INTERNATIONAL HIP HOP SUPERSTAR KARDINAL OFFISHALL AND THEATRE VANGUARD WEYNI MENGESHA TO BE HONOURED BY THE BLACK ACADEMY AT THE LEGACY AWARDS, LIVE ON SEPTEMBER 29, ON CBC AND CBC GEM
Fan Choice Digital Content Creator Award voting is now open
TORONTO – Shamier Anderson and Stephan James, Scarborough, ON, natives and co-founders of The Black Academy, alongside CBC, Insight Productions, and Bay Mills Studios today announced the first two recipients of the 2024 Legacy Awards: Soulpepper Theatre Artistic Director Weyni Mengesha will receive the Trailblazer Award and international rap music legend Kardinal Offishall will receive the Icon Award during the third edition of The Black Academy’s award show, The Legacy Awards. Hosted by Adrian Holmes, the 90-minute special airs live on CBC and CBC Gem on Sunday, September 29 at 8 p.m. (9 p.m. AT/9:30 p.m. NT). The show features performances, award presentations, and tributes honouring both established and emerging Black Canadian talent. Additional award recipients, performers, and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Legacy Awards Fan Choice Digital Content Creator Award voting is now open. This award allows fans to choose their favourite Black-identifying Canadian digital content creators. This year’s nominees are: Access By Tay (Toronto); Citron Rose (Montréal); OT The OG (Toronto); Queeny Kuffour (Toronto); Ryan Holtz (Edmonton); and Toni Olaoye (Toronto). The winner will be announced during The Legacy Awards. Visit vote.blackacademy.ca for more details.
“For years, Weyni and Kardi have awed international audiences and listeners with their creative output – and they’re both true pioneers in their respective fields, make no doubt about it,” said Stephan James, Co-Founder, The Black Academy. “But what stands out even more for us is their relentless commitment to mentoring up-and-coming talent. Nurturing future Black stars is so fundamental to what we stand for at The Black Academy and we couldn’t be happier to champion their considerable artistic achievements and all that they have done for our community.”
Kardinal Offishall – 2024 Icon Award
For his decades of service as Canada’s undisputed hip hop ambassador to the world, for his cultural impact, his seminal and chart-topping music, and for continuing to discover and develop extraordinary talent, Kardinal Offishall will receive the Icon Award.
The multi-award-winning global Jamaican-Canadian hip hop icon Kardinal Offishall was the first rapper from Canada to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100. He has collaborated with the giants of the industry including Rihanna, Drake, Pharrell Williams, Vybz Kartel, and so many more. Offishall has a star on Canada's Walk of Fame and is a recipient of the Allan Slaight Music Impact Honour and The Canadian Music Week Social Justice Impact Award. Recently, he received an honorary doctorate from York University for his legacy of groundbreaking achievements. Offishall is Global A&R at Def Jam Recordings, hip hop’s most influential record label. He continues to shape the careers of several new artists.
Weyni Mengesha – 2024 Trailblazer Award
For her exceptional artistic achievements, for creating cultural spaces that welcome all audiences and reflect the society in which we live, and her tireless dedication to training and mentoring youth, Weyni Mengesha will receive the Trailblazer Award.
Weyni Mengesha is a stage and screen director known for her groundbreaking work and community engagement. She currently serves as the Artistic Director of Soulpepper Theatre and has directed critically acclaimed productions that have toured nationally and internationally including Da kink in my hair, Kim’s Convenience, and Treemonisha. She has also directed in London, NYC and LA, garnering two NAACP nominations and has received nominations and awards from the Dora’s (Toronto), Drama League (NY), and Drama Critics Circle (LA). She is also a committed educator, mentor, and a producer of youth arts initiatives. She was the co-director of Artists Mentoring Youth Project and co-founded a platform for young artists from Ethiopian and Eritrean communities. In addition to Soulpepper, she has taught at the National Theatre School of Canada and the Canadian Film Centre. Mengesha’s parents emigrated from Ethiopia; she was born in Vancouver and grew up in Scarborough.
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) and Jordan Rudder is the producer/talent 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 Black Academy, Insight Productions, and CBC are committed to hiring Black senior staff and crew members for The Legacy Awards.
Social Media:
@blackisnowcanada
@legacyawardsca
@insight.productions / @insightprod
@CBC / @CBCGem
#TheLegacyAwardsCBC
#TheBlackAcademy
#CelebrateBlackCanadians
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 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. Gail Case serves as its Executive Director. 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 & 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 and Jordan Rudder is the producer/talent producer. Programming highlights include Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble, The JUNO Awards, The Canadian Screen Awards, The Amazing Race Canada, Big Brother Canada, Top Chef Canada, Canada Day 150! From Coast to Coast to Coast, and Canada’s Ultimate Challenge. 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
