Banff World Media Festival to hold online awards show

The annual Rockie Awards, an international competition that honours television and digital programming, is raising money for the Town of Banff.

Banff has long been the host of the Banff World Media Festival, which produces the long-running competition. As with the rest of the festival, the awards have shifted to an online version and will be streamed live on Monday, June 15 on Youtube at 1 p.m. MT.

The Banff World Media Festival was to be held June 14 to 17 at Fairmont Banff Springs but was forced to move online due to the COVID -19 pandemic. It continues to feature industry panels, master classes and interactive video sessions and has included celebrities such Jennifer Connelly and Daveed Diggs, who are starring in the British Columbia-shot futuristic drama Snowpiercer.

The Rockie Awards will be hosted by Aurora Browne, Carolyn Taylor and Jennifer Whalen of the CBC’S Baroness von Sketch Show. The show will also feature Niecy Nash of Miss America, Jason Priestley, Private Eyes star Cindy Sampson, Mary Walsh, Colin Mochrie, The Social’s Lainey Lui, Transplant’s Hamza Haq and Ayisha Issa and Gary the Unicorn from The Studio K Show.

The Rockie Awards offers prizes in 26 categories. Viewers of the show are encouraged to donate to the Bow Valley Emergency Fund, which was established to respond to community needs in the Town of Banff and surrounding areas.

Visit Banffmediafestival.playbackonline.ca/2020 for more information.