{{Short description|Canadian actress and singer}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Ana Golja | image = Ana Golja on Yangaroo.jpg | caption = Golja at an interview for Yangaroo in 2018 | birth_name = Muazana Golja<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/theanagolja|title= MUAZANA @TheAnaGolja |publisher=Twitter|accessdate=August 18, 2016}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|1|31}}<ref>https://www.albanianinstitute.org/artist/ana-golja/</ref> | birth_place = <!--Per Golja herself, she states that she was born in Toronto.-->Toronto,<!--Per the source, she wasn't born in Mississauga.--> Ontario, Canada | education = | alma_mater = | occupation = Actress, singer-songwriter | years_active = 2005–present | relatives = | imagesize = }}
'''Muazana''' "'''Ana'''" '''Golja''' is a Canadian actress and singer. She is best known for playing Zoë Rivas in the teen dramas ''Degrassi: Next Class'' and ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' and Ariana Berlin in the TV movie ''Full Out''.
==Career== Golja began her acting career in 2005 as Lucy in the Canadian police series ''1-800-Missing''. She later had small roles in the series ''Flashpoint'' and ''How to Be Indie'', before landing a part in the regular cast of ''Connor Undercover'' in 2010.
In 2010 with ''What's Up Warthogs!,'' she had her first major role as part of the main cast of that sitcom. In 2011, she played Liz in ''Clue.'' She then participated in small projects and a web series before landing the role of Zoë Rivas in the Canadian teen drama ''Degrassi: Next Class'' in 2013.<ref name="tribute">{{cite web|url=http://www.tribute.ca/news/index.php/interview-with-degrassi-next-class-stars-ana-golja-and-ricardo-hoyos/2016/01/12/|title=Interview with Degrassi: Next Class stars Ana Golja and Ricardo Hoyos|date=January 12, 2016|author= Marriska Fernandes|work=Tribute|accessdate=July 1, 2016}}</ref>
In 2015, Golja played Ariana Berlin, in the TV movie ''Full Out: The Ariana Berlin Movie'', a role which earned her a nomination for the Canadian Screen Awards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mississauga.com/whatson-story/6253725-first-award-nomination-for-mississauga-actor-for-portrayal-of-relentless-gymnast/|title=First award nomination for Mississauga actor for portrayal of relentless gymnast|author=Chris Clay|date=January 28, 2016|work=The Mississauga News|accessdate=July 1, 2016}}</ref>
Golja recorded the song "Feel So Good" for the ''Full Out'' soundtrack,<ref>{{cite web|author=Reana Ashley|date=August 23, 2016|url=http://www.reanaashley.com/2016/08/star-of-emmy-nomd-series-degrassinext.html|title=Star of Emmy Nom'd Series "Degrassi: Next Class" Ana Golja Interview|website=reanaashley.com}}</ref> produced by Roy "Royalty" Hamilton. As of January 2016, Golja was working on her debut EP.<ref name=streetsville>{{cite web|url=http://www.mississauga.com/whatson-story/5830896-streetsville-actor-lands-lead-role-in-new-family-channel-film/|title=Streetsville actor lands lead role in new Family Channel film |author=Chris Clay|date=September 7, 2015|work=The Mississauga News|accessdate=July 1, 2016}}</ref><ref name=tribute/> She released the EP, titled ''Epilogue'' over the course of several weeks in November and December 2017.<ref>{{cite tweet |author= Ana Golja |user=TheAnaGolja |number= 939202616470380544|date= December 8, 2017|language= English |link= https://twitter.com/TheAnaGolja/status/939202616470380544|title=EPILOGUE CHAPTER 4 IS OUT! |access-date= December 8, 2017}}</ref>
Golja co-hosted the Albanian festival Festivali i Këngës 57, the annual Albanian selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, from December 20 to 22, 2018.<ref name="fik">{{cite news |last1=Herbert |first1=Emily |title=Albania: Viktor Zhusti and Ana Golja to Host Festivali i Këngës 57 |url=https://eurovoix.com/2018/12/11/albania-viktor-zhusti-ana-golja-festivali-kenges-57/ |accessdate=December 12, 2018 |work=Eurovoix |date=December 11, 2018}}</ref>
== Personal life == Golja was born and raised in Toronto to parents from Albania.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Ana Golja|url=https://lusolife.ca/ana-golja/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129095051/https://lusolife.ca/2020/08/15/ana-golja/|archive-date=November 29, 2020|magazine=Luso Life|date=August 15, 2020|access-date=September 11, 2021|quote=... both my parents were born and raised in Albania ... I am first generation, born and raised in Toronto.}}</ref> She later moved to the Streetsville neighborhood in Mississauga, Ontario.<ref name=streetsville/> She is of Albanian descent, and also has "some Spanish, some Greek, some German, and Jewish" heritage.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Ana Golja|url=https://lusolife.ca/ana-golja/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129095051/https://lusolife.ca/2020/08/15/ana-golja/|archive-date=November 29, 2020|magazine=Luso Life|date=August 15, 2020|access-date=September 11, 2021|quote=I have very mixed roots, both my parents were born and raised in Albania, but we have some Spanish, some Greek, some German and Jewish.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/ByHPyN_lo5J/|title=Not many people know but I'm part Spanish. I don't identify with it only because I consider myself Canadian, through and through. And my parents were both born in Albania(and have passed on the language and traditions to me). That said, I have very mixed roots that do in fact, include Spain. |author=Ana Golja|publisher=Instagram|date=May 31, 2019|accessdate=May 31, 2019}}</ref> Golja has stated that she considers herself Canadian "through and through".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/ByHPyN_lo5J/|title=I don't identify with it only because I consider myself Canadian, through and through.|author=Ana Golja|publisher=Instagram|date=May 31, 2019|accessdate=May 31, 2019}}</ref>
==Filmography== === Film === {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |2014 |''En Vogue Christmas'' |Amber | |- | rowspan="2" |2015 |''Full Out: The Ariana Berlin Movie'' |Ariana Berlin | |- |''Dumb Luck'' |Taylor |Short film |- |2017 |''Love On Ice'' |Nikki Lee | |- |2018 |''Crazy for the Boys'' |London | |- | rowspan="2" |2019 |data-sort-value="Cuban, The" | ''The Cuban'' |Mina |Also producer |- |data-sort-value="Fanatic, The" | ''The Fanatic'' |Leah | |- |2022 |''Social Industrial Meltdown'' |Superstar |Short film |- | rowspan="2" |2025 |''Off the Grid'' |Katrina | |- |''Stolen Girl'' |Nora | |}
=== Television === {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |2005 |''1-800-Missing'' |Lucy | |- |2008 |''Flashpoint'' |Penny (10 years old) | |- |2009 |''Franny's Feet'' |Panda | |- | rowspan=4|2010 | ''What's Up Warthogs!'' | Laney Nielsen | |- | ''Connor Undercover'' | Lily Bogdakovitch | |- |data-sort-value="Dating Guy, The" | ''The Dating Guy'' |Little Girl Contestants | |- |''Vacation with Derek'' |Isabella |Television film |- | rowspan=3|2011 |''How to Be Indie'' |Dotty | |- |''Little Mosque on the Prairie'' |Betty Sue | |- |''Clue'' |Liz |Miniseries |- |2012 |''Super Why!'' |Additional Voices / Girl | |- |2013–2015 | ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' |Zoë Rivas |Main role (seasons 13–14); 55 episodes |- | rowspan=2|2013 |''Life with Boys'' |Cassandra | |- |''Unlikely Heroes'' |Ellen | |- |2014 |''Katie Chats'' |Herself | |- |2015 |''It Goes There: Degrassi's Most Talked About Moments'' |Herself | |- |2015 |''Degrassi: Don't Look Back'' | Zoë Rivas |Television film |- | rowspan=1|2016 | ''Conviction'' | Jazmin Peligro | |- | rowspan=1|2016–2017 | ''Degrassi: Next Class'' | Zoë Rivas |Main role (seasons 1–4); 32 episodes |- | rowspan="2" | 2018 | ''Festivali i Këngës 57'' | Herself | Co-host<ref name="fik"/> |- |data-sort-value="Father's Nightmare, The" | ''A Father's Nightmare'' |Sasha |Television film |- |2020 |''I Do, or Die – A Killer Arrangement'' |Sonya |Television film |}
==Discography== * 2015 : ''Full Out: The Ariana Berlin Movie'' (Soundtrack) * 2018 : ''Epilogue'' (Debut Album) * 2019: ''Bailemos'' feat. Alx Veliz (Single) * 2021 : ''Strive'' (EP)
==Awards and nominations== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Award ! Category ! Nominated work ! Result ! {{Abbr|Refs|References}} |- | 2015 | Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series | Gemini Award | style="white-space:nowrap;"| ''Full Out: The Ariana Berlin Movie'' | {{nom}} | |}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == *{{IMDb name|3132111|Ana Golja}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Golja, Ana}} Category:1996 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century Canadian women singers Category:Actresses from Toronto Category:Canadian television actresses Category:Canadian people of Albanian descent Category:Canadian people of German descent Category:Canadian people of Greek descent Category:Canadian people of Jewish descent Category:Canadian people of Spanish descent Category:Musicians from Mississauga Category:Singers from Ontario Category:Singers from Toronto Category:Actresses from Mississauga