| Official artwork of the 2009 Gayelle Pierrot Award |
|
| Artist: Nicholas Maxwell |
Gayelle Pierrot Awards 2009
Congratulations to all 2009 Pierrot Awardees! - Hal Greaves
- Nature Seekers
- Hazel
Brown
- Anna Chee Ying
- Inspector Tommy Saroda
This year Gayelle celebrates our 5th anniversary…a very small time period representing a very great achievement
in Caribbean media.
Fifth anniversaries are heralded as THE WOODEN Anniversary.
And, we WOODEN be Gayelle if we didn’t recognise this…
And so, we have chosen 5 deserving recipients
to mark this anniversary of the Pierrot Awards.
People who WOOD always be remembered and revered for their contributions
to communities in Trinidad and Tobago.
5 years of Gayelle Television…5 distinguished awards…
The Origin of the Pierrot Awards The origin of
the Gayelle Pierrot Awards stems from a shared vision the entire company. Gayelle The Channel thought it important that there
exist an occasion where those persons less visible in society yet who still go beyond the call of duty in serving their communities
are honoured. The Pierrot award is a token of recognition and appreciation for those who selflessly work to improve
the communities they live in and for those who go the extra mile to help other people who may be in need. For the last three
award ceremonies persons being honored were persons who committed the less noticed acts of charity and community spirit among
us. The premise of the Pierrot Awards is that the ordinary person can also aspire to greatness for their contribution
to community. Gayelle honours people like this because they too work toward building Trinidad and Tobago and have added value
in their way to society. Customarily Gayelle awards twelve statuettes to twelve persons, organizations or project groups nominated
by members of the public as well as internal staff. The public is invited to nominate such individuals for the Gayelle community
service award called the Pierrot Award. The Pierrot is a traditional masquerade character who challenges his opponent
with communication skills (the distinctive pierrot punning, spelling speech) and even martial art (stickfighting). Gayelle’s
Pierrot is a silent witness and guardian of core values.
Gayelle The Channel acknowledges that there are many people
out there who know what needs to be done to improve life in Trinidad and Tobago. Unfortunately many only "talk the talk".
The Pierrot Awards are designed to salute those who "walk the walk". Nominations
for this year’s Gayelle Pierrot Awards are NOW CLOSED and the award ceremony will take place on Independence
night (August 31st 2009) starting with ‘Red Ply’ at 8:00 pm. Yes, we know, it is the same evening as the
national awards, but we can assure you an entertaining evening and the only “award controversy” will be the bacchanal
on the Red Ply! Tune in to Gayelle The Channel to see which of our community heroes will be honoured this year! Gayelle
The Channel:
Free-To-Air 23 & 27,
Cable 07 (FLOW-Trinidad & Cablevision-Grenada),
Cable 03 (TRICO-Tobago),
LIVE Internet stream: GayelleTV.com, JumpTV.com, IZARINI.com
  |
| Pierrot 2008 Awardees |
|
Pierrot Tradition
Traditionally, nominations for the Pierrot Awards are open to the public and
numerous nominations for individuals are received every year. However, the Pierrot Award can also be awarded to organizations
such as; community groups, NGOs and other social networks which have contributed positively to society.
Another
tradition of the Pierrot Awards is the ‘pre-show’ entertainment, called ‘The Red Ply’. A play on the
usual ‘red carpet’ royalty treatment for nominees that tends to accompany award ceremonies, Gayelle greets its
guests with banter-filled, humorous commentary, with ‘ole talk’ and lots of laughs as they enter Gayelle studios,
where the awards have been held for the last two years. This year’s hosts promise to be as cantankerous and entertaining
as ever!
Past Pierrot Awardees
In 2006 Awardees included Mr. Ravi G, Mr. Hans Hanomansingh,
Mr. Owen Charles, Ms Diana Mahabir Wyatt, and Mr. Freddie Kissoon. Also among the 2006 awardees, was Mr. Colville Flemming
(deceased). Colville Flemming lived in St. James all his life and made up a large and significant part of early Gayelle history.
Always a loyal viewer of the station, Mr. Flemming was never too far from the Gayelle action. In his memory, Gayelle The Channel
named one of its studios in tribute to him and conceptualized the Colville Flemming Award in his honour. This Award is intended
to honour the memory of a man who the Gayelle considers to be the true example of a community action man. He is the person
who welcomed the Gayelle to St. James and referred to the Gayelle as “The Gayelle School.” He gave motivation
and often times a sense of purpose. 'Flemmy' has left us, but this award serves to honour this incredible man.
Earlier this year saw the passing of another
great member of the Gayelle family; media man, MC extraordinaire and music lover, Jason Daly. He was the host of Gayelle the
Channel’s music and entertainment programme, “Macajuel Time” where he produced, directed the show along
with several co-hosts. He was a pillar in the cultural community and his contribution to Trinidad and Tobago will forever
be remembered. In his honour, Gayelle The Channel named one of its studios in tribute to him.
Nominees who
were celebrated for “walking the walk” in 2007 included the Moms for Literacy group, Mr. Ajeet Praimsingh founder
of ‘The Meadesh’ organization and The Mariama Children's Museum and Ms. Anna Maria Mora who endorsed the building
of institutions for the support and care of children for generations to come: “We are now seeing children of the children
who came into Mariama, so it is an organization that we hope will continue for generations so that the children know that
we cared.” Also recognized and awarded were The Gonzalez Community Project, the National Action Cultural Committee (NACC)
and Mr. Lester Effeeba Wilkinson: “…one must use (one’s) talent to help others who are trying to build
their own creative capacity, and to do work in their own communities, and to really build themselves and do something for
their country- A country that needs something done for it.”
Mr. Ronald Amaroso was awarded for his work with
the Barataria Community Council, and Ms Sharma Deonarine was awarded for her efforts in aiding villages located on the south
bank of the Caroni River. From Grenada, the Gouyave Improvement Committee received a Pierrot award which was accepted by Mr.
Arthur Hosten: “We see community work as naturally giving back to your community what you would have earned elsewhere,
helping your brothers and sisters who may not be blessed with your kind of talent and putting Gouyave on the map.”
Dr. Pat Bishop, TC was nominated by Gayelle gold sponsors, the National Gas Company: “I'm very grateful to Gayelle
for many reasons, not least of all being the fact that Gayelle is so irreverent. You walk in here and you know there is no
‘consultant’. There isn't anybody from “away” telling them how to do it, and you know that they can
laugh at the nonsense and give you the red plywood as opposed to the red carpet, and that's a very Trinidadian thing. I want
to congratulate Gayelle for being the people they are because they are a great inspiration to people like me who would like
to walk the walk the Trinidad and Tobago way.”
Also among the awardees were dancer and choreographer Gregor
Breedy and the National Council for Indian Culture (NCIC), which was nominated by another of Gayelle’s gold sponsors
First Citizens. Ms Indra Outar accepted the award on behalf of the NCIC. Watch the Gayelle Pierrot Awards, this Independence
night (August 31st 2009) exclusively on Gayelle The Channel.
| Pierrot Awardees 2007 |
|
|
