Thoughts Become Things Wins Gold Award
SJD World Ltd’s multimedia project, Thoughts Become Things, has been named a Gold Winner in the Cultural Celebration & Heritage Preservation category at the 6th Annual Anthem Awards.
A spokesperson said, “SJD World Ltd announced today that its multimedia project Thoughts Become Things has been named a Gold Winner in Cultural Celebration & Heritage Preservation [Industry Specific Program] at The 6th Annual Anthem Awards. The project is believed to be the first from Bermuda to be recognized by the Webby Awards, the Telly Awards and the Anthem Awards in the same year.
“Launched in 2021 by The Webby Awards, The Anthem Awards recognizes impactful brands, nonprofits and individuals setting the standard for good worldwide. Winners are selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. This year’s competition received more than 2,500 submissions from 43 countries, the largest in its history.
“Thoughts Become Things is a Bermudian multimedia cultural project rooted in the island’s living Gombey tradition. It includes a six-minute short poetry film, a ten-minute companion mini-documentary, Decoding Thoughts, and a 12-track original soundtrack.
“Developed in collaboration with director Marquedelle Rodriguez, music producer Derek G. Simmons, six of Bermuda’s active Gombey troupes, BDA Donquili, local torchbearers and the St. David’s Islander and Native Community, the project carries Bermudian culture to global audiences through spoken word, original music and cinematic storytelling.
“The Anthem recognition arrives alongside a season of firsts. Earlier this year the project received a Gold Telly Award for Original Score, composed by Bermudian music producer Derek G. Simmons, a Silver People’s Telly, and two Webby Award recognitions, a Webby Nomination for the full project and a Webby Honoree distinction for the short film. Last month the film won Best Bermudian Film at the inaugural Bermuda Black Film Festival. The project has been selected by 27 international film festivals across 14 countries, is subtitled in five languages, and has now been recognized with 15 awards.
“The impact extends beyond the screen. Nearly 80% of everything spent on the project went directly back into the Bermudian community, including Gombey troupes, cultural organizations, local artists and local businesses.”
“This Gold Anthem Award is deeply meaningful because it recognizes what this project was always about,” said Stephan Johnstone, writer, executive producer and founder of SJD World Ltd. “We set out to preserve and celebrate Bermudian culture, to build it with the people who carry it, and to keep the resources inside our community. To see that approach honored on a global stage, and to know a small island can create work of this caliber, authentically and independently, is something we are incredibly proud of.”
“The work of social impact doesn’t pause when conditions get harder, and this year’s Anthem Winners proved it,” said Anthem Awards General Manager Patricia McLoughlin. “They set a new standard for good, one defined as much by persistence as by results.”
The spokesperson said, “The momentum continues. The film has also been selected by the inaugural Croydon International Film Festival in London beginning November 9th, its first festival selection in Europe, followed by AfryKamera African Film Festival in Warsaw, Poland, from November 23rd to 29th. A music video based on the soundtrack was shot in August and is now in post-production, with its release planned for Boxing Day. Work begins in January 2027 on a coffee table book, The Journey of Thought, chronicling the full journey from poem to global stage, with a planned release in 2028.
“The success of Thoughts Become Things has been built almost entirely through independent effort and community investment. To carry the project into its next chapter, SJD World Ltd is inviting sponsors and supporters to come on board. Sponsors will be credited in both the music video and the book, and contributions of any size make a difference. To get involved, visit sjdworld.com/thoughts or contact accounts@sjdworld.com.”
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