The Dora Mavor Moore Awards Turns 45 this year, and they’ve just found the perfect host to throw the party.
Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) announced Thursday that the landmark 45th ceremony will take over Meridian Hall on Monday, June 30. Taking the stage as host for the very first time is Dora Award-winning actor Peter Fernandes.
Founded in 1979, the inaugural ceremony took place in 1981 and aims to celebrate excellence across Toronto stages, the Dora Mavor Moore Awards are the oldest and largest professional theatre, dance, and opera awards program in Canada.
“It felt like a real honour to be asked,” Fernandes told Now Toronto.
Fernandes is best known for his recent standout role as Juicy in Fat Ham, starring in Canadian stages. The actor is beloved for his range across genres which has graced many stages, and has now taken him to Canada’s biggest night in theatre, dance, and opera.
“Truthfully, I was really, really nervous,” he admits. “The first thing that passed through my mind is, ‘Oh, I’m going to stand in front of this community that I love so much. I hope I don’t fall flat on my face.’”
Still, it didn’t take him long for the nerves to turn into sheer excitement.
“This theater community is creating such beautiful, audacious, loud, big work. What excites me the most is just to celebrate it. We need to have an event that celebrates this community, that celebrates its audiences, that celebrates the artists that put this work on,” he said.
Fernandes hopes to host the awards and make it feel like a party, bringing all the positive vibes to Meridian Hall.
“I want it to be a big party, and who isn’t excited to have a big party where we celebrate each other, our co-creators, our audiences and the people who make what we love,” he continued.
That love runs deep. In fact, for Fernandes, the theatre scene in Toronto is more than just work, it’s where he’s felt most at home during his career. The community gave his younger self a place to be “big, bold, and joyful.”
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Fernandes wants to bring that same sense of belonging to the Dora Awards, and he’ll do so in good company with a creative team that includes multi-Dora-winning producer Victor Pokinko, director Herbie Barnes, and scriptwriter liza paul.
“We’re still in the beginning stages, where we’re allowed to dream big and collaborate,” he explained.
This year’s ceremony will feature 43 gender-inclusive categories across seven divisions and for Fernandes, the move toward inclusivity is a vital and necessary step.
“This is about community, and that community can’t exist if we keep being exclusionary,” Fernandes said. “We want to welcome people in, and if there are things that are keeping people out, we have to really look at that and question that. We want to celebrate all parts of our community.”
While he’s no stranger to being a recipient of a Dora Award, this time around, he’s happy to spotlight others.
“I just want to make sure that everybody feels appreciated and can celebrate regardless if you’re nominated or not.”
Fernandes’ ultimate vision for the acclaimed award show is to make people laugh, have a party and celebrate the community that he loves.
