2022 - 2023 IPF | FIP Awards Recipients

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The International Peace Festival | Festival International de la Paix Awards 

Committee  is honoured to announce the recipient of the 2022-2023 Lifetime Achievement Award in Music to be conferred on British composer, arranger, conductor and musician, John Cameron, at the IPF | FIP Awards Ceremony to be held in Toronto, Canada, on September 25, 2022.

Mr. Cameron’s composing and arranging covers an amazing array of music genres, from rock, soul, jazz and folk music, through electronic, world, orchestral and choral music, working in film, television, theatre of all kinds, and recording. 

One of the most versatile contemporary composers, Academy-nominated John Cameron created the musical score for every version of Les Misérables from the original Robert Hossein production in 1980 through the RSC, Broadway, tour and concert versions. He won the New York Drama Desk Award for Les Mis in 1986 and the National Broadway Theatre Award in 2002. The New York cast album won a Grammy.

Mr. Cameron is well known for his many film, TV and stage credits and for his contributions to pop recordings. His credit list as the recipient of many awards and accolades includes:

 Film: Over 50 Film Scores including Oscar Nomination: A Touch of Class (Best Original Score), Kes (no.7 in BFI list of Best 100 British films of 20th Century);

 TV Scores include Emmy Nomination: The Path to 9/11 (Outstanding Music Composition For A Mini-Series, Movie Or A Special – Original Dramatic Score);

 Theatre: New York Drama Desk Award: Best Orchestration: Les Miserables National Broadway Theatre Award: Best Score: Les Miserables Grammy – Best Musical Cast Show: Les Miserables Symphonic Album

 (Orchestral Score John Cameron)

Olivier Nomination: Best New Musical: Zorro (Co-Composer)

Golden Lion Award (China): Nils’ Wonderful Adventure (Composer, Original English

Lyrics, Best Children’s Musical)  Other shows arranged/orchestrated include Honk! (Olivier Award Best New

 Musical 2000), Spend Spend Spend (Best Musical – London Evening Standard Theatre Awards and Critics Circle Theatre Awards), Mutiny! (Ivor Novello Nomination Best Musical);

 Songwriting Hits (Top 20): If I Thought You’d Ever Change your Mind (Cilla Black, Agnetha Faltskog), Sweet Inspiration (Johnny Johnson & The Bandwagon), Tap Turns On The Water, Brother (CCS), Na-na-na-na (Cozy Powell);

 Top 20 Hits as Arranger: Sunshine Superman, Jennifer Juniper, Epistle to

Dippy (Donovan), Whole Lotta Love, Walking (CCS), Brother Louie, Emma, Disco

Queen, A Child’s Prayer, You Sexy Thing, So You Win Again, Every 1’s A Winner, Man To Man, Put You Together Again (Hot Chocolate), Boogie Nights, Too Hot To Handle, The Groove Line, Mind Blowing Decisions, Always and

Forever, Gangsters of the Groove (Heatwave), Silver Dream Machine, Tahiti (David

Essex);

 Classical Recordings include Passion: Jose Carreras (Arranger/Executive Musical

Director) #1 Billboard Classical Album Chart, and contributions to Choir of New College

Oxford’s Agnus Dei recordings including Lux Aeterna (Winner – Best Selling Disc –

Gramophone Awards 1997).

Through his artistic versatility, Mr. Cameron has shown the degree to which music can serve as a tool for peace and as an ideal conduit for communication that brings people together and helps them become more engaged. His choral setting of “Nimrod” from Sir Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations, for instance, has been described as one of those very special moments in music that stops you in your tracks. This stirring rendition of Elgar’s abiding melody “Nimrod,” has since been performed as a tribute on Armistice Day by British ensemble VOCES8 who, through music, pay their respects to the veterans who served in the First World War, and all subsequent wars involving British and Commonwealth troops.

We take this opportunity to praise and honour Mr. Cameron for his dedication and achievements as a musical artist and for his outstanding contributions to many music libraries. A true musical genius is someone whose music you remember long after you have caught the last bus home. Music you remember days or weeks after and pause and say to yourself. “You know, that music

was pretty good wasn’t it?” And that is John Cameron. A true musical genius whose many

contributions in music-making communicate the spirit of world peace and continue to enrich the

world with the power to heal, inspire, provoke, challenge and offer hope.

In recognition of her legendary body of documentary film work, the International Peace Festival | Festival International de la Paix Awards Committee is pleased to announce that it is conferring the 2022-2023 IPF | FIP Lifetime Achievement Award in Film on the Abenaki American Canadian filmmaker and activist Alanis Obomsawin, at the IPF | FIP Awards Ceremony to be held in Toronto, Canada, on September 25, 2022.

Ms. Obomsawin has used film to give an authentic and powerful voice to the Aboriginal people in Canada. Her documentary films reflect her dedication to the well-being and preservation of the cultural heritage of Canada’s Aboriginal people. In a film career spanning more than five decades, Ms. Obomsawin fully embraced the power of film as a tool for social justice. She has made a measurable impact over the past 50+ years as a passionate advocate for all those who have suffered injustices, and has asserted an uncompromising, fierce, and unprecedented cinematic space for Indigenous perspectives, faces, and places.

Ms. Obomsawin continues to make socially relevant and highly impactful work to this date with her intense drive and passion to tell these stories because there is so much to tell, so much to correct, and so much to bring to light. She is as tireless, passionate, and driven now as she was at the outset of her career. Her body of work is more than a noteworthy set of numbers. To say she’s prolific is an understatement, in that it is not quite an accurate way to characterize the fact that she’s created over 50 films, a rare feat for any filmmaker.

What this body of work represents is a profound legacy. She is one of Canada’s greatest filmmakers, and one of the world’s great documentarians, and certainly La Grande Dame of global Indigenous cinema, beloved by the many she continues to inspire. She is a remarkable filmmaker with multiple honours and awards, each one richly deserved, and deserving of many more. Her innumerable awards and personal honours are too numerous to enumerate but the following should highlight Ms. Obomsawin’s international profile and status as one of the world’s foremost activist filmmakers:

 2006 Award for Best Documentary – Long Format, imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival for Waban-aki: People from Where the Sun Rises.

 2008 retrospective of her work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

 2008 Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement,  Canada's highest honour in the performing arts.

 2009 special retrospective at Hot Docs and received the festival's Hot Docs Outstanding Achievement Award.

 2010 named to the Playback Canadian Film & Television Hall of Fame.

 2013 named an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

 2013 Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television Humanitarian Award for Exceptional Contributions to Community & Public Service,

 2013 Toronto International Film Festival recipient of a Birks Diamond Tribute to the Year's Women in Film.

 2015 lifetime achievement award from Chile's Valdivia International Film Festival.

 2015 Montreal Artistes pour la paix lifetime achievement award.

 2015 inaugural Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec.

 2016 Clyde Gilmour Award from the Toronto Film Critics Association.

 2016 prix Albert-Tessier for contributions to the cinema of Quebec.

 2016 named a Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec.

 2017 inaugural Prix Origine, Montreal's Bâtisseuses de la Cité Awards, for her work on Indigenous issues.

 2019 named a Companion of the Order of Canada.

 2019 Vancouver International Film Festival, received the $15,000 Best Canadian Documentary Award, for Jordan River Anderson, the Messenger.

 2020 she was named the thirteenth laureate of the Glenn Gould Prize.

 2020 Iris Tribute, an honour for lifetime work, at the 22nd Quebec Cinema Awards from Québec Cinéma's Comité de représentation professionnelle.

 2001 Canada Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts.

An Officer of the Order of Canada, Ms. Obomsawin's many honours also include the Luminaria Tribute for Lifetime Achievement from the Santa Fe Film Festival, International Documentary Association's Pioneer Award, the Toronto Women in Film and Television's (TWIFT) Outstanding Achievement Award in Direction, the Canadian Native Arts Foundation National Aboriginal Achievement Award, and the Outstanding Contributions Award from the Canadian Sociology and Anthropology Association (CSAA). The latter marks the first time that the CSAA has honoured someone who is not an academic in the field of anthropology or sociology.

We feel privileged to honour you Ms. Obomsawin with the IPF | FIP Lifetime Achievement Award in Film, and thank you for your commitment, endeavour and passion for all that you have brought to the art of filmmaking and to making film a relevant art form that inspires and educates. Your voice reverberates beyond your signature narration and takes root in our heart, mind, and spirit. Congratulations!

It is with great honour that the International Peace Festival | Festival International de la Paix Awards Committee announces the recipient of the 2022-2023 Lifetime Achievement Award in the Art of Photography to be conferred on fine art photographer Dmitry Savchenko at the IPF | FIP Awards Ceremony to be held in Toronto, Canada, on September 25, 2022. Mr. Savchenko has become one of the leading chroniclers of the art of ballet, evolving a dramatically expressionist style that captures the elegance, the spirit and the skill of his graceful subjects. Both a visual treat and a study of movement, Mr. Savchenko aims to convey ballet as an art form and embodiment of non-verbal learning and to capture dance to create moments of emotion.

Throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Savchenko’s work has been exhibited at leading world theatres, such as The Metropolitan Opera (New York), Opera National de Paris, Teatro alla Scala, Teatro Massimo (Palermo, Italy), The Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, Mariinsky Theatre, as well as for the purpose of commercial campaigns by other administrative theatrical institutions and promotions within the ballet industry. Mr. Savchenko has been able to create to this day a unique collection of portraits of leading world stage masters in the domain of opera and ballet. From 2006 to the present, Dmitry Savchenko’s work has formed the subject of 33 major international exhibitions around the world, dedicated to the legends of worldwide ballet. His photography demonstrates that there is always more of humanity to discover and celebrate.

The ART of Dance is a performing art form. It transmits culture, emotions, tells stories and can be a testimony of a historical moment or a place of origin. It is also a connections agent – it connects to rhythms, to cultural traditions. It is a social form of art. Given that the majority of human communication is non-verbal, as a non-verbal art form, the potential for dance in peacebuilding could be significant. However, although used widely at grassroots levels, dance generally remains outside of the standard catalogue of conflict resolution and peacebuilding practices.

At micro levels of peacebuilding, change starts with the shift of an individual’s worldview and spaces to find new metaphors for understanding. Peacebuilding requires diverse tools to address complex relationships and relies on the ability to see new perspectives and build interactions. The performing arts are one aspect of a bottom-up peacebuilding approach that provides multiple ways of interaction and dance is a potential asset for the peacebuilding field, creating opportunities for nonverbal, embodied learning and relationships to the ‘other’. As a symbolic language communicated through the body, dance is one tool to support peacebuilders and communities in conflict to develop the range of their communication and understanding.

In bestowing the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Art of Photography to Mr. Dmitry

Savchenko, the International Peace Festival | Festival International de la Paix Awards Committee honours and celebrates Mr. Savchenko’s exceptional artistic achievements in giving expression to an art form with significant potential for connecting and providing solidarity and cooperation as global standards for human development. We take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Savchenko on his nomination and for his outstanding work and contribution and innovative use of photography in exploring and giving shape to new artistic concepts.

The International Peace Festival | Festival International de la Paix Awards Committee is privileged and honoured to announce that Edward Burtynsky, one of the world's most accomplished contemporary photographers, will be conferred the 2022-2023 Honorary Artistic Award at the IPF | FIP Awards Ceremony to be held in Toronto, Canada, on September 25, 2022.

Mr. Burtynsky, a world-renowned photographic artist, known for his sweeping images of industrial projects and their effects on the environment, is perhaps the greatest chronicler alive of the injuries that humans have inflicted on the planet. For more than four decades, he has been documenting colossal mines, quarries, dams, roadways, factories, and trash piles—telling a story,  frame by frame, of the lasting impact of human industry on the planet and the geological and biological cost of civilization.

Mr. Burtynsky's photographs are included in the collections of over 60 major museums around the world, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid, the Tate Modern in London, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in California.

As an active lecturer on photographic art, Mr. Burtynsky's speaking engagements have been held at numerous international galleries and centers, including but not limited to the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.; George Eastman House in Rochester, NY; The Canadian Center for Architecture in Montreal; the Art Gallery of Ontario, the TED conference; and Idea City and Toronto Metropolitan University  (formerly Ryerson University) in Toronto.

Exhibitions include the world premiere of Mr. Burtynsky’s multimedia art piece, In the Wake of Progress (2022) at the Luminato Festival and the Canadian Opera Company Theatre in Toronto, Canada; Anthropocene (2018) at the Art Gallery of Ontario and the National Gallery of Canada (international touring exhibition); Water (2013) at the New Orleans Museum of Art & Contemporary Art Center, New Orleans, Louisiana (international touring exhibition); Oil (2009) at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. (five-year international touring show), China (toured 2005 - 2008); Manufactured Landscapes at the National Gallery of Canada (touring from 2003 - 2005); and Breaking Ground produced by the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography (touring from 1988 - 1992).

Mr. Burtynsky’s distinctions include the TED Prize, the Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts, the Outreach award at the Rencontres d’Arles, the Roloff Beny Book award, and the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award. In 2006 he was awarded the title of Officer of the Order of Canada and in 2008 he was awarded the ICP Infinity Award for Art. In 2018 he was named Photo London's Master of Photography and the Mosaic Institute's Peace Patron. In 2019 he was the recipient of the Arts & Letters Award at the Canadian Association of New York’s annual Maple Leaf Ball and the 2019 Lucie Award for Achievement in Documentary Photography.

Most recently he was awarded a Royal Photographic Society Honorary Fellowship (2020) and was honoured with the Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award (2022) by the World Photography Organization. He was also a key production figure in the award-winning documentary trilogy, Jennifer Baichwal's Manufactured Landscapes (2006), Watermark (2013) and ANTHROPOCENE: The Human Epoch (2018), the latter two of which he codirected alongside Baichwal. All three films continue to play in festivals around the world. He currently holds eight honorary doctorate degrees.

The IPF | FIP Honorary Artistic Award recognizes the specific nature of cultural and artistic work and the uniqueness of cultural and natural heritage conservation, protection and promotion as a critical contributor to peace. The award honours Mr. Burtynksy whose exceptional artistic achievements, celebrate humanity, provoke the imagination, and encourage people to go further, by giving a new thrust in the regulation of unsafe social, economic and ecological practices, focusing on the development of more resilient conservation models and wide-spread approaches that balance the needs of human and natural habitats.

Mr. Burtynsky’s beautiful-yet-haunting imagery of industrial landscapes documents the scars of a ravaged earth and immerses viewers in the inconceivable impact that humans have had on the planet. It challenges us to have an important conversation about our legacy and the future implications of sustainable life on Earth. Mr. Burtynsky’s work is powerful and emotionally moving and makes us think about the footprint we are leaving behind, and the urgency to take action. We can think of no more outstanding contribution to the promotion of a culture of peace than that.

Mr. Burtynsky, you have shown us through common values, such as respect, equity, harmony, and concrete manifestations of solidarity, that the future of civilization is bright. It depends on us all to ensure that we deliver on that promise. Thank you and congratulations on this latest and well-deserved recognition.

Musician and Peace Activist

Pato Banton is a grammy nominated reggae legend that has recorded and toured the world with The English Beat, Steel Pulse, UB40 & STING! (just to name a few) . During the year 2000, while in the midst of a global trek with Peter Gabriel’s WOMAD organization, that combined huge festivals with music outreach programs to poor and underprivileged communities, Pato learned that two of his sons had been shot in a drive-by shooting! He immediately put his career on hold and turned his sorrow into the impetus for community & educational initiatives that would consume the next six years of his life.

 Antoinette “Rootsdawtah” Hall is a world-renowned keyboardist in the Reggae Industry and in 2019 the United Religions Initiative (URI)-Africa appointed the renowned reggae musicians Pato Banton & Antoinette Rootsdawtah as Goodwill Ambassadors of the Golden Rule. She became involved in the Spiritual Community after working with Pato Banton and joining on his Mission of Spreading the Good News that “we’re all God’s Children, brothers & sisters.” Since then she has become very proactive in Global Outreach Ministry, which includes the Urantia Movement, U-Day Thailand, Parliament of the World’s Religions, 1GOD.com, Harvard Divinity School & most recently, a presentation for the Convergence Gathering at the United Nations Chapel in New York. Antoinette’s spiritual communities also include, Minister Pato Banton, Urantia Aspirations, Ministers For Christ Michael, Daughter’s of the Divine Mother, Unity Earth, URI Multiregion and COEXIST! Her present musical works include the “Thoughts of Paradise” Meditation CD, “The Words Of Christ” “Words of Rastafari” & the “Joyful and Happy” soundtrack which is featured in the spiritually motivated documentary called “Return to Happiness.” 

 Ghanaian born Conscious Musician and record producer Kwadjo SPiRi imbues his music with African folklore, Tribal and foreign elements with a Hiphop feel. This blends mainly into a new genre of music he refers to as Afrihop. As a dynamic music producer, he experiments with lots of sounds and rhythms and his edge to experiment is deeply rooted and inspired by this constant inner urge or impulse to stand out by creating new genres and feeding consumers with something always new and fresh. His goal with music is to produce sounds of such immense depth that it can inspire positive shifts within, fostering personal peace, progress and well being. Personally believing that indigenous African music is naturally spiritual and therapeutic, he enjoys exploring it in its many forms. His musical album “Okwantuni (The Agondonter)” is an illustration of experimenting with indigenous African sounds. On a conscious personal universal journey towards increasing Self-awareness and discovery, He mainly shares his universe experiences as content on the music. He’s shared stages, big and small, with lots of artists both local and international. He’s also shared stages with kindred artists who walk similar conscious paths as his. A few notable engagements or participations are global events such as Unity day (U-Day) festival in Ethiopia, Eco-Conscious Music Alliance Global Action Concert, Uplift Connect’s Global Days of Unity. 

 Kristin Hoffmann is a Juilliard trained singer, conscious musician and producer. She is the vocalist for the internationally acclaimed show, BELLA GAIA. A strong advocate for peace and Earth/Ocean conservation, Kristin opens sonic-emotional heart spaces in which powerful new awareness, connection and healing can flourish. She works regularly with other thought leaders and change-makers to amplify important wisdom for our times through the powerful vehicle of music. 

 Musician and Activist

Ringo Starr, the iconic drummer of The Beatles, has extended his influence far beyond music into the realm of peace activism. Embracing a message of peace and love, he has consistently used his platform to promote non-violence and global harmony. Every year, he invites fans around the world to say or think "peace and love" at noon local time on his birthday, July 7, as a symbolic act of unity. His dedication to this cause is highlighted by his involvement in various charitable events and his support for organizations that work towards social and environmental betterment, underscoring his commitment to making the world a more peaceful place. Through his artistic influence and personal initiatives, Ringo Starr embodies the enduring spirit of 1960s peace activism in contemporary culture.

 Activist, Scientist, Peace Messenger

Jane Goodall is a pioneer in the study of chimpanzees. The Jane Goodall Institute is widely recognized for creating innovative conservation and development programmes in Africa, where she began her landmark studies in 1960. Her global Roots & Shoots programme supports tens of thousands of young people in nearly 100 countries with projects that help people, animals and the environment. As a Messenger of Peace since 2002, she continues to help the United Nations focus attention on environmental issues.

 Musician and Activist

Singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder’s long career has reflected his concern with humanitarian issues. A Grammy Award-winner, he has written, produced or performed songs for charities in support of disabilities, AIDS, cancer, diabetes, hunger and homelessness, domestic abuse and other causes on behalf of children and adults. His activism has been pivotal in U.S. and world events. In 1983, he spearheaded a campaign to make Martin Luther King Day a national holiday in the United States. He also advocated for the end of apartheid in South Africa. He has been recognized for his philanthropic efforts by the U.S. President''s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, the Children’s Diabetes Foundation, Junior Blind of America, and the creation of the Wonder Vision Awards Program. He was designated as a Messenger of Peace in 2009 with a focus on persons with disabilities. He has advocated for the adoption of the WIPO Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate access to published works for persons who are blind, visually impaired or have other print

 Actor and Activist

Leonardo DiCaprio, an Academy Award®-winning actor, has been an outspoken advocate for environmental issues throughout much of his career. In 1998, at the age of 24, Mr. DiCaprio established his foundation with the mission of protecting the Earth’s last wild places and implementing solutions to build a more harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural world. Through grantmaking, public campaigns, and media projects, Mr. DiCaprio has worked to bring attention and funding to the protection of biodiversity, ocean and forest conservation, and climate change. The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation supports over 35 innovative conservation projects around the world that protect fragile ecosystems and key species. Mr. DiCaprio also serves on the board of several environmental protection organizations including the World Wildlife Fund, the Natural Resources Defense Council, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Pristine Seas and Oceans 5. He is also an advisor on The Solutions Project, an organization dedicated to scaling up the adoption of clean, renewable energy. In 2014, DiCaprio was honored with the prestigious Clinton Global Citizen Award for his philanthropic work. The Secretary-General designated Mr. DiCaprio as a Messenger of Peace with a special focus on climate change ahead of the 2014 Climate Summit, aimed at catalyzing and galvanizing climate action towards a global climate agreement in 2015.