage in Winnipeg will be lit up this spring with Indigenous luminaries from across the country gathering for the 21st Annual Indspire Awards. The gala will be held on Friday, March 21, 2014 at Winnipeg's Centennial Concert Hall with approximately 2,000 guests and participants from the Indigenous community and the corporate and public sectors. The Canadian Screen Award nominated show will be broadcast nationally by media partners Global Television and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) at a later date.
"Each year, we bring together prominent and exciting Indigenous entertainers and presenters to make the evening a worthy tribute to all of the award recipients who deserve this national recognition and celebration," said Roberta Jamieson, President and CEO of Indspire and Executive Producer of the Indspire Awards. Co-Executive Producer for the gala evening is Jennifer Podemski, award-winning actress, director, and producer.
Co-host Tina Keeper is well known to audiences for her work on the hit series North of 60. She is currently President of Kistikan Pictures and is a past recipient of the Awards. Co-host Kyle Nobess is a Winnipeg-based actor and presenter who has co-hosted the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards, has appeared in hit TV shows, including Mohawk Girls.
The show's opening number includes a musical performance by Theo Fleury, the former NHL All-Star, Stanley Cup winner, Olympic Gold Medalist, bestselling author, and in-demand speaker, with The Death Valley Rebels. The high-stepping fun continues with Patti Lamoureux, whose mastery of the fiddle has been described as a little bit Métis, a little bit Québecois, and a whole lot of feel. Other opening performers include Shawn Mousseau, the Asham Stompers and Sagkeeng's Finest. The audience will also be treated to comedian Don Burnstick, singer Beatrice Love, and vocalist George Leach. A special closing performance features Inez, a proud Stó:lô, Ojibway, and Métis singer songwriter with power-house talent and universal appeal, alongside Nunavut's cultural performance group Kaiva, Winnipeg's Aboriginal School of Dance, and eight dancers from Toronto's Outside Looking In "education through dance" program.
"Our award recipients are the best and brightest in their fields, leaders in their communities and mentors to those who carry our future forward," said Roberta Jamieson. "We honour their accomplishments so those who follow will be inspired to fulfill their own great potential. We are grateful to all of our sponsors and supporters who make the program and the evening possible through their generosity and commitment."
Tickets and corporate packages for the Indspire Awards gala can be purchased by contacting Indspire at 416.987.0250 or 1.855.INDSPIRE (463.7747) x228, [email protected], or indspire.ca/tickets.
Indspire Awards 2014 sponsors and supporters include:
| PRESENTING CORPORATE SPONSOR: | CIBC |
| LEAD PARTNER: | Government of Canada |
| REGIONAL PARTNERS: | Government of Manitoba, Manitoba Hydro, Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, Manitoba Public Insurance |
| MAJOR SPONSORS: | Shaw Media, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), Suncor Energy, Syncrude Canada Ltd., Fort McKay Group of Companies, Frog Lake Energy Resources Corp., Air Canada |
| PRE-GALA RECEPTION HOST SPONSOR: | Shell Canada Limited |
| PARTICIPATING SPONSOR: | Tuccaro Inc. Group of Companies |
| GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS: | Government of the Northwest Territories, City of Winnipeg, Government of Nunavut |
| SUPPORTING SPONSORS: | Britco, Willbros Canada |
| OFFICIAL HOTEL IN WINNIPEG: | The Fairmont Winnipeg |
About the Indspire Awards
The Indspire Awards have celebrated the significant contributions of Indigenous people in Canada for 21 years. The Awards are aligned with Indspire's mandate to provide educational support and programs for future generations to succeed. They promote self-esteem and pride for the Indigenous community and provide outstanding role models for Indigenous youth. They recognize the success of individuals who have the discipline, drive and determination to set high standards and accomplish their goals.
The national jury for the Indspire Awards is comprised of previous recipients, who represent a range of economic sectors, fields of endeavor, and regions across the country. From hundreds of nominations, the jury selects ten career achievement award recipients, three youth award recipients (First Nation, Inuit, and Métis), and one lifetime achievement award. Recipients are selected through a jury process that is based on the highest merits of fairness, honesty and respect to all of the highly-deserving nominees.
About Indspire
Indspire is the former National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation. Its new name combines the key notions of Indigenous and inspiration to highlight its exciting mandate. Indspire is best‐known for its many programs that help Indigenous youth succeed. In addition to bursaries and scholarships, they offer career conferences for youth, interactive classroom learning modules, the Indspire Institute and the Indspire Awards. Indspire's focus is on supporting, innovating, and fundamentally transforming Indigenous education. In 2012‐2013, Indspire's Building Brighter Futures program provided over $5 million to more than 2,000 Indigenous students across Canada.
SOURCE: Indspire
For media interviews and more information please contact:
Betsy Chaly, VP, Communications & Marketing
[email protected], T: 416.987.0260, C: 647.992.2617
Share this article