As The Handmaid’s Tale Star Amanda Brugel arrived at the inaugural Legacy Awards on Sunday evening, reflecting on what the new awards ceremony – which highlights the achievements of black Canadian talent – will mean for future generations.
“I think I’m going to be emotional talking about it,” she told CBC News on the black carpet.
“Having space, keeping space for the amount of black talent that we have here, for future generations, will tell them that they matter, that there is so much room for them, to tell them to aim higher. And I can ‘I’m waiting to see what happens with this in 25 years,’ she said, pointing to the room full of black performers, athletes and actors.
The Legacy Awards are the first all-black awards ceremony in Canada. The 90-minute live show, which celebrated achievements in film, television, music, sports and culture, featured emerging and established Black Canadian talent.
The first Legacy Awards were held in Toronto, a one-of-a-kind event in Canada to showcase and honor black talent in music, film and sports. The event featured performances from Jully Black and Deborah Cox, among others.
The event is produced by the Black Academy, an initiative launched in December 2020 by Canadian actors and brothers, Shamier Anderson (Bruised) and Stephan James (If Beale Street Could Talk).
The Scarborough, Ontario-born siblings hope that by creating the infrastructure to support and nurture black talent, they can break down barriers in Canada’s entertainment industries.
“We come from humble beginnings – Scarborough, you know?” Anderson told CBC News. “So for us to be able to do that, I hope we can continue to inspire other black and brown boys and girls.”
Joking that he and Anderson spent two and a half years “under a rock” planning the event, which they will co-host, James said: “We’re here, and people have to. to know.”
“The power of being able to empower our people, to put them on that stage, to give them the opportunity to testify, to share their journeys with black Canadians across the country. That’s a very, very powerful thing; it’s is something that is not lost on my brother and me.”
Jamaican Patties, Public Service Announcements and Spoken Poetry
After an opening performance by Kardinall Offishall, Anderson and James gave a traditional comedic monologue – but then they got serious, sitting down to deliver a cheeky public service announcement to the Americans.
“We’re here to talk about an issue that plagues black Canadians,” Anderson said. “And that’s when Americans are surprised that we actually have black people in this country,” he concluded to laughter from the crowd.
The brothers launched into a rap song describing the unique qualities of Canada’s black community (“We got more than just The Weeknd, Kardinall and Drake!”), one of several performances that put the audience on their toes on Sunday evening.
Later in the show, Deborah Cox took the stage in a flashy red jumpsuit with a pom-pom cape to perform her 2008 hit, Beautiful UR. She was followed by Savannah Ré, who sang Solid. The performances didn’t stop at the music: spoken word poet Randell Adjei took the stage with a few verses.
The musical highlight, however, was an ensemble performance by Andra Day’s Rise up by an all-star lineup of five Black Canadian women – Melanie Fiona, Sate, Jully Black, Fefe Dobson and Alicia Mighty – demonstrating a range of musical styles, genres and talents.
Nodding to the Jamaican community in Canada, Anderson and James took a moment to praise their favorite Jamaican pie, Randy’s – “As we all know there has been a shortage of patties in our communities across the country,” James said – before surprising the crowd as they and a team handed out the stuffed pastries.
“Guys, look at this room! »
By accepting the Jahmil French Award for Rising Stars in Canadian Media, Sports commentator Kayla Gray gave an emotional speech. “Shamier, Stephan. Guys, look at this room!” she said with tears in her eyes. “Look at our beauty, our strength.”
“I’m so grateful for spaces and nights like this tonight, because we’re reminded of who we’re doing it for, but more importantly, why we’re doing it.”
Indeed, James said in a monologue with Anderson that the brothers decided to launch the Legacy Awards after attending numerous award ceremonies where few black performers were in attendance.
Many participants spoke about the importance of seeing black talent on screen. The importance of this visibility was best described by Haitian-Canadian filmmaker Fabienne Colas, who received the Visionary Award from the hands of the former Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean.
When she accepted her award, Colas described watching Jean – then a news reporter – on Radio Canada as a little girl in Haiti. Colas says he told his mother that if she ever went to Canada, she wanted to meet Jean, because she was black and French-speaking like her.
“You have led me and so many other women of color to dream a bigger dream for themselves,” she told the former governor general, the first black woman to assume this role.
Ika Wong, a reality TV star, won the Digital Creator Fans’ Choice Award. Olympic medalist Andre De Grasse won the Athlete of the Year award, joking with co-host James – whose starring role was Olympic athletics star Jesse Owens in the historic 2016 film Race — that he was surprised their sprinting careers “didn’t intersect.”
DJ 4KORNERS, who performed at the event, told CBC News on the black carpet that the show was a symbol of action: “You always hear that…instead of begging for a spot at table, build your own table.”
“It’s our table, we have a table!” We made this table.
Black performers have received increased recognition at mainstream awards shows in recent years, Canadian broadcaster Amanda Parris said. But she added there was room for other events, like the Legacy Awards, to honor specific talents that are often under-recognized by major awards bodies.
“I think having this dedicated space to amplify and elevate talents and voices that for so long have not been heard or recognized or celebrated to the degree that they can or should be, is one thing. wonderful. And that’s for everyone.”
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to stories of success within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project that Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
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