Indian American Choreographer Joya Kazi Wins Silver at 42nd Annual Telly Awards
Joya Kazi poses in a still from WOW Skin Science’s “Holi Love Story ft. Joya Kazi.” The Indian American choreographer won a silver Telly Award for the commercial. (photo provided)
India-West Staff Reporter
The 42nd Annual Telly Awards recently announced Joya Nandy Kazi as a recipient of the silver statuette for Best Online Commercial in beauty, fashion and lifestyle for her choreography in WOW Skin Science’s “Holi Love Story ft. Joya Kazi.”
The premier award, which honors excellence in video and television across all screens, received over 12,000 entries from all 50 states and five continents.
When WOW Skin Science approached Kazi to model for their product photoshoot paying homage to the company’s Indian roots, she pitched an alternative campaign concept that would feature both the product and the vibrancy of Indian dance during Holi, the festival of colors, noted a press release.
Kazi brought in the best of her company dancers, created stunning choreographic moments, designed vibrant costumes, and shared the screen with actor Sachin Bhatt, making for a delightful pairing.
“In the face of a year like no other, Joya Kazi has continued to defy the limitations of our new world, in continuing to create compelling and engaging work,” said Telly Awards executive director Sabrina Dridje. “This year’s submissions doubled down on what we already know about the industry. Creativity cannot be stopped. Collaboration will always prevail. New ideas and stories will always find a way to break through to an audience.”
“I’m grateful to WOW Skin Science for the initiative to use their platform with the intent of doing meaningful work that has a goal of authenticity and inclusivity,” added the Los Angeles, California-based choreographer. “They gave me the space and creative freedom to cultivate images that share my dance and culture beyond the boundaries of age-old stereotypes, and allowed me as a South Asian American to define how the culture would be represented. It was a joy to create and collaborate with them.”
Kazi, who founded her Bollywood and entertainment company Joya Kazi Unlimited in 2014, has come to be known for bringing the best of Indian dance and culture to new spaces while bridging the entertainment worlds of the east and the west.
Her credits include Mindy Kaling’s “Never Have I Ever,” FOX’s “New Girl,” and a Universal Dance Award nomination for the Best Concept Video for her viral dance tribute to the dancing queen of Bollywood, Madhuri Dixit.
Entries were judged by leading experts from television, streaming networks, and production companies, including Netflix, Dow Jones, Duplass Brothers Productions, A&E Networks, Nickelodeon, ESPN Films and Vimeo.
View the award winning-video for WOW Skin Science’s “Holi Love Story ft. Joya Kazi” here:
