Jully Black performs the halftime show as the Chicago Sky take on the Minnesota Lynx in WNBA preseason basketball action in Toronto on May 13.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
Singer Jully Black, filmmaker Director X, actress Tonya Williams and pop artist Lu Kala will be among the recipients of The Black Academy’s 2023 Legacy Awards next month.
The event honouring the accomplishments of Black Canadians in film, television, music, sports, and culture is set to return for its second year on Sept. 24, airing on CBC and CBC Gem.
Juno Award winner Black will be presented with this year’s Icon Award, acknowledging her global influence and lasting popularity.
Filmmaker Julien Christian Lutz, professionally known as Director X, will be honoured with the Trailblazer Award for his influential contributions to music videos and visual esthetics.
Largely recognized for her role as Dr. Olivia Winters in the TV soap opera “The Young and the Restless,” award-winning actress and activist Williams will receive the Visionary Award for her philanthropic work. In 2020, she created Access Reelworld, a national database and job board for diverse Canadian talent.
Kala, whose single “Pretty Girl Era” spent 15 weeks in the top 15 of Top 40 radio in Canada, will receive this year’s Emerging Artist Award.
Other honourees are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Starting on Sept. 1, fans can vote online for their favourite Black Canadian digital content creator. The winner of the Fan Choice Digital Content Creator Award will be announced at the ceremony on Sept. 24.
Canadian musician and TV personality Keshia Chanté will host the 90-minute broadcast. Tickets will be available to the general public Wednesday on Ticketmaster.