Shamier Anderson and Stephan James, co-founders of The Black Academy and Bay Mills Studios, announce the launch of The Legacy Lounge, a dynamic In Conversation honouring the legacy and achievements of Black Canadians. The series features in-depth conversations with a new group of Black Academy honourees, highlighting their contributions to society and the legacies they are creating. The Legacy Lounge is a reimagined format of The Legacy Awards and is part of an ongoing partnership with CBC.
The Legacy Lounge will deliver four 30-minute episodes, each designed to inspire, entertain, and encourage thoughtful reflection. Styled in an intimate lounge, Shamier and Stephan will dive deep into heartfelt conversations that explore each honouree’s journey, their impact on society, and the legacies they are building. With a perfect blend of inspiration, laughter, and deep reflection; it’s where culture meets conversation.
“This is not just a talk show; it is an immersive experience where laughter, insights, and music create memorable moments. Our goal is to provide a platform for powerful black narratives in an intimate atmosphere that allows audiences to look behind the curtain into the trials and tribulations that made our honourees legends. Each guest brings a unique story that deserves recognition and celebration,” said Shamier Anderson, Executive Producer and series co-creator.
“Shamier and I believe in the importance of representation and storytelling,” said Stephan James, Executive Producer and series co-creator. “Through The Legacy Lounge, we aim to connect our audience with the incredible individuals who inspire change and progress in our communities. We want viewers at home to feel the warmth and authenticity of these conversations.”
“We’re excited about the evolution of the Legacy Awards to this new format,” said Sally Catto, General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports, CBC. “The Legacy Lounge will provide an in-depth and intimate tribute to honourees and we’re looking forward to sharing these stories with audiences across the country.”
The series offers a blend of inspiration, laughter, and meaningful dialogue, celebrating Black excellence in Canada. A diverse lineup of honourees, including celebrities and thought leaders, will share their stories and highlight their impact across various fields.
The show will premiere as a four-part special during Black History Month in February on CBC Gem and also on CBC TV, with timing to be announced. Make sure not to miss it, as The Legacy Lounge brings the celebration straight to audiences across Canada. Additional details about this year’s honourees will be announced soon.
The Legacy Lounge is co-created and executive produced by Shamier Anderson (John Wick) and Golden Globe nominee, Stephan James (If Beale Street Could Talk). Emmy Award-winning producers, Jesse Murphy (Laugh It Forward) and Andrew Barnsley (Schitt’s Creek) will Executive Produce. Tse Daniel and Shelby Bronstine will oversee production as series producers on behalf of Bay Mills Studios, The Black Academy, and Project10.
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.
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. Founded by Shamier Anderson and Stephan James, The Black Academy is dedicated to showcasing Black excellence and dismantling systemic racism in Canada.
About Bay Mills Studios
Bay Mills is a cutting-edge production company founded by actors, producers, and brothers, Shamier Anderson and Golden Globe Nominee Stephan James. Bay Mills 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 groundbreaking content that pushes the boundaries, all while being rooted in entertainment.
About Project 10 Productions Inc.
Established in 2009, Project 10 is a television production company based in Toronto specializing in scripted comedy. As a go-to partner for domestic and international creators, broadcasters, streamers, and distributors alike, the company works closely with high-profile talent to develop and produce compelling and innovative content for the worldwide marketplace.
Project 10 specializes in production and creative services and has a proven track record of generating world-class episodic television. The company is currently producing the hit comedy SON OF A CRITCH (39 x 30) for CBC. Recently sold internationally, the first season debuted as the most-watched original Canadian comedy in the country and continues to be one of the most-streamed comedies on streaming service CBC Gem. Season 4 begins production in Summer of 2024. Project 10 recently produced the highly anticipated return of THE KIDS IN THE HALL in partnership with Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video for Amazon Prime. As well, the company’s three-season hit CTV series JANN (22 x 30), co-created by and starring award-winning recording artist Jann Arden, continues to stream on the streaming service Crave. Project 10’s credits also include the sitcom SPUN OUT (26 x 30) for CTV, the
Family Channel/Netflix series MY PERFECT LANDING (15 x 30), the digital series TOM GREEN’S SNOW JAM for CBC Comedy, the sports documentary series, SPORTS ON FIRE (6 x 30) for TMN and Movie Central, and the award-winning feature documentary, SPIRIT UNFORGETTABLE for HBO Canada. Principal executives for Project 10 Productions Inc. are Chief Executive Officer Andrew Barnsley, an Executive Producer on CBC/PopTV’s SCHITT’S CREEK, which won a record-setting nine EMMY Awards including Best Comedy Series in 2020; and Chief Operating Officer Brandon Davis.
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: Dëne Sųłıné, Dene Kǝdǝ́, Dene Zhatıé, Eastern Cree, Dinjii Zhuʼ Ginjik, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun and Tłı̨chǫ. 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.
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