The second edition of The Black Academy’s Legacy Awards on CBC is taking shape, with a newly announced broadcast date and host, along with development on the show’s team, format and sponsorships.

The Black Academy co-founders and actors Shamier Anderson and Stephan James — alongside CBC, Insight Productions, and Bay Mills Studios — announced on Wednesday (June 28) that the show will air live from Toronto on Sept. 24 on CBC and CBC Gem, with TV host and singer Keshia Chanté (pictured middle) as emcee and Jordan Rudder as the producer/talent producer.

As with last year’s show, the live, 90-minute special will see Black creatives from The Black Academy Skills Development Program receive on-the-job training behind the scenes, Anderson tells Playback Daily.

The Black Academy, Insight Productions and CBC are also committed to hiring Black senior staff and crew members for the telecast, according to a news release.

“There’s a lot of opportunity for individuals who are in the other verticals — whether it be behind the camera, post-production — for people of colour to be able to work on a project where you’re seeing people reflected not only on screen, but behind,” says Anderson (pictured left).

“That’s why this show is so special, among many other reasons, is the employment opportunity for the marginalized community.”

Billed as the first major Canadian awards show to celebrate and showcase Black talent, the Legacy Awards telecast is produced by Boat Rocker’s Insight Productions as well as the brothers’ Bay Mills Studios banner. Anderson and James executive produce the broadcast, which features performances, award presentations, and tributes.

John Brunton, Lindsay Cox, and Shannon Farr are the executive producers for Insight Productions (a Boat Rocker company). Daniel Abrams also serves as EP.

Rudder, who was also a talent producer on last year’s instalment, says they’re still working out many details for the 2023 edition but “want it to have a national feel.”

“We want people to recognize that there’s Black excellence across the globe … so we are taking a look at that balance,” says Rudder.

There are a lot of sponsorship opportunities still available, with the team looking to build upon what it did last year to support the awards, adds Rudder.

The 2022 edition at Live Nation Canada’s History venue marked the first of an exclusive three-year partnership with CBC. This year’s edition will also be held at History.

Rudder says they want to “enhance the experience this year” and have “the same feel in terms of that inclusion, having people feel a part of it, being on the floor, being upstairs, and just continuing the party throughout the building.”

“Being authentic” and connecting with the Black community and culture will be key to luring in audiences at a time when ratings for live awards shows like the Oscars have suffered in recent years, Rudder says.

“This is our opportunity to tell stories from our voices, from our perspective, putting in cultural moments that people within the community can understand but people who maybe are outside of the community can get to know about and get to enjoy and feel connected,” Rudder adds.

Award recipients will be announced in the coming weeks.

Having Chanté — a Juno Award-winning performer who is also an actor and a host of Global’s ET Canada — presiding over the festivities raises “the magnitude and the value of the show,” says James (pictured right), who hosted with Anderson last year.

“For us, it’s about not only maintaining the energy and the vibe that was in the building in the first year, but exceeding that. That comes with its challenges, but the first step of it for us was always: who’s going to host the show, who is going to be the voice of this second year,” says James, noting he and Anderson will appear in the show in some capacity.

“We’re incredibly honoured to have Keshia hosting this year. She embodies everything that Legacy is.”

The team now plans to pull together a writers’ room with Chanté, who says last year’s show felt like “a memorable moment” and offered a chance to further representation on screen.

“When I look back at my career and when I started, I was 13 years old, there weren’t a lot of spaces for me, and I felt like I was constantly having to turn ‘Nos’ into ‘Yeses’ not only being young, but being a Black woman,” she says. “Certain platforms made me feel like I belonged, and because of those platforms, I can now have a 20-year career.”

Those platforms included the Urban Music Awards and the Juno Awards’ pre-show dinner featuring urban acts.

“So to see [Anderson and James], who work so hard for themselves and make so many amazing things happen for their careers, give back and open doors for other people the way that doors were opened for me is a little girl — that’s sentimental to me,” Chanté adds. “I’m excited for the doors that are going to get opened.”

Photo: O’shane Howard for CBC