Performers include Jully Black, LU KALA, Jackie Richardson & Thompson Egbo-Egbo, Taaylee G, Tamir, YSN Fab, and Zach Zoya
Fan choice voting for digital content creators closes on September 22
Shamier Anderson and Stephan James, alongside Insight Productions, and CBC, announced that WNBA superstar Kia Nurse is receiving the 2023 Legacy Athlete Award. Nurse joins previously announced 2023 Legacy Award honourees Jully Black, LU KALA, Julien Christian Lutz (pka Director X), and Tonya Williams. This year’s performers include Jackie Richardson & Thompson Egbo-Egbo in a very special tribute to legendary virtuoso and Order of Canada recipient Oscar Peterson; Taaylee G, Tamir, YSN Fab, and Zach Zoya in a salute to “Northern Touch”; Jully Black; and LU KALA. Multi-talented Keshia Chanté hosts the live 90-minute event, from Live Nation Canada’s HISTORY in Toronto, featuring performances, award presentations, and tributes honouring Black Canadian talent. The Legacy Awards will broadcast and stream live on CBC and CBC Gem on Sunday, September 24, 2023 at 8 p.m. ET (9 p.m. AT/9:30 p.m. NT).
Kia Nurse – 2023 Legacy Athlete Award
For her awe-inspiring skills, versatility, and resilience on the court, and for her exceptional integrity, values, and character, Kia Nurse will receive the 2023 Legacy Athlete Award.
Kia Nurse represented Canada at the Olympic Games in 2016 and 2020, is a Pan American Games Gold Medallist, a two-time FIBA Women's AmeriCup Gold Medallist, and a WNBA All Star starter. She remains a staple of the Canadian National Women's program, having made her first appearance at age 16. Off the court, Nurse provides basketball analysis for TSN and founded the Kia Nurse Elite and the Kia Nurse Academy which provide basketball opportunities to young women. She's a vocal advocate for women's sports and marginalized communities. Nurse currently plays for the Seattle Storm, and is from Hamilton, Ontario.
In recognition of Oscar Peterson’s indelible contribution to jazz, his community, and his country, and in celebration of his composition “Hymn to Freedom”, legends Jackie Richardson and Thompson Egbo-Egbo will perform the iconic civil rights anthem.
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Rascalz’ (featuring Kardinall Offishall, Thrust, Choclair, & Checkmate) song “Northern Touch” and the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, “Northern Touch” will be performed by the next generation of Canadian hip-hop stars Taaylee G, Tamir, YSN Fab, and Zach Zoya.
Voting for The Legacy Awards’ Digital Creator Fan Choice Award closes Friday, September 22. The Digital Creator Fan Choice Award allows fans to choose their favourite Black-identifying Canadian digital content creators. The winner will be announced during The Legacy Awards on September 24 on CBC and CBC Gem. This year’s nominees are: Khadija Mbowe (Calgary); Monique Smith (Hamilton); Basement Gang (Toronto); Tresor (Toronto); Afoali (Montréal); and TAI (Montréal). Visit vote.blackacademy.ca for more details.
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). Jordan Rudder is the producer/talent producer and André Williamson is the line producer. Daniel Abrams also serves as EP. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports; Jennifer Dettman is Executive Director, Unscripted Content; and Nic Meloney is Executive in Charge of Production, Unscripted Content. The 2023 edition of The Legacy Awards marks the second of an exclusive three-year partnership with CBC. The Black Academy, Insight Productions, and CBC are committed to hiring Black senior staff and crew members for The Legacy Awards.
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Social Media:
@blackisnowcanada
@legacyawardsca
@insight.productions / @insightprod
@CBC / @CBCGem
#TheLegacyAwardsCBC
#TheBlackAcademy
#CelebrateBlackCanadians
About The Black Academy
The Black Academy is a national, year-round Canadian organization that operates at the intersection of Black popular culture and social justice. The goals of The Black Academy are to showcase Black excellence and to share those achievements with all of Canada; to establish new spaces for Black Canadians to celebrate and network; and to kickstart and accelerate careers through training and knowledge-sharing. Across all our initiatives, we inspire young people and generations to come. Co-founded by actors, producers, and Scarborough-born brothers Shamier Anderson and Stephan James, The Black Academy is born out of a longstanding commitment to their community and is dedicated to dismantling systemic racism in Canada. Legacy Award recipients are decided upon by The Legacy Awards’ Advisory Committee comprised of The Black Academy and industry specialists in music, film, TV, and pop culture. Established in 2020, The Black Academy is based in Toronto and is a division of the not-for-profit B.L.A.C.K Canada. https://blackisnow.com; Instagram: @BLACKISNOWCANADA
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.
About Insight Productions (A Boat Rocker Company)
Insight Productions is Canada’s most established content producer, known for its award-winning ratings juggernauts and many of the country’s biggest award shows and music specials. Headed by John Brunton, Insight is an industry leader in the development, financing, and production of both scripted and unscripted hit programming. John Brunton, Lindsay Cox, and Shannon Farr serve as executive producers on The Legacy Awards alongside Jordan Rudder who serves as Producer/Talent Producer. Programming highlights include Stronger Together/Tous Ensemble, The JUNO Awards, The Canadian Screen Awards, The Amazing Race Canada, Big Brother Canada, and Canada’s New Year’s Eve Countdown. In 2016, Insight produced The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration for CBC, a live concert special seen by one in three Canadians. Insight Productions was founded in 1979 and has since created thousands of hours of ground-breaking content. https://insighttv.com
About Bay Mills Studios
Bay Mills Studios is a cutting-edge production company founded by powerhouse brothers and actors Shamier Anderson & Stephan James. BMS is focused on showcasing an eclectic and inclusive lineup of diverse stories from feature films, scripted and unscripted TV, short-form, digital media and a panoply of other platform-agnostic content. Shamier and Stephan combine their creative expertise and ability to engage global audiences, to create ground-breaking content that pushes the boundaries all while being rooted in entertainment.
Media Contacts:
Gabrielle Free | Free Publicity (for The Black Academy & Insight Productions)
GabFree.Publicity@gmail.com / 416-220-0201
Winston Ma | CBC PR
Winston.ma@cbc.ca / 647-327-7408
