The City of Nanaimo and the Port Theatre Society proudly present the 2024 Culture Awards Ceremony
Please join us to celebrate the best of Nanaimo’s arts and culture sector while enjoying an evening of FREE entertainment by Nanaimo’s very own local talent.
The Culture Awards have been an important program for community building and partnerships since 1998. They bring awareness to the breadth and variety of the cultural activity in Nanaimo, celebrating the cultural accomplishments of individuals and organizations in our community. The awards also encourage and give inspiration to aspiring young artists and future cultural leaders.
Excellence in Culture Award:
Presented to an organization or individual that has achieved regional and/or national recognition in the field of arts and is recognized as a “Nanaimo Artist,” has demonstrated excellence in their field, and is a significant inspiration to others.
Honour in Culture Award:
Presented to an individual, group or corporation known for their dedication and support of the development of Nanaimo’s cultural sector.
Emerging Cultural Leader Award:
Recognizes up-and-coming, Nanaimo-based cultural leaders. This award targets individuals under 30 years of age who have contributed significantly to the cultural life in Nanaimo. Recipients must be recognized by their peers and the community as a whole, to have given distinguished service in arts and culture and / or have been recognized for excellence in an arts or cultural field.
THE 2024 CULTURE AWARD RECIPIENTS:
EXCELLENCE IN CULTURE 2024: Paul Roland Gogo
This award is presented to an organization or individual that has achieved regional and/or national recognition in the field of arts and is recognized as a “Nanaimo Artist”, has demonstrated excellence in their field, and is a significant inspiration to others. Past recipients include Grant Leier & Nixie Barton (2015), Susan Juby (2016), Jacqui Kaese (2017), Rick Scott (2018), and Devon Joiner (2020), Ay Lelum (2021), Brendan Tang (2022), and Joel Good (2023).
For thirty years, Paul Roland Gogo has been a keyboard player, and multi-instrumentalist, for recently-inducted Canadian Hall of Fame Band TROOPER. His parents were both prominent Nanaimo musicians, and his commitment to contributing culturally to Nanaimo began early as a child dance performer. Over the course of his career he has made significant strides in music, especially as a member of TROOPER. The band has toured across Canada, and was recently inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Paul has also actively contributed to the cultural community through music projects where he has served as songwriter, producer, and videographer, and made a significant impact on a local level through performances at Nanaimo schools and seniors residences. Paul’s career is a reflection of his commitment to arts, culture and community.
HONOUR IN CULTURE 2024: Sukhi Sangha
This award is presented to an individual, group, or corporation that is known for its dedication and support of the development of the cultural fabric of Nanaimo. Past recipients include Arlene Blundell (2015), Debbie Trueman (2016), Gerda Hofman (2017), William Good (2018), Dean Chadwick (2019), Trish & Geoff Horrocks (2020), Marianne Turley (2021), Christine Whitelaw (2021), Bruce Halliday (2022), and Margot Holmes (2023).
Sukhi Sangha is the founder of Vancouver Island Bhangra. She comes from a small community in North Delta, settling in Nanaimo in 2020. Through her dedication to cultural education and outreach in the sharing and promotion of Bhangra, Sukhi has played a pivotal role in fostering inclusivity, cultural education and exchange, and cultural preservation. Sukhi also serves as a volunteer on the Board of Directors for the Crimson Coast Dance Society. Sukhi’s contributions and commitment to community have played a foundational role in introducing South Asian Arts to Vancouver Island, enriching and contributing to the diversity of Nanaimo’s cultural community.
EMERGING CULTURAL LEADER 2024: Annalise Lam
This award recognizes up-and-coming, Nanaimo-based cultural leaders. This award targets individuals under 30 years of age who have contributed significantly to the cultural life in Nanaimo. Recipients must be recognized by their peers and the community as a whole, to have given distinguished service in arts and culture and / or have been recognized for excellence in an arts or cultural field. Past recipients include Shayd Johnson (2014), Amanda Scott (2015), Lys Glassford (2016), Nico Rhodes (2019), Patrick Aleck (2020), and Eliot White-Hill (2022).
Annalise Lam is a dedicated, passionate, and talented young Highland dancer. Annalise was the first dancer from Vancouver Island to win the World Highland Dance Championships in forty years. There has never been a dancer from Nanaimo win a World Highland Dance Championship until Annalise. Annalise dedicates time to volunteering in the community, teaching younger dancers her craft, and performing at local festivals, seniors residences, and in cultural spaces such as the Nanaimo Museum. Annalise has represented Highland Dance nationally and internationally, representing BC at the Canadian Championships, being selected to represent Canada in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and perform in Edinburgh Castle, and competing in the 2022 Commonwealth Championship in Scotland.
More information on the Culture Awards recipients can be found on the City’s website: https://www.nanaimo.ca/parks-recreation-culture/culture/culture-awards
