The Creative Citizen Awards is an event organized by La Connexional in collaboration with the African Canadian Performing Arts (ACPA) foundation. It celebrates the creativity and innovation of individuals and groups who have made significant contributions to their communities through their work, projects and initiatives.
These individuals and groups have demonstrated exceptional creativity and innovation in their work, and have made a positive impact on their communities through their efforts.
The selection committee for the first edition of the Creative Citizen Awards was made up of 5 members of La Connexional's executive team. The awardees were chosen based on 3 primary criteria: the number of nominations they received (15%), the quality of their work (55%), and the impact their work has had on the community (30%). Please note that team executives were not allowed to nominate a creative or receive an award, and any nominations for a La Connexional team executive were automatically disqualified.
Podcast of The Year- is awarded to Kaiha Marah. She is the host of her very own podcast, Hear Me Out. This is a platform where she discuss with guests topics on mental health, discovering purpose, and building better relationships with the intention of helping people grow beyond their limitations. DJ of The Year- Tyler LUGZ Adagala is selected as DJ of the year and he began his DJIng career in the local hip hop events and eventually broke into the Edmonton Nightlife scene over the past 5 years.Restaurant of The Year- is awarded to the LUNA Cocina Mexicana by Mariel Montero Sena. She has been a chef for many years, and has studied and cooked around the world. She competed professionally on the food network program ‘Chopped’. She currently owns and operates the Mexican restaurant LUNA Cocina Mexicana!Photographer of The Year- is awarded to Faith Abimbola. Her photography style includes but isn’t limited to portrait, editorial, and fashion photography. She loves helping my clients create moments that last forever and capturing images that tell a story.Startup Business of The Year- At the forefront of women’s advocacy and product design for niche markets, you’ll find Adetoun Abby Aiyeleye. Her 20 years of community work and business footprints trail across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and North America.Videographer of the Year- Samuel J. Mensah also known as Samjay is a Videographer, Photographer, Music Producer and graphics designer. He has a real passion for learning and creating new things. Throughout the years, he learned different skills and managed to create a business around them.Visual Artist of The Year- Macha Abdallah is selected for this award. She enjoys painting portraits of real or imagined people. She draws a lot of her inspiration from her faith in Christ. Her aim is to add beauty to the world through paintingVocalist of The Year- Born in Khartoum Sudan, raised up in Edmonton Canada, and destined for stages around the world - Mouraine is quickly becoming a staple in Canadian Hip Hop and beyond. His story bears resemblance to the humble underdog that we all want to see win.Dancer of The Year- Mpoe Mogale is chosen for this award. Mpoe’s primary art making form is dance, with a curiosity in the place of Blackness in spaces that deny it, as explored through several projects including What (Black) Life Requires (produced by Mile Zero Dance and Azimuth Theatre).Rising Youth Of The Year- Timiro Mohamed is a Somali-Canadian spoken word poet inspired by the generations of storytellers before her. She is the former City of Edmonton Youth Poet Laureate, is the recipient of the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation’s Top 30 Under 30 award, has competed nationally at the Canadian Festival of Spoken word.
In addition to the awardees, there were also honorable mentions given to those who were nominated for the Creative Citizen Awards. These individuals and groups may not have been selected as awardees, but their work and contributions to their communities were still recognized and celebrated.
The Creative Citizen Awards is an important gathering that recognizes and celebrates the contributions of individuals and groups who are making a positive difference in their communities through creativity and innovation. We are proud to present the 2022 awardees and honorable mentions. We hope that their stories will encourage others to make a positive impact in their lives.
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