GOLD WINNER
"Best Friends" by Atay & JAXwebsite
SILVER WINNER
"Almost Home" by Gizelle de Guzmanwebsite
BRONZE WINNER
"40/40" by Wave Lordwebsite
When The Coast calls Atay & JAX—born Adam Taylor and Jaxon Booth, they’ve been making music that’s equal parts pop and hip hop since just before the pandemic—to announce the duo’s double gold win for both Best Punk Artist/Band and Best Music Video, the pair stops short mid-celebratory whoop with a question for us. “Can I ask: We got two noms for Best Music Video. Was it for ‘So What’ or ‘Best Friends?’” Taylor asks. The cheering resumes when they learn it’s “Best Friends,” Booth’s current favourite joint out of the duo’s catalogue and the song both were hoping would win.
“I definitely grew up on just putting on Much Music and just watching videos in the background of your entire day. And they used to be so, so important. Now, it's kind of like, whatever budget you have left goes to a music video, which sucks,” says Taylor. “But I think you can do stuff in a music video that you can't do at all in music, and that’s show off your personality. That's the approach we took really early on. And what we've been trying to start to do is like: ‘Let's make music videos fun and interesting and be ourselves and not try to present any sort of persona.’ I think it's really important for engaging with a new audience who's curious about who you are, what you look like, what you do. What's your camaraderie, I guess.”
Adds Booth: “When we put out our first music video, people wanted to see that and what our style was—and that's just what we've been doing. We've done like a bunch of different kinds of music videos. We've done funny and serious and sad and happy and cheesy. And I think people appreciate seeing all those different sides of us, what we're capable of.”
You can watch all three award-winning videos here. First up is "Best Friends" by Atay & JAX, which took the gold:
Then, in silver, "Almost Home" by Gizelle de Guzman:
And finally it's "40/40" by Wave Lord with bronze:
