TORONTO, March 24, 2022 – Shamier Anderson and Stephan James, Scarborough natives and co-founders of The Black Academy, alongside CBC, Insight Productions, and Bay Mills Studios today announced that the inaugural edition of The Black Academy’s award show, The Legacy Awards, will air on CBC and CBC Gem on Sunday, September 25, 2022 at 8 p.m. (9 p.m. AT/9:30 p.m. NT). The live 90-minute telecast is the first major Canadian award show to celebrate and showcase Black talent and will be broadcast from Live Nation Canada’s newest entertainment venue HISTORY, in Toronto’s east end. The telecast will feature performances, award presentations, and tributes honouring both established and emerging Black Canadian talent. Information about the award categories, membership, the submission process, and additional details will be announced in the coming weeks.
“When Stephan and I were thinking about a name for the award show, we really wanted it to convey something big and lasting – it’s about creating a legacy for this and future generations of Black Canadians,” said Shamier Anderson, Co-Founder, The Black Academy. “We want viewers to recognize and appreciate how much Black talent there is in this country and to be inspired by all the nominees and award recipients for years to come.”
“When we walked into HISTORY for the first time we were totally blown away and after months of discussions, everything immediately started to feel real,” said Stephan James, Co-Founder, The Black Academy. “It’s a very cool, very state-of-the-art venue, but also really intimate. HISTORY is the perfect home for The Legacy Awards and we can’t wait to work with our partners at Insight on the look of the show.”
“We are excited to offer a nationwide platform for The Legacy Awards, as The Black Academy makes history this September,” said Sally Catto, General Manager, Entertainment, Factual and Sports, CBC. “All of Canada is invited to participate in this celebration of Black talent and achievement, and we look forward to collaborating with the Black Academy and Insight to produce an inspiring and dynamic award show.”
The Black Academy, Insight Productions, and CBC are committed to hiring Black senior staff and crew members for The Legacy Awards. Insight Productions continues to accept résumés from those who have a passion for live events and award shows at BlackAwardShowResumes@insighttv.com.
“In addition to The Legacy Awards, we have other incredibly important initiatives and we’re very grateful to everyone who has come on board early to support the organization on a year-round basis, helping us to empower Black talent,” said Martha Hagos, Executive Director of The Black Academy. “The Black Academy is at the forefront of a cultural shift in Canada and we continue to call on other forward-looking organizations to aid us in this challenge.”
The Legacy Awards is executive produced by Shamier Anderson and Stephan James of The Black Academy and Bay Mills Studios. John Brunton, Lindsay Cox, and Shannon Farr are the executive producers for Insight Productions (A Boat Rocker Company). For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports and Jennifer Dettman is Executive Director, Unscripted Content. Daniel Abrams and Norbert Abrams also serve as executive producers. The 2022 edition of The Legacy Awards marks the first of an exclusive three-year partnership with CBC.
The Black Academy gratefully acknowledges the financial support of eOne Canada and Bell Media which support The Black Academy’s year-round operations.