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Celebrating Creativity: The 2025 Emerging Digital Artists Award Recipients

EQ Bank has proudly announced the five recipients of the prestigious 2025 Emerging Digital Artists Award (EDAA), Canada’s leading honor for groundbreaking experimentation in digital media. Since its inception in 2015, the EDAA aims to support and promote fresh talent across various forms of digital art, including video, animation, web art, and immersive experiences.

The five chosen artists for this year’s award exemplify creativity and technical prowess in their respective categories. Here’s a closer look at the recipients and their remarkable works:

The Award Recipients

1. Eva Grant – Moving Image Category

Eva Grant, a Queer, St̓át̓imc-Eurasian filmmaker and new media artist based in Victoria, BC, has been recognized for her work, Exquisite Machines for Making Anything But Children. Her creative practice is rooted in land-based storytelling and aims to challenge dominant narratives through decolonial futures framed by disability justice and ecological sovereignty.

2. Alex Gibson – Moving Image Category

A Barbadian Canadian artist, Alex Gibson operates within queer spaces and temporality through his work, Untitled Passage. Now residing in Vancouver, BC, Alex utilizes images and archives to interrogate queer narratives and architectural history.

3. Cadin Londono – 2D Interactive Category

Born in Chateauguay, QC, and currently based in Montreal, QC, Cadin Londono is recognized for his innovative game, El Cumbiatron. From an early age, Cadin's passion for coding was nurtured by observing his father develop his own games, inspiring him to pursue a career in game design.

4. Laura Caraballo – Extended Reality Category

Laura Caraballo, an interdisciplinary artist originally from Bogotá and now in Montreal, has created No Me Demoro. Her work highlights the use of technology to foster interactive and sensorial experiences, encouraging deep conversations within communities.

5. Kahani Ploessl – 3D Installation Category

Kahani Ploessl is a tech artist who blends digital art with her Indian heritage in her piece Virtual Shiva. Based in Markham, Ontario, her work dives into the themes of glitch art and digital spirituality, intertwining cosmic philosophies of Hinduism with the digital realm.

A Legacy of Innovation

Chadwick Westlake, President and CEO of EQ Bank, commented on this year's selection, stating, "Digital artists are redefining how we experience creativity and are unafraid to explore new mediums and question what art can be." EQ Bank shares this ethos of curiosity and innovation, emphasizing the importance of supporting emerging voices in the arts.

The 2025 EDAA received an outstanding number of over 130 submissions, showcasing the rich diversity among Canada’s emerging digital artists. The selection process featured esteemed guest judges from the contemporary arts community, ensuring a rigorous assessment of the applicants.

Acknowledging Artistic Excellence

Shannon Linde, Senior Curator, expressed her joy at the geographical range of this year’s recipients, highlighting the notable representation of unique perspectives shaping Canada’s digital art landscape. Each award-winning artist will receive a $5,000 grand prize, coupled with a one-year subscription to Pilot Art List.

The artists’ works will be displayed in a touring exhibition starting in January 2026 at Gallery TPW in Toronto before moving to Art Windsor-Essex. They will also feature in a virtual exhibition in partnership with the MacKenzie Art Gallery later that year. Notably, one of the five recipients will have their artwork showcased in BlackFlash Magazine.

About the Emerging Digital Artists Award

The EDAA serves as a platform for critical experimentation in digital media. Since its launch, more than $200,000 has been awarded to 64 artists, encompassing various screen-based practices such as video, animation, and web art.

About EQ Bank

EQ Bank operates with the mission of enhancing Canadian banking and enriching individuals’ lives through innovative solutions. As a recognized Challenger Bank™ and the seventh largest bank by assets, EQ Bank continuously strives to deliver superior banking experiences to its clients. To learn more about their initiatives, visit their website.

Stay tuned for further updates from the EDAA and the impactful works made possible by talented artists across the country!