TEENS honoured
Two teenagers from Standoff came away winners at the first International Awards Gala in Calgary recently
Two teenagers from Standoff were given the red carpet treatment last Saturday.
Cousins Kaysen Day Chief, 15, and Tennille Day Chief, 17, both walked away with awards during the inaugural International Awards Gala for Youth in Calgary.
The gala was organized by the Music is Cool (MIC) Foundation, a non-profit organization that launched this year and featured a black tie gala with a red carpet and professional photographers. The organization’s mission statement is “to recognize, honour and reward Canadian and international youth in achieving excellence in the entertainment industry.”
Kaysen walked away with second and third place for a couple of his art pieces, while Tennille took first place in the Best Actress Short Film category for age 16 and 16-17.
“You knew you were getting nominated, you just didn’t know if you were going to win or not,” said Tennille.
She was surprised to hear her name called out not once, but twice.
Kaysen, who loves to draw, was also shocked to hear he placed. In fact he wasn’t even in the room when his name was announced.
“I thought I wasn’t going to win so I just walked around the hotel,” he said.
But the awards were a confidence booster for them both.
“Getting nominated, or even just getting an award, it just builds a good confidence in doing what you love,” said Tennille.
Artists between the ages of five and 20 were eligible, but a nomination was required to be considered.
Both Kaysen and Tennille were inspired by many of the fellow nominees.
“It was pretty cool there. There was a whole bunch of people there. I met a kid who was going to be in a new LEGO Ninjago movie,” said Kaysen, who noted he was now interested in pursuing a career in voice acting.
Tennille added she was grateful an event was created to celebrate youth in the entertainment industry.
“Because, now that you think about it, it’s usually the older people’s talent, or the more famous people that get recognized, so it’s kind of nice,” she said. Follow @TMartinHerald on Twitter.