Sandi Ross Awards
The Sandi Ross Awards celebrate an individual and a company who incorporate diversity and inclusion in their work. Originally conceived by the ACTRA Toronto Diversity Committee under the leadership of Co-Chairs Sedina Fiati and Farah Merani as the #SharetheScreen Awards, the awards were re-named in honour of Sandi Ross who passed away just before their first presentation in 2016.
Sandi Ross was the first woman and person of colour to be president of ACTRA Toronto and was the founder of ACTRA Toronto’s first diverse talent directory, Into the Mainstream. The directory continues online at Diversity.ACTRAonline.ca, and is a useful tool for producers and casting directors to cast inclusively.
ACTRA Toronto’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee advocates on behalf of ACTRA Toronto’s self-identified physically and culturally diverse performers and calls for a more inclusive media industry.
Video: Sandi Ross clip from the 1997 ACTRA Toronto archives.
The Sandi Ross Awards 2020
This year, the 2020 Sandi Ross Awards Awards were live streamed on Sunday, March 21, 2021 at 8pm on ACTRA Toronto’s YouTube channel.
During the one hour show, hosted by ACTRA Toronto Diversity & Inclusion Committee Co-Chairs, Lisa Michelle Cornelius and Samora Smallwood, awards were presented to Winnifred Jong , creator/director of Tokens, Jessica Meya and Louis Taylor, co-founders of Working the Scene in Colour. The awards presentation was followed by a round table discussion.
