The MARTY Award for Lifetime Achievement Goes To…
Mississauga’s Robert J. Sawyer has won all three of the world’s top science-fiction awards for best novel of the year: the Hugo, the Nebula, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award. He is one of only eight writers in history — and the only Canadian — to have won all three.
In addition to his wins, Sawyer has twelve other Hugo Award nominations; two other Nebula Award nominations; and four other John W. Campbell Memorial Award nominations. He recently won the Galaxy Award, China’s top honour in Science Fiction for Most Popular Foreign Author.
In Canada, Sawyer holds the record for winning the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Award (“the Aurora Award,” established in 1980), with fourteen wins to date and has a record-setting thirty other Aurora nominations to his credit.
Among the 23 science-fiction novels sold to major New York publishers, FlashForward was turned into the ABC TV series of the same name. His work has repeatedly hit #1 on the bestsellers’ lists for the science-fiction and fantasy field.
Among his many national honours, Robert is a Member, Order of Canada, holds an Honorary Doctorate from Laurentian University and locally won the City of Mississauga Civic Award of Recognition, the MARTY Award for Established Literary Artist and the Ryerson University Alumni Award of Distinction. In addition he has been a generous mentor to young authors.
The Board of Directors of the Mississauga Arts Council is delighted to honour Robert J, Sawyer with the 2017 MARTY Award for Lifetime Achievement. Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie will be at The MARTY Awards on May 18th at the Mississauga Convention Centre to make this presentation.
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For more information and high resolution photos contact
Mike Douglas @ 905 615 4215 or email him at Mike.Douglas@MississaugaArtsCouncil.com
The Hazel McCallion Award for Volunteer of the Year goes to…
“In Mississauga, when you have a charity event and you need an engaging, entertaining and polished host or MC you call on Jake Dheer. And year after year he’s there for you. It’s fantastic.” says Ron Duquette, Producer of the MARTY Awards for the Mississauga Arts Council. “Jake is just the go-to guy.” As a volunteer host, board member, activist and supporter, Jake Dheer qualifies as a volunteer of the year candidate every year.
The Mississauga Arts Council is pleased to announce that Jake Dheer is now the winner of the 2017 MARTY for The Hazel McCallion Volunteer of the Year award, presented at The MARTY Awards on May 18th at the Mississauga Convention Centre by Jake’s longtime friend, past mayor Hazel McCallion.
By day Jake Dheer has been the Senior Manager for Rogers TV and OMNI Television at Rogers Media Inc., and has been a steadfast supporter of the arts in all major functions and devoting many hours to coverage of the creative community in our city. His remarkably wide and deep volunteer leadership career includes service as Chairman of Carassauga, the Mississauga Board Of Trade in 2008, Mayor Hazel McCallion’s Gala for the Arts, Culture and Heritage, and Sheridan College’s Big Picture Galas.
Jake is a strong community activist on many boards including City of Mississauga’s Economic Development Advisory Board, Heritage Mississauga, Mississauga Tourism West Toronto Advisory Board, Mississauga Sports Council, Legends Row Founding Member, Punjabi International Film Festival, Mississauga International South Asian Film Festival, Honourary Chairman for The Liberty Silver Foundation for the Arts and many more.
Jake was named Mississauga's Citizen of the Year in 2005, received the Paul Harris Fellowship from Rotary International in 2009, the Melvin Jones Fellowship from Lions International, Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, Ted Rogers Innovation Award in 2011.
MAC urges friends of Jake to purchase their tickets to The MARTYS before they’re gone, by calling Helen at 905 615 4278 or visit the website MississaugaArtsCouncil.com.
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For more information and high resolution photos contact
Mike Douglas @ 905 615 4215 or email him at Mike.Douglas@MississaugaArtsCouncil.com
Mississauga the Music Hotbed Forces new MARTY category
The wide range and top quality of Mississauga's musical talents up for MARTY awards forced the music jury to create new categories in the midst of adjudicating dozens of outstanding performers.
The quality of nominations matches the quality of performers in our community and we had to find a way to recognize outstanding vocalists and instrumentalists, as well as groups they said.
Lead Judge Patti Janetta Baker added that “There is always a bit of measuring apples to oranges in judging but this time with such international stars in competing instrumental and vocal categories, we just had to separate them to be fair.” Creating a new instrumental category for soloist and emerging soloist categories turned into an unexpected pleasure for Baker and her experienced panel of Joey Cee and Bessie Bullard.
There are familiar names amongst the Music Solo Vocalist nominees coming to the MARTYS on May 18 at the Mississauga Convention Centre. Alx Veliz became one of the most played dance music singers in the world last year, with his hit “Dancing Kizomba”, Chuck Jackson of Downchild Blues Band fame and founder of Southside Shuffle is another big name vying for a MARTY.
At the upcoming awards night MARTY Award winners will be performing live and they include David O'Hearn and Timetrip, young opera sensation Anna Wojcik, members of the Mississauga Big Band Jazz Ensemble, Arlene Paculan, international violin sensation Susanne Hou and Ground Illusionz beat boys and break dancers par excellence.
Hot competition marks the Music – Group competition with Tomahawk Love and VIVA Trio battling with popular rockers Billy Talent!
For your tickets to the MARTY Awards just call Helen at MAC’s office 905 615 7248 or use the website MississaugaArtsCouncil.com.
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For more information and high resolution photos contact
Mike Douglas @ 905 615 4215 or email him at Mike.Douglas@MississaugaArtsCouncil.com
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