A 13-year-old Nanaimo actress cleaned up at a youth acting award ceremony last weekend.
The fifth annual Joey Awards were held at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel and Conference Centre on Nov. 10.
Hannah Zirke was nominated in two categories and was successful on both accounts, picking up an award for Best Ensemble in a Television Show for her work on the Hallmark Channel’s When Calls the Heart, an honour she shared with 10 other cast mates, as well as Best Recurring or Lead Actress in a Television Series (10-14 Years) for her role in Sacred Lies, broadcast on the Facebook Watch streaming service. The wins were Zirke’s first in two years.
“I was really happy about it and it was a really good feeling to win two awards,” Zirke said.
She has been on When Calls the Heart for the past three years and this was her second nomination with the ensemble. She said she’s particularly proud of her win for Sacred Lies, which she’s described as some of her most dramatic and mature work.
In her acceptance speech, Zirke thanked everyone involved in the production, as well as her parents for “supporting me and driving me everywhere.”
“I also said it was an amazing experience to be a part of the series,” she added. “And I said thank you.”
In 2016 Zirke won the Joey for Young Actress in a TV Commercial (Age 10-11) for her performance in a Macy’s advertisement. Last year Zirke earned three Joeys nominations. As a young acrtress, Zirke said she appreciates the recognition.
“For me to already get quite a [few] awards, it does mean a lot for me because I’m only 13 and I’ve only been an actor for so long,” she said, adding, “It is very motivating. It makes me feel like I can do a lot more.”
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