Jully Black, Tonya Williams, Director X and Lu Kala will be the first four award recipients of the 2023 Legacy Awards, to be handed out later this fall.
The ceremony celebrating Black achievement in film, television, music, sports and culture is returning for a second year on Sunday, Sept. 24.
Jully Black, a platinum-selling and Juno Award-winning artist, will receive this year’s Icon Award to recognize her international impact. Black made headlines in February when she sang Canada’s national anthem at the NBA All-star game, replacing the words “our home and native land” with “our home on native land.”
This year’s Emerging Artist Award recipient is Lu Kala, a rising artist known for her upbeat songs of women empowerment. Her single, Pretty Girl Era, amassed fans from social media and spent 15 weeks on Canadian radio’s Top 40 charts.
For his impact on music video and visual aesthetic creation, filmmaker Julien Christian Lutz, professionally known as Director X, will receive the Trailblazer Award. Lutz is known for his work with stars like Drake, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar and more.
Award-winning actress, activist and producer Tonya Williams will receive the Visionary Award. Best known for her role as Dr. Olivia Winters in The Young and the Restless, Williams created the Reelworld Screen Institute to increase opportunities for Black, Indigenous, Asian and people of colour in Canada’s screen industries.
This year, fans will be allowed to vote for their favourite Black-identifying Canadian digital content creator for the Fan Choice Digital Content Creator Award. The winner will be announced during the Sept. 24 ceremony, taking place at Toronto’s music venue History.
The 2023 Legacy Awards will be hosted by Canadian musician and TV host Keshia Chanté.
“Building community and having community support you is huge,” Chanté said in an interview with CBC News in June. “We deserve to be celebrated … and this is celebrating Black excellence at its highest level. The Legacy Awards truly does that.”
A 90-minute special of the Legacy Awards will be broadcast on CBC and CBC Gem on Sept. 24 at 8 p.m ET.
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