MEET YOUR 2025 AWARDS PANEL

Heather (AKA HLG) is an Emmy-winning, multi-genre choreographer whose work is deeply informed by her background as an actor, dancer, and singer. She is best known for choreographing the Paramount+ musicals Monster High 1 & 2, Snow Day, Jojo Siwa’s The J Team, and seven musical episodes of Riverdale (seasons 2–7), as well as Academy Award-winner John Ridley’s feature Needle in a Timestack, starring Cynthia Erivo. She is currently choreographing a new film from Academy Award–winning director Guy Nattiv, starring Lily James, Carrie Coon, and Bella Ramsey and working on an upcoming Netflix series starring Julia Garner.
Her choreography has been presented across Canada and in New York City, including at the Vancouver International Dance Festival, The Dance Centre, and Soundbites Festival. She has been commissioned by Ballet Kelowna, “the response.”, Lamon Dance, Coastal City Ballet, and American spoken word poet Mahogany Browne. Her full-length work The Tunnel was praised by The Georgia Straight for its haunting visuals and raw, honed movement.
Heather has trained in ballet, flamenco, jazz, modern, tap, contemporary, and street styles, performing internationally with Goh Ballet and working with choreographers including Amber Funk Barton, Claire French, and Crystal Pite. She began her career in acting before expanding into musical theatre and film, with credits including The Chris Isaak Show, Dead Like Me, and The Lizzie McGuire Movie.
Passionate about shaping the next generation, Heather continues to teach and mentor through workshops and community-driven projects.
www.heatherlauragray.com

HEATHER LAURA GRAY

Kevin is an award-winning, critically acclaimed filmmaker of Indigenous heritage and African descent, best known for his cult-classic feature documentary Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme. The film screened at global festivals and earned honors including the HBO Documentary Award and Kodak Maverick Award.

He is a Netflix Diversity Fellow, Warner Media Access Alumni, Rogers Black Screen Office Creator, and a Canadian Indigenous Screen Office Filmmaker. His films have been released theatrically and broadcast internationally on MTV, VH1, B-Sky-B, and SBS, with distribution from Netflix, Palm Pictures, Universal, Sony, and Agnes-B.

Kevin’s heritage includes Arawak, Kanak, Tuareg, Bantu, and French Canadian roots. He integrates filmmaking with cultural storytelling, natural medicine, and community-building. His work reflects a deep understanding of the spiritual and social challenges facing African Indigenous communities.

He was mentored by his father, who directed early Muhammad Ali fights, and studied film at USC under instructors like Jay Roach, Oscar Williams, and Tom Holman (creator of THX). While at the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies, he was nominated for a Student Academy Award and collaborated with DJ Cut Chemist and Ozomatli.

Kevin has performed as a DJ and artist with Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Wu-Tang Clan, and Aloe Blacc. He directed a documentary on Macy Gray for Columbia Records and 7-Days in Paris about Ben Harper. He also shot Soundz of Spirit and directed episodes of Sounds Black for The History Channel.

He is currently the founder, creative director, and showrunner at Hip Hop Films in Vancouver, BC.

kevin fitsgerald

Shannon Teat (she/her) has been a Principal Agent with da Costa Talent in Vancouver since 2015.  As the department head for the Theatre, Dance, and Motion Capture departments, she not only oversees the departments she is most passionate about, but gets to work every day with and for people who she is passionate about. Her discerning eye for talent (or “sparkle” as she often refers to it) anchors her role as an agent, and was developed through years as a performer on stage and on screen. 
After years of working on camera and in live performances spanning contracts on cruise ships, touring nationally with conventions, and building her vocabulary of the entertainment “business”, she found herself in creative positions of increasing responsibility, from dance captain, to casting, to resident directing, and she naturally moved into these leadership roles with ease.
Throughout her time as an agent, she has proudly secured opportunities for clients in theatres across Canada from the Arts Club Theatre in Vancouver, to the Stratford Festival in Ontario, and everywhere in between. Nuturing her relationships with casting teams has secured countless opportunities in theme parks, live theatre, and highly coveted cruise ships worldwide. In film and television productions requiring the ever growing musical and dance content, Shannon’s triple threat clients shine. Her clients also regularly appear in high profile motion capture projects for video games and animation. 
With over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry, and led by her personal guiding principles of integrity, hard work, and responsibility, Shannon always strives to make her clients feel heard, and practices a strong blend of collaborative teamwork and personalized guidance.

shannon teat