The Black Academy (Canada)
The Black Academy is a Canadian organization that recognizes and supports Black Canadian talent across film, television, music, sports, and culture. It operates as part of B.L.A.C.K. Canada (Building a Legacy in Acting, Cinema + Knowledge), a group founded by Shamier Anderson and Stephan James in 2020.
B.L.A.C.K. Canada partnered with Insight Productions to create the Legacy Awards, an annual ceremony to honor Black Canadian achievement. The awards are held on the last Sunday of September and were set to be broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) for at least the first three years (2022–2024).
The first Legacy Awards aired on September 25, 2022. Honorees were Andre De Grasse, Kayla Grey, and Fabienne Colas. In 2023, the honorees were Tonya Williams, Director X, Jully Black, and Lu Kala. In 2024, the honorees were Kardinal Offishall, Cameron Bailey, and Weyni Mengesha.
In 2025, the Legacy Awards were discontinued. CBC instead joined with Anderson and James to create The Legacy Lounge, a Black History Month talk show that profiles and interviews Black Canadian figures. Guests include Wes Hall, Amanda Brugel, Fefe Dobson, and Basement Gang.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 17:15 (CET).