advertisement
FYI

Prism Prize Eligible Video:  Pleasure Craft - Work It Out (Ft. Mingjia)

The 2020 Prism Prize for Best Canadian Music Video was awarded to Peter Huang, for his clip for Jessie Reyez's Far Away. We will continue to profile noteworthy Canadian videos that were eligible for the Prize, including this one from Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Sam Lewis.

Prism Prize Eligible Video:  Pleasure Craft - Work It Out (Ft. Mingjia)

By External Source

The 2020 Prism Prize for Best Canadian Music Video was awarded to Peter Huang, for his clip for Jessie Reyez's Far Away. We will continue to profile noteworthy Canadian videos that were eligible for the Prize, including this one from Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Sam Lewis.


Pleasure Craft - Work It Out (Ft. Mingjia)

Pleasure Craft was created in 2017 from the mind of Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Sam Lewis, after moving to the big city from British Columbia to study as a trumpet major at Humber College. 

Lewis takes the opportunity of Pleasure Craft to move between 80s yacht rock, new wave, and unusual synth-pop. His music speaks to issues like addiction and how masculinity is perceived in today’s society, drawing on inspiration from his own struggles with mental illness. 

advertisement

His video for Work it Out (the single off his latest release, EP2 ) was directed by Shawn Kosmo and features Mingjia speaking to the same issues that stay true to him. There are two prominent colours displayed in the video; beige and red. The colours are interchangeable to the lyrics being sung in the background. Switching between calming and electric movements, they aren’t just randomly selected, but are meant to symbolize the "strained, aggressive presentation of self" and the "suppressed inner conflict trying to escape."

Video directed by Shawn Kosmo 

Lighting by Lewis Caunter

Music by Sam Lewis and Mingjia Chen

Mixed by Alan Han

advertisement
Shhenseea, MOLIY, Skillibeng and Silent Addy
ACEPXL

Shhenseea, MOLIY, Skillibeng and Silent Addy

Awards

Here’s Why ‘Shake It to the Max’ Was Deemed Ineligible at the 2026 Grammys — And Why Its Label Calls the Decision ‘Devoid of Any Common Sense’

Representatives from the Recording Academy and gamma. CEO Larry Jackson comment on one of this year's most shocking Grammy snubs.

Few phrases define the year in music and culture like Moliy’s scintillating directive to “shake it to the max.” The Ghanaian singer’s sultry voice reverberated across the globe, blending her own Afropop inclinations with Jamaican dancehall-informed production, courtesy of Miami-based duo Silent Addy and Disco Neil. Originally released in December 2024, Moliy’s breakthrough global crossover hit ascended to world domination, peaking at No. 6 on the Global 200, thanks to a remix featuring dancehall superstars Shenseea and Skillibeng. Simply put, “Max” soundtracked a seismic moment in African and Caribbean music in 2025.

Given its blockbuster success, “Shake It to the Max” was widely expected to be a frontrunner in several categories at the 2026 Grammys. In fact, had the song earned a nomination for either best African music performance or best global music performance, many forecasters anticipated a victory. So, when “Shake It to the Max” failed to appear on the final list of 2026 Grammy nominees in any category earlier this month (Nov. 7), listeners across the world were left scratching their heads — none more than gamma. CEO Larry Jackson.

keep readingShow less
advertisement