A new awards show highlighting the achievements of Black Canadian talent will launch on Sunday night.
The inaugural Legacy Awards are the country's first all-Black awards ceremony. The 90-minute live show, which will celebrate accomplishments in film, television, music, sports and culture, is set to feature emerging and established Black Canadian talent.
The event is produced by the Black Academy, an initiative launched in December 2020 by Canadian actors and brothers, Shamier Anderson (Bruised) and Stephan James (If Beale Street Could Talk).
The Scarborough, Ont.-born siblings hope that, in creating the infrastructure to support and uplift Black talent, they can break barriers in Canada's entertainment industries.
"We've seen a lot of these organizations, these types of organizations, south of the border," said Anderson in an interview last year with CBC News. "We thought we needed an organization that would uplift, amplify, and give Black creators a voice here in Canada."
This year's previously announced award recipients are athlete Andre de Grasse, sports journalist Kayla Grey and filmmaker Fabienne Colas. The event will include several special presentations, including performances from Canadian music stars Deborah Cox, Savannah Ré and Kardinal Offishall.
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
